Seniors snap losing streak

For the first time since the 2005-2006 season, the women’s basketball team defeated Rutgers.

In recent years, a game against Rutgers meant one thing for senior guard LaKeisha Eaddy and the women’s basketball team – a loss.

The Owls snapped the streak Wednesday when they defeated the Scarlet Knights, 62-51. The win marked the first time Temple has defeated Rutgers since the 2005-2006 season. After losing every other matchup with the Scarlet Knights, Eaddy said the win gave seniors a high note to go out on.

“Since I’ve been here, we haven’t beaten Rutgers,” Eaddy said. “To go out with a victory over them is definitely exciting for me.”

The Owls, led by Eaddy’s 16 points, never trailed. Despite the double-digit margin of victory, Rutgers kept it close for a large portion of the game.

After trailing, 38-31, at halftime, the Scarlet Knights fought back to close the score to 46-43 with just more than 9 minutes to play. A pair of jumpers by sophomore forward Kristen McCarthy and sophomore guard BJ Williams helped the Owls regain their composure and pushed the lead back to seven points.

A jumper by Rutgers’ senior guard Brittany Ray cut the lead to five points, but the Scarlet Knights never got closer than that. Ray finished the game with 15 points but scored only four points in the second half. Limiting Ray, Rutger’s leading scorer at 15.1 points per game, was a focal point of the Owls’ plan, Temple coach Tonya Cardoza said.

“Our main focus was making sure that Brittany Ray didn’t go off on us, trying to limit her touches as much as possible,” Cardoza said. “They have some explosive guards and big post players, but obviously, neither team is really, really deep, so we had to make sure we didn’t commit dumb fouls.”

Cardoza shifted her starting lineup Wednesday, with senior forward Jasmine Stone replacing freshman Natasha Thames. While Stone’s statistics – no points, four rebounds and four fouls – were not the prettiest, her presence in the lineup brought some physicality to the game. It also allowed for Thames to get more comfortable, Cardoza said.

“After the first couple of games, it looks like [Thames has] been a little indecisive and unsure, and I thought that bringing her off the bench might take a little bit of pressure off of her,” Cardoza said. “It actually worked out tonight because she produced more so than she has in the past couple of games.
“Jasmine has earned it,” Cardoza added. “She has been busting her behind in games and in practice, and she’s just a big body out there.”

After going 5-for-19 in her last two games, Eaddy showed signs of life Wednesday, going 6-for-9 from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.

Temple played superb defense in the game and held Rutgers to 35.6 percent shooting from the field. The Scarlet Knights also had 21 turnovers in the game, something legendary Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer definitely noticed.

“It was the turnovers, but we missed a lot of shots as well,” Stringer said. “They were aggressive on the defensive end. I don’t think we saw enough effort out there. We just looked like we were ready to lose. We did not work as hard as we needed to work.”

“There was a lot of miscommunication on the court today,” Ray added. “This is stuff that we go over in practice every day. I don’t know what happened today. We were just out of sync. It didn’t feel like we could get a rhythm on offense.”

One thing Rutgers did well on offense was shoot free throws. On the night, the Scarlet Knights shot 14-of-17 from the charity stripe.

Sophomore forward Kristen McCarthy, who finished the game with 12 points, visited Rutgers while she was being recruited but did not receive a scholarship offer. From the sound of it, Stringer seemed to regret the decision.

“McCarthy came here for a visit, right?” Stringer said. “And we didn’t take her. Think about that. So then, she drains one in your face and then another one in your face, and she just gets you off the bounce.”

Stringer was also quick to sing the praises of Cardoza and her staff.

“I think the Temple coaches did a great job,” Stringer said. “They have done a marvelous job of getting the players to play well together. They didn’t stop. I think our team thought someone other than them was going to bail them out of this game.”

Temple travels to Virginia to play the Hampton Pirates tonight at 7 p.m. The Pirates are currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak, including a loss to Atlantic Ten Conference opponent Richmond. The Owls return home Dec. 10 to play Ohio. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at McGonigle Hall.

Kyle Gauss can be reached at kyle.gauss@temple.edu.

Revenge against Rutgers

After dropping its first real road game test against a non-conference opponent with a 65-54 loss to Hartford, the women’s basketball team rebounded with a 62-51 win against Rutgers.

“After losing to Hartford, it was almost like a blessing in disguise because we changed a lot of things, and that’s what helped us get the win today,” sophomore forward Kristen McCarthy said.

One of those changes occurred within the starting lineup, as senior forward Jasmine Stone started over freshman forward Natasha Thames.

“After the first couple of games, it looks like [Thames has] been a little indecisive and unsure, and I thought that bringing her off the bench might take a little bit of pressure off of her,” coach Tonya Cardoza said. “It actually worked out tonight because she produced more so than she has in the past couple of games.

“Jasmine has earned it. She has been busting her behind in games and in practice, and she’s just a big body out there,” Cardoza added.

The move to put Thames on the bench worked exactly as Cardoza had planned, as Thames came off the bench for 10 points and seven rebounds during the course of the game. She was one of four Owls who finished with double-digit scoring.

One of the other players who cracked the double-digit mark in scoring was senior guard LaKeisha Eaddy, who broke out of her self-described slump to lead the team with 16 points.

“I definitely have been in a slump. In order for my team to be successful, I have to contribute more than just passing the ball and getting assists and steals,” Eaddy said.

The other top scorers for Temple were McCarthy with 12 points and junior guard Shaqwedia Wallace with 14 points. The team’s balanced attack allowed it to grab the lead early in the game and hold on to it all the way to the finish. Rutgers was able keep pace behind its near-perfect free-throw shooting, as the Scarlet Knight connected on 14-of-17. Rutgers senior guard Brittany Ray led the Scarlet Knights in scoring with 15 points.

“Our main focus was making sure that Brittany Ray didn’t go off on us, trying to limit her touches as much as possible,” Cardoza said. “They have some explosive guards and big post players, but obviously, neither team is really, really deep, so we had to make sure we didn’t commit dumb fouls.”

The team also capitalized on Rutgers’ 21 turnovers. Wallace led the way on that front with five steals.

“It’s not like we jumped into the passing lanes. They have players that create a lot of offense for themselves, and [we were] just staying solid and letting them make mistakes, not so much that we’re going out and pressuring them, but letting them make the mistakes, and it happened for us tonight,” Cardoza said.

“Since I’ve been here we haven’t beaten Rutgers, so to go out with a victory over them is definitely exciting for me,” Eaddy added.

With the win in hand, the team remains on the road with a Dec. 8 contest against Hampton before returning home Dec. 10 for a game against Ohio at McGonigle Hall.

Game Notes: Temple and Rutgers have played each other every season for nine years. This was the Owls’ first win against the Scarlet Knights since the 2005-2006 season. Temple leads the Atlantic Ten Conference in steals-per-game with 12.7.

Brian Dzenis can be reached at brian.dzenis@temple.edu.

Janney earns 50th win in thriller

Senior forward Mandi Ruth scored two goals, including the game-winning one, to lead the field hockey team to a 4-3 win against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

T-U-F-H. That’s the acronym spelled out on the field hockey team’s shirts, and it sounds just like it’s spelled – tough

The Owls (3-3) proved that toughness Sunday, as they won a 4-3 thriller against the winless Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-6), who were ranked No. 24 last year. The win gave coach Amanda Janney her 50th career victory.

Senior forward Mandi Ruth had two goals, the bigger one of which was undoubtedly the game winner with 1 minute, 47 seconds left in the game. Senior defenseman Kristen Wanner set up the game-winning goal and put one in the net herself earlier in the game.

“We played so well together,” Ruth said. “We had a deep bench, and everybody played a big part, not just the forwards, but the [midfielders] took good shots, too.”

It wasn’t an easy road to victory, though, as the Owls spent most of the match playing catch-up. Rutgers came out scoring with senior forward Sarah Dunn on a breakout rush. Ruth answered minutes later with her first goal, dribbling through four Scarlet Knights to set up a goal from 8 yards out.

Rutgers then took over the rest of the first half, as senior forward Jessika Hoh scored back-to-back goals on the Owls.

“I told them to pick up the intensity,” Janney said. “We played flat in the first half. We had to respond to their goals, and they just needed to wake up.”

The Owls seemed to get the message, as they pressed hard in the second half.
Wanner scored a goal off a penalty corner.

Senior midfielder Charise Young set up the goal, as Wanner beat Rutgers goalkeeper Vickie Lavell’s stick side.

Mandi Ruth’s sister, Kasey, got into the act off a one-timer from sophomore forward/midfielder Bridget Settles in the 55th minute to tie things up.

Janney’s squad kept up the rush off the restart, as the Owls got a two-on-one breakaway. Junior forward Taryn Nichols passed the ball to junior midfielder Kate Delaco to set up a one-timer.

Lavell made a highlight-reel save, though, as she dove from one side of the net to the other and took the shot right off the chest and out of play.

Following a combination of turnovers and penalty corners, Rutgers coach Liz Tchou made her way onto the field, yelling at her squad and eventually receiving a penalty of her own. Temple freshman Taylor Musser caused yet another penalty corner for the Owls.

Mandi Ruth and Wanner took over from there.

Janney took into account that the Rutgers defense would key in on Ruth and called in a play that had Wanner fake the shot, then pass it to Ruth for the game winner in the last two minutes of the game.
Rutgers had one last attempt, as the Scarlet Knights forced a penalty corner as time expired.

“I was scared,” Mandi Ruth said. “We scored late, and we lost our transition. We were all on the 50-yard line, praying it was over.”

Senior defenseman Kate Stewart said the communication in the box helped end the game and seal the victory.

“Communication is a big key,” she said. “We always play well when we’re talking and when we’re switching on cutters and knowing where the forwards are.”

“The strength of our team is the depth of our bench,” Janney said. “From the seniors to the freshmen down, we utilize all our players. Our forwards got aggressive. It was just a great job to win in the attacking end.”

The Owls are off until Friday, when they play at Delaware under the lights.

Christian Audesirk can be reached at christian.audesirk@temple.edu.

Failures by FBS on rise

Villanova, a FCS team, needs one more upset against a FBS squad to make it a three-peat.

Aug. 31, 2002 – Villanova 37, Rutgers 19: Villanova led 17-13 after the first half, and Brett Gordon’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Phil DiGiacomo capped an 80-yard drive in the fourth quarter that clinched the upset.

The Wildcats outgained Rutgers on offense 476 yards to 269 yards, and Gordon threw 45-yard and 50-yard touchdown passes to Brian White and Shaz Brown, respectively.
Wildcat running back Terry Butler rushed for 121 yards.

Rutgers lost to a FCS team for the first time in history and then did it again with a 35-24 loss to New Hampshire on Sept. 11, 2004.

Sept. 6, 2003 – Villanova 23, Temple 20, 2OT: The Wildcats became the first FCS football team to defeat a FBS team in back-to-back seasons, and they did it in the first regular season football game at Lincoln Financial Field in the two teams’ first meeting since 1980. (Temple lost that game, too, 23-7.)
Temple kicker Jason Davis kicked a 37-yard field goal with two seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 13.

Villanova quarterback Joe Casamento hit Noble Champen for a 3-yard touchdown in the first overtime, but Temple quarterback Mike McGann connected on a 25-yarder to Zamir Cobb to tie it.

Villanova’s Adam James kicked a 37-yard field goal in the second overtime to end the game,
Davis missed a 47-yard field goal that would have tied the game in the second overtime.

Oct. 25, 2003 – Delaware 21, Navy 17: Delaware won the FCS title in 2003 but trailed the Midshipmen by 14 points after the first quarter.

The Blue Hens used a fake punt to trigger their first scoring drive and went for the lead on a fourth-and-1 play from Navy’s 28-yard line. Delaware running back Germaine Bennett ran in for a touchdown and the Blue Hens held off Navy thanks to three Midshipmen turnovers.

Delaware had not played a FBS opponent since 1996. The Blue Hens’ last win against one came against Navy in 1992.

Sept. 11, 2004 – New Hampshire 35, Rutgers 24: Rutgers began its season by upsetting Michigan State, but in the following week, the Scarlet Knights were the victims of an upset.

New Hampshire trailed Rutgers at halftime, 24-14, but the Wildcats came back, scoring 14 points to take the lead in the third quarter and 7 in the fourth quarter.

New Hampshire freshman quarterback Ricky Santos torched the Knights, going 30-for-40 with 385 yards, 5 touchdowns and one interception.

Sept. 18, 2004 – Maine 9, Mississippi State 7: Maine quarterback Ron Whitcomb connected with Kevin McMahan in the end zone with 2:55 left in the fourth quarter.

The Black Bears missed the point-after-touchdown attempt, but Mississippi State’s three turnovers made it a moot point.

The Black Bears were playing a FBS opponent for the first time since 1991.

Sept. 2, 2007 – Appalachian State 34, No. 5 Michigan 32: The Mountaineers, the two-time defending FCS champions, traveled to Ann Arbor, Mich., and beat the No. 5 team in the country.

It marked the first time a ranked FBS football team lost to a FCS team.

Appalachian State led 28-17 at halftime, but the Wolverines battled back. The Mountaineers took the lead again with a 24-yard field goal by Julian Rauch with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Michigan had one last opportunity, but Appalachian State’s Corey Lynch blocked the 37-yard field goal attempt.

Jennifer Reardon can be reached at jennifer.reardon@temple.edu.

Upset slips away in 2nd half

Maybe it was coach Tonya Cardoza’s 14 seasons as an assistant coach at Connecticut, Rutgers’ chief rival in the Big East Conference.

Or maybe it was the No. 15-ranked Scarlet Knights’ 17 turnovers, 12 of them coming in the first half.
But no matter what the reason, the women’s basketball team held its own last night, only losing 64-60, after leading 32-21 at halftime and 42-41 until 10:19 left in the second half, when Rutgers finally got the lead and never looked back.

It was a far cry from last year’s 70-34 shellacking in Piscataway, N.J.

“We don’t focus on the past,” senior forward Shenita Landry said. “We came in focused on this game.”
This game was the second one this season where the Owls held leads versus nationally ranked opponents, as they led then-No. 21 Auburn 34-33 back on Nov. 17 before eventually falling to the Tigers, 95-76.

“I don’t like moral victories,” Cardoza said. “A victory would’ve been the best. We hurt ourselves against Auburn with the turnovers, and tonight, we didn’t get the ball inside and panicked in the second half. But we’ve proven we can play with anybody, and it’s about time we knock one of them off.”

The Owls went inside early and often in the game to senior forward Shanea Cotton, who paced the team’s opening 5-0 run, scoring those first five points and a first-half high of 11 points overall. She finished the game with a career-high 18 points.

“The plan going in was to execute plays, and lots of our plays involve getting down in the post because of our big post threat,” Cotton said.

But there wasn’t just an offensive presence in the interior. The defense held Rutgers’ inside duo of junior center Rashidat Junaid and senior center Kia Vaughn to a combined total of four points and nine rebounds in the opening 20 minutes, as the Scarlet Knights only outrebounded the Owls by three in the first half, 21-18.

That defense succumbed to Rutgers’ continued movement inside in the second half, though, as Vaughn added six points to her first half total to finish with 10 overall. All six of those points came during a Rutgers 8-0 run early on in the second half.

“I knew Rutgers wasn’t going to roll over and die. I knew they were going to go on a run,” Cardoza said. “Last year [at UConn], we were up by about 20 and lost the game. They’re a good second-half team, and Epiphanny looked to take over.”

Junior guard Prince scored a game-high 25 points, with 19 of them coming in the second half and 13 of them at the foul line.

And it didn’t help Temple’s case that the referees called 21 more fouls on the Owls in the second half than in the first.

“That’s what I said to the refs,” Cardoza said. “We didn’t get any calls. But I guess it’s because I’m a newcomer. Still, I don’t think they were the difference in the game.”

And that could be because the Owls had their chances as well but connected on only 47.4 percent of their foul shot opportunities.

Temple wraps up a five-game homestand with games against Dartmouth and preseason No.21-ranked Florida State tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon, respectively.

Game Notes:
The men’s basketball team was in attendance, sitting with the student section during the first half of the game…The 1998 National Champion women’s lacrosse team was honored during a halftime ceremony at center court…Junior guard LaKeisha Eaddy was spotted on crutches following the game.

Jennifer Reardon can be reached at jennifer.reardon@temple.edu.

Duke and Rutgers headline 08-09 women’s schedule

Hoping to return to the Atlantic Ten Conference Championship and reach the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season, the women’s basketball team will have the opportunity to flex its muscles or fall flat with a new lineup during the 2008-2009 season.

Welcome to Temple
Replacing a legend like Dawn Staley, who left Temple for South Carolina after eight years, is no small task. But first-year coach Tonya Cardoza is up for the challenge. Her first game at the helm is at the Liacouras Center on Nov. 14, when the Owls host Bowling Green.

Tournament Tough
The Owls have the opportunity, or tough task, of facing six teams who were in the NCAA Tournament last March. That includes Sweet 16 teams Duke, Rutgers and George Washington. If the Owls can tough out a few of these games, or even stay close, it can help their standing in the polls.

Revenge on their minds
Temple will have two dates circled on its calendar, as it hopes to erase bad memories from last season. The Owls were embarrassed by Rutgers 70-34 in late December and fell to Xavier 47-42 in an ugly A-10 Championship game. The Owls play the Scarlet Knights at home on Dec. 1 and also host the rival Musketeers on Feb. 25.

Pack your bags
A seven-game road trip from the middle of December to early January gives Cardoza and her new team a chance to build chemistry. However, it also could be overwhelming for a team that lost its two best players to graduation and now have just two seniors on the roster.

March your engines
The Owls begin the month of March by hosting GW to end their season. This game could have a meaningful impact on the A-10 standings for both teams. Don’t expect anything less than a competitive match between these two rivals. It could be a must-win for the Owls, as a healthy mix of NCAA Tournament teams and a three-week road trip during the season could prove daunting.

Pete Dorchak can be reached at pdorchak@temple.edu.