With six minutes and 31 seconds left in the fourth quarter, junior forward Alexa Williamson pulled down an offensive rebound and threw it to senior forward Mia Davis for a layup, extending the Owls’ lead by 10 points.
Temple University women’s basketball (6-7, 6-4 The American Athletic Conference) took down Cincinnati (3-11, 2-8 The American) 69-53 on the road, outscoring the Bearcats 15-6 in the fourth quarter and breaking a two-game losing streak.
Temple’s defense forced eight turnovers in the fourth quarter, which helped them maintain their 16-point lead.
The Owls dominated under the rim and at the free throw line throughout the game. Temple doubled Cincinnati’s points in the paint, 40-20, and made 28 trips to the line.
Williamson and Davis combined for 19 free throw attempts. Williamson, who led the Owls in scoring with 21 points, went seven-of-15 from the field.
Davis totaled 17 points despite not having an efficient shooting game. She shot five-of-17 from the field but went seven-of-nine from the free throw line and also pulled down eight rebounds.
Temple started strong as they jumped out to a 21-13 lead and shot 45.5 percent from the field in the first quarter. The game stayed within reach for the Bearcats during the second and third quarter as they outscored Temple by one point before the Owls pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Temple got solid contributions from their backcourt. Freshman guard Jasha Clinton went seven-of-13 from the floor, finishing with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Sophomore guard Asonah Alexander also made an impact with nine points and eight rebounds, along with four assists in 39 minutes of action.
The Owls held on to the ball this game, a key difference from some of their recent losses. Temple only committed 11 turnovers, while Cincinnati turned the ball over 21 times.
Temple’s defense was able to hold Cincinnati’s leading scorer, senior forward Ilmar’I Thomas, to eight points total. Thomas came into the matchup averaging 18.6 points per game.
Perimeter defense continues to be a problem for the Owls as Cincinnati sophomore guard Caitlyn Wilson scored a season-high 23 points, allowing the Bearcats to hang around most of the game.
Temple’s next game is Saturday, Feb. 6, at Wichita State (4-7, 1-5 The American). The Owls can sweep the season series against the Shockers with a win.
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