Temple Women’s Basketball started the season 2-1, but the Owls hit a rough patch in late November and early December that pushed their record to 2-4.
The Owls battled back, winning three of its last four games before Sunday as the team looks for momentum while the clock ticks on their non-conference slate.
The Owls continued their momentum against Big 5 rival La Salle Sunday, playing one of their most complete games of the season and climbing back above .500.
Temple (6-5, 0-0 American Athletic Conference) cruised by La Salle (3-7, 0-0 Atlantic 10) 85-61 Sunday afternoon at Tom Gola Arena. The Owls found their groove in the second quarter after a slow first quarter and coasted to their third straight win.
Temple guard Tarriyonna Gary missed Thursday’s win against Delaware after suffering a scratch on her eye pregame. She shined in her return against the Explorers, leading an effective Owls offense.
Gary earned a game high 23 points, which was her season high and tied her career high. She shot an efficient 8-14 from the field and hit 5-10 three point shots, being the only Owl to make a three-point shot.
Temple got off to a slow start, shooting just 31 percent from the field in the first quarter. The Owls figured things out in the second and third quarters, shooting 50 percent and 47 percent from the field on their way to opening up a lead that ballooned to as many as 20.
The fourth quarter was more of the same for Temple, as they shot 50 percent from the field and pushed their lead to as many as 28. The Owls ended the game shooting 44 percent from the field.
Guard Tiarra East joined Gary in double-figure points, ending with 12. Guard Demi Washington and forward Ines Piper each chipped in 10 points as well.
Head coach Diane Richardson’s equal-opportunity offense was on full display, as 11 of the 12 Temple players who saw time put points on the board.
Defensively, Temple played one of its best games of the season. The Owls held La Salle to just 40 percent shooting from the field and 23 percent from beyond the arc. Temple helped force a season high 31 Explorer turnovers and converted them into 30 points.
The Owls won the battle on the glass as well, grabbing 18 offensive rebounds compared to La Salle’s eight, turning those rebounds into 14 second-chance points. Forward Rayne Tucker dominated the boards, recording 10 rebounds for the second straight game.
The Owls will look to extend their win streak to four games against Northwestern (3-7, 0-0 Big Ten) at The Liacouras Center on Dec. 21 at 11:30 a.m.
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