CINCINNATI (AP) -- Mardy Collins had 22 points and eight rebounds and Mark Tyndale added 21 points to lead Temple to a 69-54 win over Xavier on Saturday.
The Owls (8-7, 4-0 Atlantic 10) improved on the nation's top field-goal percentage defense, holding the Musketeers (8-7, 2-3) to 32.2 percent shooting from the floor with their matchup zone.
Temple led 35-27 at halftime and scored the first six points of the second half for a 14-point lead. After the Musketeers used a 7-0 run to close within seven, Temple scored the next seven to push its lead back to 14 at 48-34 with 12:02 left.
Collins made a free throw to start the run, and Tyndale hit a pair of jumpers with Collins assisting and two free throws.
Stanley Burrell and Justin Cage each scored 16 points for Xavier. Cage also had eight rebounds.
Temple shot 59.1 percent from the field, eclipsing 50 percent shooting for the first time since Feb. 1, 2003, at St. Bonaventure.
Tyndale, a freshman, went 5-for-9 from the floor and 9-for-12 at the foul line. Mark Salisbery added 13 points for Temple _ all in the first half.
It was Temple's first win on Xavier's home court. The Owls had been 0-2 in Cintas Center and 0-2 at the Musketeers' former home, the Cincinnati Gardens.
