PHILADELPHIA-- One never knows when the most consequential play in a basketball game will occur.

Will it be obvious, in the form of a last-second buzzer-beater wrapped in brilliance, with everyone on their feet as it flushes through the net?

Will it be two free throws in the waning seconds?

Or will it be a span of time, a play or two that seems far more innocuous when it happens?

Something occurred in the first half Wednesday night as Duquesne (11-11, 2-6) was matching No. 19 Temple (19-4, 7-1) stride for stride, something that shifted the balance and lit the wick that eventually led the Owls to a 76-60 victory at the Liacouras Center.

Sure, Temple's brutish 6-foot-9 forward, Lavoy Allen, finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds as the Owls outmuscled Duquesne for a 35-19 rebounding edge.

Sure, Owls reserve guard Ramone Moore torched the Dukes for 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting in this rematch of last season's Atlantic 10 Conference tournament final.

And, sure, Temple connected on 28 of 49 shots it took for 57.1 percent accuracy from the floor.

But how about what seldom-used freshman T.J. DiLeo did, throwing gasoline on what was, early on, a flicker that grew stronger and then fully engulfed these Dukes?

After Duquesne jumped to a 10-2 lead in the early going, Temple climbed back into it before DiLeo -- with the Owls ahead, 26-23 -- got loose in the corner for a 3-pointer to make it 29-23 with 6:39 left before halftime.

He wasn't done. On Duquesne's next possession, DiLeo swiped a lazily thrown pass from B.J. Monteiro near midcourt and sailed free for a runaway dunk.

Just like that, Duquesne was down, 31-23.

Just like that, Duquesne would never cut its deficit to less than six points again.

Just like that, Duquesne's night was, pretty much, over.

"That was sort of indicative of our team this year," Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said of the exchange. "We get to the point where we are doing some good things and we find a little bit of a rhythm. And then we lose our focus; we lose track of a shooter in the corner, we lose sight of the fact that we can't throw a crosscourt pass ... . We have a young team and I'd like to think we are starting to mature a little bit, but when you play a team like Temple they can expose you."

In that flash, that 17-second jolt by DiLeo, he hit his average in points per game -- times five.

DiLeo, from nearby southern New Jersey, had been averaging 1 point per game. He scored all his seven points in the first half, none bigger than that deep jumper in front of Duquesne's bench and that dunk in front of his school's student section.

"It is interesting: He is such a tremendous guy for our basketball team," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said of DiLeo. "When he plays, he plays well, and when he doesn't play, you never hear about it. I can't tell you how much that means to the coach and to the team. So, yes, I thought he sparked us greatly."

DiLeo sparked the Owls to the point where, even with Duquesne turning the ball over only 11 times and shooting a decent 44.2 percent from the field, the Dukes could never scratch back into it -- 44-38 with 17:29 left was as close as they came.

Eric Evans and Bill Clark led Duquesne with 12 points apiece.

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