By Jeff Rice
PHILADELPHIA — Temple senior guard Ryan Brooks is putting a lot on his shoulders this season.
“He’s still figuring out that trying to be the best defensive player on the team, and trying to figure out how to be our leading scorer as well, it’s not an easy thing to do,” Temple coach Fran Dunphy said.
Brooks was both for the Owls in the second half Saturday, scoring 11 of his game-high 19 points and locking down Talor Battle as Temple held off Penn State 45-42 in a defensive brawl in the Liacouras Center. It was the second- lowest-scoring game in the arena’s 12-year history.
Battle, who scored 28 of his career-high 32 points in Monday’s 66-66 win at Virginia, was held to four points on 2-of-6 shooting by Temple’s Luis Guzman in the first half and was 1-of- 9 after the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Brooks began shadowing him after halftime. Battle finished with eight points, five rebounds and three turnovers.
“I just tried to focus on staying on his hip,” Brooks said. “Making sure I knew where he was on the floor and recognizing the set plays they were running for him.” …
Read it all: Penn State falters in defensive battle | Penn State News | Sports – Centre Daily Times.