DURHAM, N.C. - Fran Dunphy wasn't going to complain. A home-and-home series with Duke, Temple's second since Dunphy slid over from Penn to revive the Owls' basketball program, is nothing but a good thing.
But the circumstances for Wednesday night's game at Cameron Indoor Stadium were not exactly favorable for the Owls. It is tough to beat the nation's No. 1 team on its home floor when two starters are on the bench injured.
"Wish we were healthier," Dunphy said.
Against the Blue Devils, Temple did what Temple does: played scrappy defense, forced turnovers, scored points off those turnovers, and hit the glass aggressively. But without Scootie Randall, their second-leading scorer, and Micheal Eric, who is done for the year, the Owls did not have enough scorers, enough depth, or enough size up front.
They hung around in the first half, got into significant foul trouble, and let the game slip away when Duke went on an 8-2 run to open the second half.
That the final score was only 78-61 was a testament to the friendship between Mike Krzyzewski and Dunphy, who have known each other for more than 40 years. Had Krzyzewski not eased up with five minutes to play and a 15-point lead, Duke could have won by 30. The hosts were that much better.
Senior guard Nolan Smith is a legitimate player-of-the-year candidate, and sophomore Seth Curry has as sweet a jumper as any of the guards who have rolled through Durham during Kryzewski's reign, and there have been many.
Six-foot-10 sophomore forward Mason Plumlee moved with a graceful aggression to the basket, and Temple had no answer for Duke's senior swingman, Kyle Singler, who scored a game-high 28 points - including a beautiful drive and dunk with less than two minutes to play.
And to think, Duke also was without its second-leading scorer, freshman guard Kyrie Irving, who is out indefinitely with a toe injury.
"They have a purpose," Dunphy said of the Blue Devils. "This program is no joke. This is as good as it gets."
The good news for the Owls is that on Jan. 4 of next year, they will get to see Duke again, only this time at the Wells Fargo Center. Different team, different circumstances, different gym. Maybe there will be a different result.
To understand why Temple was in Durham on Wednesday night, you have to go back to 1971. After graduating from La Salle in 1970, Dunphy was drafted by the Army. Krzyzewski, a 1969 graduate of the United States Military Academy, was an officer in the Army.
