FORT WORTH, Texas – Temple entered halftime of its semifinal match experiencing major deja vu. Rice had knocked off Temple in this same game just last year and Temple was looking to avenge the defeat.
Temple’s offense went cold to end the second quarter but somehow trailed by just seven points heading into the third. A serious momentum shift was needed from Temple to avoid the same story unfolding again.
Instead, Temple came out flat. It was blanked for the first five minutes of the third quarter as Rice pushed its lead to double digits. Temple’s offense never managed to get into a rhythm, shooting just 26.7% from the field in the second half as it fell in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament for the second straight season.
Temple (20-11, 13-5 AAC) was eliminated by Rice (17-16, 7-11 AAC) 67-49 Tuesday evening at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Temple is now 0-4 in AAC semi-final games since joining the conference in 2013.
“I’m proud of them,” said Temple head coach Diane Richardson. “We had a 20-win season, but I thought that we worked really hard this year and thought that we should have pulled this off. I am sad that they didn’t get [the win]. I’m sad that our seniors didn’t go out with us playing for a championship.”
Similarly to its quarterfinal game against Charlotte, Temple started the game hot as forward Amaya Oliver built off her double-double from last game with two layups. Temple’s defense hounded Rice for half of the first quarter, forcing five turnovers which led to a transition offense where Temple thrives.
The two teams continued to trade baskets for much of the first quarter, but Temple’s offense lost its mojo in the final five minutes. Temple failed to score in the last three minutes, resulting in its two-point edge turning into a 19-14 lead for Rice.
Temple’s offensive struggles carried into the second quarter as it went the first two minutes without a bucket before a layup by forward Jaleesa Molina ended the drought. However, Temple could not find enough offensive efficiency to cut its deficit as Rice extended its lead to 30-20 with back-to-back buckets from forward Malia Fisher.
“They were pressuring us a little bit,” Richardson said. “They were fighting over screens and on ball screens and they did a good job with that, being very physical with us.”
Temple’s offense finally seemed to wake up once Rice led by double digits. Guard Tarriyonna Gary scored two straight layups during a 6-0 Temple run which cut Rice’s lead down to 30-26 with two minutes left in the half.
Temple continued to play strong defense and prevented Rice from making a field goal for the final three minutes of the second quarter. However, it began to lose its discipline as Rice was sent to the free-throw line multiple times to halt Temple’s momentum. Temple’s offense once again went cold and failed to score for the final two minutes to enter halftime trailing 33-26.
Temple was in desperate need of momentum coming out of the locker room to prevent a repeat of last year. Instead, it slept walked to begin the frame.
Rice scored the first seven points of the quarter while Temple missed its first eight shot attempts and committed three turnovers. Temple’s defense continued to do all it could to keep it in the game and held Rice scoreless for another three minutes, but Temple’s offense provided no support and Rice opened up a 40-26 lead.
Temple finally found the bottom of the net again with a quick 6-2 run to bring its deficit back down to 10 but the momentum proved to be false hope. Rice’s defense limited Temple to one field goal for the final four minutes of the quarter and Temple entered the final 10 minutes down 49-34.
The theme of poor shooting continued into the fourth quarter for Temple. It failed to make a field goal for the first six minutes of the quarter until Molina finally hit a layup to break the spell. However, while Temple stumbled on its own feet, Rice continued to extend its lead and held a 56-40 advantage after Molina’s bucket.
Temple never managed to bring the game back within single digits in the final few minutes as its seven-game win streak was snapped and it was eliminated by Rice once again. Temple failed to make a single three-pointer all game and shot just 31% from the field.
“It’s not like we went out to the perimeter,” Richardson said. “We tried to get inside again. It was a physical game today and they stopped us. Eight three-point attempts is not what we normally do. It’s normally much more.”
Temple will now hold out hope for a bid to a postseason tournament and if not, its season will officially end.
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