Ibrahim Jacobs - The Temple News

The Owls’ NCAA tournament chances hinge on three vital aspects of their play.

Will Cummings and Jesse Morgan led Temple past Connecticut in a 75-63 win Saturday.

The Owls will face No. 21 Southern Methodist and Tulsa in two conference games next week.

Will Cummings led the way with 17 points, while Jaylen Bond snared 16 rebounds to help Temple to a 66-53 victory Saturday.

The senior guard has improved as a facilitator, as well as a leader on the court for the Owls.

The senior guard’s 19 points moved him past the 1,000-point mark as the Owls beat South Florida 61-48.

The Owls had no answer for SMU’s Markus Kennedy, who led SMU to a 60-55 victory with his game-high 21 points.

Four Temple starters reached double-digit point totals in a 76-67 win.

Josh Brown scored a career-high 17 points in the win against Louisiana Tech.

The lone recruit relies on athleticism to compensate for a youthful basketball career.