It all seemed too easy last Wednesday against Dartmouth.
However, today was a different story.
The Owls lost to Florida State, 86-67, Sunday afternoon at the Liacouras Center in a game they were never really in.
The Seminoles started the game on a 22-4 run while the Owls began the game 1-9 from the field. In the first 10 minutes of the half, Temple committed 6 fouls and 11 turnovers.
“I don’t want to forget this [game],” coach Tonya Cardoza said. “They’re [Florida State] probably the best team we faced so far.”
Florida State (7-2) dominated the first half as they went to the break with a 45-17 lead shooting 49 percent from the field.
“They were physical from the start and we backed down a little bit,” Cardoza said.
The Seminoles were led by junior forward Alysha Harvin who was tied for the team lead in scoring with 20 points and added 9 rebounds.
Senior guard Tanae Davis-Cain also scored 20 points and was 4-4 from behind the arc as she became Florida State’s all-time leader in three pointers.
Temple (4-3) shot 0-7 from three-point range in the first half and Cardoza said her team did not come to play in the first 20 minutes.
She said that her team needs to make sure that “they come to play every game.”
Junior guard LaKeisha Eaddy apparently got the message as she was seemingly the only Owl who came to play.
The junior guard scored 16 points and had six steals on the afternoon.
“I think that defense creates offense,” she said. “I think it would help try and create some energy.”
“It was a bright spot,” Cardoza added. “She continued and tried to fight and lead as best she could.”
Eaddy’s play seemed to spark her teammates in the second half as they outscored Florida State 50-41 and shot 44 percent compared to 21 percent in the first half.
“That’s a big thing,” Cardoza said of her team’s play in the second half. “We were down a lot early but I told them not to be concerned with how much time was on the clock.”
While Cardoza said she doesn’t want to forget this game, the Owls are going to have to put it behind them as they will host Toledo on Wednesday night.
Game Notes
Sophomore guard Shaqwedia Wallace who led the Owls with 18 points in a win over Dartmouth on Wednesday, did not play. She is out with a thumb injury and Cardoza expects her back for the Dec. 20 Villanova game…Every active player on the Temple roster saw playing time… Freshman guards B.J. Williams and Kristen McCarthy got their first collegiate starts.
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