ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Temple is the champion of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament once again.
Ryan Brooks hit four free throws over the final 50 seconds and the top-seeded and 17th-ranked Owls won their third straight conference tournament title, holding off a gutty rally by Richmond for a 56-52 victory in the championship game on Sunday.
Tournament MVP Juan Fernandez scored 18 points and Brooks and Ramone Moore finished with 12 each for Temple (29-5) to its 10th straight win and a third straight automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Richmond had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds but David Gonzalvez missed a 3-pointer with 7 seconds to play. The third-seeded Spiders (26-8) are likely to get an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament.
