Temple 40, American 37: Mark Williams and Daniel Dingle each scored 11 points as the Owls held off the visiting Eagles' late rally to secure the victory.

Williams added nine rebounds and a block while Dingle connected on 2-of-4 from 3-point range for Temple in the opener for both teams. The Owls didn’t shoot the ball well (22.9 percent), especially in the second half when American switched to a 2-3 matchup zone defense.

John Schoof led the Eagles with 12 points, while Darius Gardner added seven points. It was Gardner who took an off-balance 3-point shot at the end of regulation that was off the mark.

A floater in the lane by Gardner cut Temple’s lead to 33-28 with 5:57 left in the game before Josh Brown answered with a jumper to ignite a 6-0 Owls run, but the Eagles weren’t finished. Charlie Jones made a layup with 14 seconds left before Will Cummings made a free throw to give Temple a three-point lead to set up the finish.

The Owls jumped out to a 10-0 lead after Williams connected on a 3-pointer off an assist by Cummings. American ended Temple’s run on a Jesse Reed steal and dunk but the Eagles connected on just three more field goals for the remainder of the half as the Owls held a 23-11 halftime lead.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Gardner, the Patriot League Tournament MVP last season, took just one shot in the first half and was held scoreless. … Temple’s renewed emphasis on defense showed in the first half with the Owls holding American to just 1-for-12 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc while forcing nine turnovers. … Reed, American’s leading scorer last season at 13.8 points a game, was held to six points.