Recap: Xavier vs. Temple

Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Semaj Christon scored 16 points to lead the Xavier Musketeers to a 57-52 win over the visiting Temple Owls in a matchup of Atlantic 10 heavyweights at the Cintas Center.

Travis Taylor registered a double-double for Xavier (8-6, 1-0 A10) with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Justin Martin added 10 points while Brad Redford knocked down three triples for nine points as the Musketeers snapped a four-game losing skid with the win.

Anthony Lee led the Owls (10-4, 0-1) with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson filled the stat sheet with 11 points, six boards and six assists. Scootie Randall added 13 points while Khalif Wyatt, who entered the game as the team's leading scorer with 16.2 ppg, managed just five points on 2-of-11 from the floor.

Xavier led 29-26 at halftime after holding the Owls' reserves scoreless in the opening 20 minutes. The lead for the Musketeers could have been greater but they struggled shooting the long ball, hitting just 1-of-7 shots from behind the arc.

Temple opened the second half on a 9-0 run, but it could not sustain it as Xavier battled back and used an 8-0 run of its own later in the half to take control. Trailing 55-52 with less than a minute remaining, Wyatt and Randall each missed potential game-tying three-pointers as Xavier held on for the narrow victory.

The Owls, who shot just 4-of-20 beyond the arc on the night, have now lost consecutive games for the first time this season. Despite the loss, they lead the all-time series with Xavier, 13-11.