With just more than a minute left in the game, Temple forward Anissa Rivera hit a pair of free throws to extend the Owls’ lead to three, their largest since the first few minutes of the game.
However, VCU guard Mary-Anna Asare was fouled on a layup attempt and made the shot with 22 seconds left. Asare had a chance to tie it from the free-throw line where the Rams had struggled all night. Instead, the struggles continued as Asare missed her free throw, keeping Temple in the lead.
Temple guard Tiarra East was fouled on the ensuing inbound and made both free throws to push the Owls’ lead back to three. East was sent back to the line after a VCU miss and she made one more free throw to put the game on ice.
Temple (2-1, 0-0 American Athletic Conference) knocked off VCU (2-1, 0-0 Atlantic 10) 59-55 Friday night at the Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia. The Owls managed to pull out the win despite getting outshot 32% to 45%.
The Owls’ offense has struggled shooting to open the season and that trend continued against VCU. Temple shot just 26% in the first half and made just one of nine three-point attempts.
While Temple’s offense was nonexistent, VCU was not offering much more of a threat. Both teams scored just 10 points in the first quarter and shot below 40% from the field. The Owls also struggled to hold onto the ball, committing eight first-quarter turnovers.
The Rams’ offense began to come to life in the second quarter. VCU used a 9-2 run in the middle of the quarter to jump out to a 21-16 lead and take control of the game. The Owls’ offense continued to tread water, making just six of 20 shots in the second quarter and missing all five three-point attempts.
The game could have gotten out of hand for Temple due to its poor shooting, but guard Kaylah Turner managed to keep the game close. She scored six of the Owls’ 12 second-quarter points and enabled Temple to enter halftime down just 28-22.
The Owls’ offense found a groove coming out of the locker room, making five of their first 10 shots in the third quarter. East scored eight points in the first half and came out in the second half on fire. She made three of her first four shots after halftime and helped Temple bring the VCU lead down to just 33-30.
Along with the newfound offensive flow, Temple’s defense stepped up to try and close the deficit. Temple forced seven VCU turnovers in the third quarter to hold the Rams at bay and disrupt their offensive rhythm. As the third quarter came to an end, Turner had an open look from the top of the key and hit the three-pointer to tie the game at 43 entering the fourth quarter.
Both offenses went cold once again in the final quarter of play. Neither team scored for the first four minutes of the quarter as each was looking for momentum to pick up a win. With three minutes left, Rivera put home an and-one layup and the subsequent free throw to give Temple a 52-51 lead. The lead was the Owls’ first since it was 14-12 early in the second quarter.
The two teams traded blows in the final minutes, but it was Temple who managed to come out on top. VCU had a pair of turnovers and Temple was able to make its free throws to secure its second win of the season.
Overall, the Owls offense shot just 32% from the field and 15% from three. East led Temple with 28 points and Rivera was a force in the paint, collecting 16 rebounds and adding 12 points. Temple’s defense played well, forcing 28 Rams turnovers and turning those into 17 points. VCU struggled mightily from the free-throw line, making just four of 15 attempts.
Temple will look to make it back-to-back wins as they remain on the road to face Georgetown (1-1, 0-0 Big East) on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
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