NEW YORK -- Little had gone right for the Temple Owls before they gathered around coach Fran Dunphy during a timeout. It would have been easy for them to lament their woes.
Instead, as Shizz Alston Jr. recalled, their message to each other was cloaked in defiance.
"We're on a big stage, we're not going out like this," Alston said after Temple's 89-86 victory over No. 25 Florida State on Thursday in the first game of the NIT Season Tip-Off. "We want to fight back."
Quinton Rose scored 26 points, including two free throws with 2 seconds left. Alston Jr. added 22 points and Obi Enechionyia had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Owls (3-2).
Dwayne Bacon had 22 points for the Seminoles (4-1). Jonathan Issac added 19 points. Xavier Rathan-Mayes had 11, and Terance Mann 10.
"They're so deep," Dunphy said about Florida State. "So athletic. They can make shots, too."
Trailing by 12 with 9:26 left, Temple went on a 15-2 run to take a 73-72 lead. The stretch began when Alston made a 3. That was followed by Rose's putback, Enechionyia's lay-in, two made free throws by Alston, and consecutive 3s from Alston and Damion Moore.
The Owls were able to extend their advantage to 85-80 after Enechionyia's made 3 with 3:18 left. But Trent Forrest's lay-in with 77 seconds cut the deficit to one, 87-86.
"They spread the floor," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said of Temple's offensive approach in the second half. "They were shooting the 3s and they spread the floor, did a great job of taking us off the dribble when they got to the foul line.
"Give them credit: They did what they had to do."
Florida State had a chance to win, but Isaac air-balled a layup attempt with four seconds left. Rose's two free throws sealed the win.
"We started making every shot we took," Dunphy said.