Midway through the third quarter, Temple led UAB by nine points but was searching for a way to grab command of the game. The Owls had led the Blazers for a majority of the game but UAB refused to go away without a fight.
Temple found momentum right when it needed it in the form of a six-point run in the span of a minute. Forward Anissa Rivera converted an and-one layup and guard Tiarra East made a layup of her own to catapult the run. By the end of the run, Temple had extended its lead to 15 points.
The deficit proved to be too much for the Blazers to overcome despite multiple efforts in the final quarter. UAB managed to bring the Owls’ lead down to as little as eight points in the final minute but it was too late as Temple held on for the win.
Temple (14-10, 8-5 American Athletic Conference) cruised by UAB (15-10, 6-7 AAC) 63-53 Tuesday night at The Liacouras Center. The Owls’ defense allowed just 15 made field goals all game, the least they have allowed the entire season.
“It was a good win for us,” said Temple head coach Diane Richardson. “We wanted to get back in the win column. We’ve got some games left and I’m glad that we pulled this one off.”
The Owls opened the game with a layup from forward Amaya Oliver but never established an offensive rhythm after the early bucket. Temple quickly found itself in a 10-4 hole just three minutes into the game as UAB was getting easy baskets. The deficit vanished almost immediately as guard Tarriyonna Gary converted an and-one layup and forward Jaleesa Molina hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 10.
Temple’s offense began to sputter at the end of the first quarter which carried into the second. The Owls had just four points and endured a two-minute scoring drought that allowed UAB to tie the game at 22 through the first six minutes of the second quarter.
However, the Owls managed to turn the second quarter on its head in the final four minutes and race out to a double-digit lead. Guard Savannah Curry spearheaded a 13-3 run with an and-one layup then corralled an offensive rebound and made a putback to complete a personal 5-0 run.
“[Curry] is getting confident,” Richardson said. “I saw her [get pumped up] on the and one. She’s got a high IQ and she works really, really hard. Every time she’s on the floor, she works hard.”
UAB guard Maddie Walsh connected on a three to briefly slow the Owls down, but Rivera and guard Tristen Taylor made back-to-back jumpers to give Temple a 35-25 lead going into halftime. Molina led Temple at the half with 11 points and six rebounds after scoring just one point against South Florida last game.
Both teams traded baskets coming out of the locker room not letting Temple extend its lead past 11 but UAB couldn’t creep any closer than eight points. The Owls finally found a spark near the end of the third quarter and rattled off a 6-0 run to extend its lead to 15 points at 48-33.
The Owls were unable to deliver a finishing blow to the Blazers, going on a dry spell for the final two minutes of the quarter and UAB cut its deficit down to 49-38 entering the fourth quarter. Temple’s defense held UAB to just two field goals and forced six turnovers in the third quarter, but the Blazers made nine free throws to keep the game close.
Temple entered the final quarter looking for a way to put the game out of reach and seemingly found it with a 6-0 run to take a 57-41 lead. The Owls’ defense continued to hold the Blazers at bay from the field but free throws kept UAB in the game as it ended the night making 19 free throws on 24 attempts.
The Blazers continued to hang around as the seconds ticked off the clock, refusing to make life easy for the Owls. Temple struggled to take care of the ball, as UAB forced eight fourth-quarter turnovers. The Blazers managed to bring its lead down to as little as 61-53 with less than a minute remaining but the Owls did not relinquish the lead and came away with the victory.
“I was trying to let them get out of it and I knew I had some time outs, but I was trying to let them get out of it,” Richardson said. “And they didn’t and I had to call the timeout just to calm them down and hopefully we’ll get better at that. It’s just we’re not poised. We have to be poised in those situations.”
The Owls will hit the road to take on Tulane (15-8, 8-4 AAC) on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m.
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