Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, January 25
Philadelphia, Pa.
7:00 p.m.
Temple University
16-3, 4-0Big 5
63
at
53
Penn
9-6, 0-4Big 5
1
2
3
4
F
Temple
14
21
11
17
63
Penn
13
16
16
8
53
CHAMPIONS! Women's Basketball Takes Big 5 Title at Penn
1.25.17 | Women's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple women's basketball team won the 2017 Philadelphia Big 5 Championship with a 63-53 win at Penn on Wednesday night at the Palestra. The victory improves the Owls to 16-3 overall with an unblemished 4-0 mark in Big 5 play. Temple's Big 5 title is the 10th in program history, and the first for the Owls since the 2010-11 season.
Though Temple led for over 35 minutes in the contest, the largest lead for the Owls came in the final minute of play. Penn hung around in a gritty game, taking the lead 50-49 with 4:47 left in the fourth. Temple needed one more surge to keep its win streak alive, and the Owls did just that, going on a 12-2 run to finish out the victory.
Junior Donnaizha Fountain led Temple with 20 points and 12 rebounds, recording her fourth double-double of the season, while also adding four steals. Senior Feyonda Fitzgerald notched 13 points and seven assists, while junior Tanaya Atkinson collected 12 points with nine boards. Junior Alliya Butts ended her night with 12 points, while senior Ruth Sherrill had eight rebounds.
As a team, Temple out-rebounded the the Quakers, 42-31, and also held Penn to just 37.3% shooting.
Temple jumped out to a 9-3 lead backed by seven points from Fountain, but Penn answered with a 6-0 run to knot things at 9-9. Temple got a Fitzgerald jumper and a Butts three to go back up by three, 14-11, but a lay-up from Penn's Michelle Nwokedi made it a 14-13 game after one.
Temple opened the second with a 10-0 run to take a 24-13 lead, their largest of the game to that point. Penn again responded, scoring seven unanswered to make it a four-point game, 24-20 with 3:55 to play. Temple then used a 7-3 run to go back up by eight, but the Quakers had a slight 4-2 scoring edge to close the half with the Owls up 35-29.
Fountain and Fitzgerald combined for 21 first half points for Temple, while Sherrill (8 rebounds) and Atkinson (5 rebounds) led the Owls to a significant 22-12 advantage on the glass. Sydney Stipanovich led the Penn scoring with seven in the first half.
The third quarter was back-and-forth with Temple hovering around a six to seven point advantage for much of the early action. A Penn surge cut the lead to just one at 44-43, but Temple wouldn't give up the lead, clinging to a one-point advantage (46-45) after three.
Penn finally broke through early in the fourth, as the Quakers took their first lead since the opening minute with a three from Kasey Chambers. Temple answered and the lead changed hands twice, before the Owls began their 12-2 run that sealed the victory.
Penn (9-6, 0-4 Big 5) was led by 16 points and seven rebounds from Stipanovich, while Nwokedi tallied 10 points with five boards and four blocks. Chambers (9 points, 7 steals) and Anna Ross (8 points, 8 assists) rounded out the Quakers' highlights.
Temple is back in action on Sunday, hosting #23 USF at McGonigle Hall at 12:00 p.m. on CBS SportsNetwork.
Box Score (PDF) | Video Highlights
Though Temple led for over 35 minutes in the contest, the largest lead for the Owls came in the final minute of play. Penn hung around in a gritty game, taking the lead 50-49 with 4:47 left in the fourth. Temple needed one more surge to keep its win streak alive, and the Owls did just that, going on a 12-2 run to finish out the victory.
Junior Donnaizha Fountain led Temple with 20 points and 12 rebounds, recording her fourth double-double of the season, while also adding four steals. Senior Feyonda Fitzgerald notched 13 points and seven assists, while junior Tanaya Atkinson collected 12 points with nine boards. Junior Alliya Butts ended her night with 12 points, while senior Ruth Sherrill had eight rebounds.
As a team, Temple out-rebounded the the Quakers, 42-31, and also held Penn to just 37.3% shooting.
Temple jumped out to a 9-3 lead backed by seven points from Fountain, but Penn answered with a 6-0 run to knot things at 9-9. Temple got a Fitzgerald jumper and a Butts three to go back up by three, 14-11, but a lay-up from Penn's Michelle Nwokedi made it a 14-13 game after one.
Temple opened the second with a 10-0 run to take a 24-13 lead, their largest of the game to that point. Penn again responded, scoring seven unanswered to make it a four-point game, 24-20 with 3:55 to play. Temple then used a 7-3 run to go back up by eight, but the Quakers had a slight 4-2 scoring edge to close the half with the Owls up 35-29.
Fountain and Fitzgerald combined for 21 first half points for Temple, while Sherrill (8 rebounds) and Atkinson (5 rebounds) led the Owls to a significant 22-12 advantage on the glass. Sydney Stipanovich led the Penn scoring with seven in the first half.
The third quarter was back-and-forth with Temple hovering around a six to seven point advantage for much of the early action. A Penn surge cut the lead to just one at 44-43, but Temple wouldn't give up the lead, clinging to a one-point advantage (46-45) after three.
Penn finally broke through early in the fourth, as the Quakers took their first lead since the opening minute with a three from Kasey Chambers. Temple answered and the lead changed hands twice, before the Owls began their 12-2 run that sealed the victory.
Penn (9-6, 0-4 Big 5) was led by 16 points and seven rebounds from Stipanovich, while Nwokedi tallied 10 points with five boards and four blocks. Chambers (9 points, 7 steals) and Anna Ross (8 points, 8 assists) rounded out the Quakers' highlights.
Temple is back in action on Sunday, hosting #23 USF at McGonigle Hall at 12:00 p.m. on CBS SportsNetwork.
Box Score (PDF) | Video Highlights
Team Stats
TEMPLE
PENN
FG%
.417
.373
3FG%
.333
.200
FT%
.667
.619
RB
42
31
TO
14
13
STL
5
11
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
9
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
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