Women's Basketball Downs SMU for Gritty AAC Victory

Sunday, January 7

McGonigle Hall

12:00 p.m.

Temple University

9-5, 1-1AAC

SMU

6-10, 0-3AAC

SMU

Temple

Women's Basketball Downs SMU for Gritty AAC Victory

1.7.18 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple women's basketball team rallied for a 55-52 win over visiting SMU at McGonigle Hall on Sunday afternoon. The win improves the Owls to 9-5 overall, with a 1-1 start to conference play, while the Mustangs fall to 6-10, 0-3 in The American.

KEYS TO THE GAME
> Temple erased SMU's early lead, which ballooned to 10 points in the first frame.
> SMU led by five at the half, before a big third quarter from the Owls tied things at 45-45 after three.
> Tied 52-52 with 2:19 to play, Temple got the go-ahead bucket from freshman Mia Davis, while graduate student Mykia Jones hit a free throw to give the Owls' a three point edge that stood.
> The Owls then forced a pair of turnovers and SMU missed three at the buzzer as Temple grabbed its first American win of the year.
> Temple struggled offensively, but held SMU to just 30.6% from the field.
> The Owls worked around SMU's 49-40 rebounding advantage by forcing 17 Mustang turnovers in the game.

INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS
> Senior Tanaya Atkinson notched her 10th double-double of the season with 23 game highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds.
> Davis finished her afternoon with 10 points and five rebounds, while Jones tallied nine points with four rebounds.
> Freshman Emani Mayo scored eight points, while classmate Breanna Perry pulled down five boards.
> Senior Khadijah Berger wrapped up the box score with a career-best eight assists.

FIRST QUARTER
> SMU scored seven unanswered points to open the game, holding the edge in the first frame.
> The Owls trailed by as many as nine, before a Davis free throw to close the quarter had the deficit back to eight, 19-11.

SECOND QUARTER
> Temple opened the second on an 11-0 run to take their first lead of the game on a Jones three, 22-19.
> SMU answered with a bucket from Klara Bradshaw for the Mustangs' first points of the frame.
> The lead changed hands twice more, before a 7-2 SMU put the visitors on top at the break, 32-27.

THIRD QUARTER
> Both teams had extended runs in the frame, the Owls with the opening surge, and SMU with the closing.
> Temple went on a 16-3 run to take its largest lead of the contest, 43-35, with 3:45 to play.
> SMU answered with a game-tying 10-2 run, setting the score to 45-45 after three.

FOURTH QUARTER
> Temple opened the frame with back-to-back buckets to go up 49-45.
> A three from SMU sparked a 7-3 run that tied the score at 52-52 with 2:19 to play.
> The Owls got the go-ahead basket from Davis, who hit a lay-up in traffic, as the Owls took a 54-52 lead.
> Temple came up with two huge defensive stops, forcing a pair of turnovers, before Jones hit a free throw to make it 55-52 with 11 seconds to play.
> A contested three from SMU was off the rim, as the Owls got the victory.

UP NEXT
> Temple continues conference play on Wednesday at McGonigle Hall.
> The Owls will host #22 USF at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN3.