Temple Women’s Basketball made history Wednesday, clinching a share of the American Athletic Conference regular season title by beating Florida Atlantic.
The last time Temple claimed a regular season title was in the Atlantic 10 in March 2012. At that time, President Barack Obama was working toward his re-election, The Hunger Games movie was days away from its premiere and Katy Perry’s “Part of Me” was the No. 1 song in the United States.
Needless to say, it has been a while since Temple has been on top of its conference.
The team that was projected to finish ninth in the AAC preseason poll has run the regular season gauntlet, winning nine of its last 11 games to secure the third seed. The Owls had just eight active players one year ago, and now they have a chance at an NCAA Tournament spot.
“The energy is just different in the locker room,” said guard Aleah Nelson, who played every minute of every game down the stretch last year. “We were in Fort Worth last year at this time getting asked the same questions, and it was a completely different feeling. It’s a lot more fun this year.”
Temple traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, this weekend for the postseason tournament. The Owls will begin their quest March 11 at 9 p.m., facing either No. 14 Tulane or No. 6 Charlotte in the quarterfinals, hoping to play two more games in the Lone Star State.
This Temple team may be its best in the past decade, and this run is certainly its best chance in program history to win an AAC Championship. The Owls have been inconsistent at times this season, but they’ve been playing their best basketball when it matters most. They have the talent, depth and motivation to make a serious run.
Temple could win the whole thing. But it won’t be easy.
The Owls have dominated the late stages of conference play thanks to one important trait: their hustle. They’ve relied on defense, rebounding and pushing the pace of play to wear out opponents, utilizing their depth to pressure other teams all across the floor.
That strategy has worked in spades. Temple is sixth in the country in offensive rebounds and top-25 in turnover margin while holding opponents to the second-lowest scoring average in the AAC.
“[Defense] has been our identity during this second part of the season,” said head coach Diane Richardson. “Defense won us games, and defense won us a regular season championship.”
The Owls’ defense is particularly important when their offense stalls. They stagnate at times inside the halfcourt line but have found ways to create turnovers and find fastbreak points to turn the tides.
However, their offense could be an issue in the tournament. The Owls are ninth in the conference in shooting percentage and seventh in three-point shooting, and they sometimes force bad looks late in the shot clock, hurting their efficiency. They also struggle around the basket, going 8-21 on layup attempts in their loss to Tulsa.
The strengths of this Temple team outweigh the weaknesses, but opponents who find ways to slow down the Owls’ attack could hold the keys to beating this squad. Very few teams have been capable of doing exactly that.
SMU beat the Owls in Texas earlier this season after guard Tiarra East held on a little too long to her potential game-winner. Temple beat Charlotte in their first battle, but the 49ers used two overtimes and a massive effort from guard Dazia Lawrence to win the second matchup.
In both losses, the Owls played from behind, trying to make up for slow starts and running out of time. Simply put, the Owls can’t afford to get behind in the tournament. They’re a much better team when playing from on top, and they need to emphasize starting strong.
Temple has proven they can beat the top teams in the conference, finishing a combined 3-2 against the top-four teams in the AAC: North Texas, Tulsa and UTSA. They’ll need consistency from their offense to make some noise late, and they’ve built up the necessary momentum to do so.
Guard Tarriyonna Gary has been on a tear as of late, averaging 16 points and four threes in the past four games, and guard Demi Washington has found her rhythm. East has stepped up in a major way this season, becoming a viable number-one option when needed.
Forwards Rayne Tucker and Ines Piper have been big on defense, and Nelson has found a comfortable role stepping up when needed. Guard Tristen Taylor and forward Jaleesa Molina both became major contributors off the bench, rounding out the lineup.
The Owls match up well with their potential quarterfinal opponents and the top teams in the AAC, but time will tell how they handle the pressure of the tournament. A healthy Temple team playing with the level of confidence they’ve gathered can beat any team in the conference, but the Owls will need to maintain their composure to do so.
Temple hasn’t made an appearance in March Madness since 2017, losing to Oregon in the first round. But if they live up to their potential, the Owls could strap up their dancing shoes one more time, making even more history along the way.
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