DeCosey was 3-of-3 from 3-point range and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line for Temple (5-3), which shot 34.7 percent from the field. Jaylen Bond had 11 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists for the Owls, who had 14 assists on their 17 made field goals.

Jerrell Wright paced La Salle (4-4) with 15 points along with eight rebounds, while Jordan Price added 13 points, but missed a potential game-tying jumper with 11 seconds to play. Khalid Lewis and Cleon Roberts each chipped in 12 points in losing efforts.

Temple came out hot, going on a 14-3 run after falling behind 2-0 to open up a nine-point lead just over six minutes into the contest. The lead was up to 12 with 5:05 to go on Bond's layup, but the Owls managed only a DeCosey free throw the rest of the half, as La Salle closed to within six on Roberts' jumper at the horn.

The Explorers scored the first six points of the second half to tie the game as Temple went nearly four minutes without a point, then took their first lead since their initial bucket on Roberts' 3-pointer — La Salle's first of the game — with 15:10 to go. The lead was short-lived, though, lasting just 22 seconds, as the Owls went back ahead and held off the Explorers the rest of the way, with Lewis' long 3-pointer at the buzzer bringing La Salle as close as it got.

GAME NOTEBOOK: La Salle won the rebound battle, 34-28, led by Steve Zack, who had 13 boards to go with three blocks. … Will Cummings came into the game averaging a team-high 14.9 points for Temple but went 3-of-11 from the field and finished with eight points. … The Owls finished 18-of-20 from the free-throw line while La Salle was 12-of-19.