Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, January 13
Orlando, Fla.
7:00 p.m.
Temple University
11-5, 5-1
71
at
63
UCF
3-13, 0-5
1
2
3
4
F
TEMPLE
30
20
8
13
71
UCF
16
19
12
16
63
Photo by: Julia Martin
Women's Basketball Survives Late UCF Run to Win, 71-63
1.13.16 | Women's Basketball
ORLANDO – Temple women's basketball team survived a second-half charge from UCF, downing the Knights, 71-63, in American Athletic Conference action on Wednesday evening. The Owls move to 11-5, 5-1 in conference play with their third-straight win, while UCF dips to 3-13, 0-5 in The American.
Temple carried a 25-point lead at the break, but saw that advantage shrink to just four points late in the fourth quarter. The Owls were held to (7-31) 22.6% from the field in the second half, while UCF shot 37.9% (11-29). Temple turned the ball over just five times in the half, however, and was able to seal the win with key rebounding in the final minute of play.
Four players scored in double figures for the Owls, led by 16 points from junior Feyonda Fitzgerald. Sophomore Alliya Butts finished with 11 points, three assists, and three steals, while classmates Tanaya Atkinson and Donnaizha Fountain each scored 10, with Fountain picking up eight boards. Junior Ruth Sherrill surpassed a career-high with eight points, while graduate student Ugo Nwaigwe had six points and eight rebounds.
Temple faced a 7-0 deficit after a hot start from UCF early in the first frame. The Owls were able to get the Knights' lead down to three at 9-6 after a Butts lay-up with 5:37 to play. From there, Temple's defense forced five steals, leading to 11 points in transition, sparking the cherry and white offense. Altogether, the Owls closed the quarter on a 24-4 run, punctuated by a deep buzzer-beater from Fitzgerald that made it a 30-16 Temple advantage.
The Owls increased their advantage to 20-points in the second quarter, as Nwaigwe and Sherrill got involved in the scoring, making it 40-20 with 5:11 on the clock. After UCF's Zykira Lewis drained a three, the Owls hit back-to-back from long-range (Butts, Fitzgerald) to make it a 25-point game (50-25). UCF battled back over the final 2:30, however, scoring 10-straight to cut the Temple lead to 50-35 at the break.
Fitzgerald led all scorers with 11 points at the half, while Fountain had eight and Butts had seven. Temple shot 54.3% from the field in the first half (19-35), and out-rebounded UCF, 19-15. The Knights were paced by nine points from Lewis and seven each from Joslyn Massey and Aliyah Gregory.
UCF continued its run into the second half, opening the third quarter with six-straight points, making it 50-41. Temple needed over six minutes of play in the frame to get on the board, as Nwaigwe finally broke through with a lay-up, making it 52-41 with 3:18 on the clock. UCF surged forward, cutting the Temple lead to just seven (52-45) with 2:34 left, but the Owls closed the quarter on a 6-2 run, including four from Sherrill, making it 58-47.
An 8-0 UCF run to open the fourth quarter made it just a four-point game at 58-54 two minutes into the frame. Temple responded with five-straight, two free throws from Atkinson and a three from Butts to get some breathing room at 63-54. UCF made a run with under six minutes to play, however, out-scoring the Owls 7-2 over the next four minutes to again make it a four-point game (65-61) with 2:36 remaining.
The teams traded buckets to keep it at four-point Temple edge with under one minute to play. In the final minute, the Owls' Atkinson corralled an offensive board with 50 seconds to play, and scored with 25.8 on the clock, making it 69-63. On UCF's next possession, the Knights missed a three, and were forced to foul Butts, who made both to set it to 71-63 with 16 seconds on the clock. A last-ditch jumper from UCF was then rebounded by Khadijah Berger, sealing the victory for the Owls.
The Knights were paced by 16 points from Lewis, while Massey finished with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Temple will face its toughest test of the season on Saturday, heading to Storrs, Conn. to face No. 1 UConn at 6:00 p.m.
Box Score (PDF)
Temple carried a 25-point lead at the break, but saw that advantage shrink to just four points late in the fourth quarter. The Owls were held to (7-31) 22.6% from the field in the second half, while UCF shot 37.9% (11-29). Temple turned the ball over just five times in the half, however, and was able to seal the win with key rebounding in the final minute of play.
Four players scored in double figures for the Owls, led by 16 points from junior Feyonda Fitzgerald. Sophomore Alliya Butts finished with 11 points, three assists, and three steals, while classmates Tanaya Atkinson and Donnaizha Fountain each scored 10, with Fountain picking up eight boards. Junior Ruth Sherrill surpassed a career-high with eight points, while graduate student Ugo Nwaigwe had six points and eight rebounds.
Temple faced a 7-0 deficit after a hot start from UCF early in the first frame. The Owls were able to get the Knights' lead down to three at 9-6 after a Butts lay-up with 5:37 to play. From there, Temple's defense forced five steals, leading to 11 points in transition, sparking the cherry and white offense. Altogether, the Owls closed the quarter on a 24-4 run, punctuated by a deep buzzer-beater from Fitzgerald that made it a 30-16 Temple advantage.
The Owls increased their advantage to 20-points in the second quarter, as Nwaigwe and Sherrill got involved in the scoring, making it 40-20 with 5:11 on the clock. After UCF's Zykira Lewis drained a three, the Owls hit back-to-back from long-range (Butts, Fitzgerald) to make it a 25-point game (50-25). UCF battled back over the final 2:30, however, scoring 10-straight to cut the Temple lead to 50-35 at the break.
Fitzgerald led all scorers with 11 points at the half, while Fountain had eight and Butts had seven. Temple shot 54.3% from the field in the first half (19-35), and out-rebounded UCF, 19-15. The Knights were paced by nine points from Lewis and seven each from Joslyn Massey and Aliyah Gregory.
UCF continued its run into the second half, opening the third quarter with six-straight points, making it 50-41. Temple needed over six minutes of play in the frame to get on the board, as Nwaigwe finally broke through with a lay-up, making it 52-41 with 3:18 on the clock. UCF surged forward, cutting the Temple lead to just seven (52-45) with 2:34 left, but the Owls closed the quarter on a 6-2 run, including four from Sherrill, making it 58-47.
An 8-0 UCF run to open the fourth quarter made it just a four-point game at 58-54 two minutes into the frame. Temple responded with five-straight, two free throws from Atkinson and a three from Butts to get some breathing room at 63-54. UCF made a run with under six minutes to play, however, out-scoring the Owls 7-2 over the next four minutes to again make it a four-point game (65-61) with 2:36 remaining.
The teams traded buckets to keep it at four-point Temple edge with under one minute to play. In the final minute, the Owls' Atkinson corralled an offensive board with 50 seconds to play, and scored with 25.8 on the clock, making it 69-63. On UCF's next possession, the Knights missed a three, and were forced to foul Butts, who made both to set it to 71-63 with 16 seconds on the clock. A last-ditch jumper from UCF was then rebounded by Khadijah Berger, sealing the victory for the Owls.
The Knights were paced by 16 points from Lewis, while Massey finished with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Temple will face its toughest test of the season on Saturday, heading to Storrs, Conn. to face No. 1 UConn at 6:00 p.m.
Box Score (PDF)
Team Stats
TEMPLE
UCF
FG%
.394
.407
3FG%
.286
.333
FT%
.684
.688
RB
38
41
TO
11
17
STL
10
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballEp. 7: Temple Field Hockey Alumna Cherifa Howarth
Friday, September 26
Ep. 6: Temple Athletics Weekly Recap; Field Hockey's Peyton Rieger
Tuesday, September 23
Temple Men's Basketball | Mic'd Up at Temple Women's Volleyball Game
Friday, September 19
Ep. 5: Head Men's Golf Coach Brian Quinn
Friday, September 19
