At the conclusion of non-conference play, Temple sat at a pedestrian 6-5 record just a year removed from winning a share of the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship.
On the surface, it was a disappointing start for a team that had sky-high expectations. However, the 6-5 record wasn’t a concern for head coach Diane Richardson and it can in fact help the team navigate the rest of the season.
Richardson and her staff purposely crafted a treacherous non-conference schedule to help her team prepare for conference play, and it is paying off so far. The schedule featured eight teams that played in a postseason tournament last season. Despite the struggles, Temple has grown from the early challenges and hopes to be in the mix once again come March.
“I knew that we needed to be challenged in the non-conference so that we’re ready for our conference play,” Richardson said before the season. “Our conference is very packed. There are teams that are really good, so I want to be challenged. It’s a true testament to us and we can get through these games, I think that it’ll make us prepared for conference play.”
The Owls are off and running with a 5-1 start in AAC play, their best start to conference play since Richardson was hired. Most teams go through growing pains to start a season, but Temple went through those growing pains while also facing top competition.
Temple opened its season on Nov. 4 against reigning Atlantic-10 champion Richmond. The Owls ultimately lost but battled hard against an NCAA Tournament-level team. They also competed with and lost to Ivy League champion Princeton on Nov. 26, another high-level opponent.
The cream of the crop in the Owls’ schedule were nationally-ranked opponents West Virginia and California. Temple lost by more than 20 points in both games, but its players gained invaluable experience by facing the nation’s best.
Once conference play got underway, the benefits of playing the intense schedule were displayed immediately. The Owls raced out of the gate with a 97-74 win against UAB on Dec. 29 and have continued to build on the early momentum ever since. Temple’s only setback came in a 65-56 loss to South Florida, where the Owls were outmatched from the opening tip.
Temple has the second-best scoring offense in conference play, which was its Achilles heel in its non-conference games. The Owls still have just the ninth-ranked scoring offense in the AAC, but the early improvements are an encouraging sign for the team. The defense has also remained strong in conference play, forcing the most turnovers in the AAC along with the second-best turnover margin.
While the Owls have improved as an overall unit because of their non-conference schedule, individual players have also started stepping up in conference play.
Guard Kaylah Turner and forward Jaleesa Molina have each stepped into larger roles since conference play started and have been crucial in the Owls’ hot start. Turner has especially increased her production, averaging more than 11 points per game in conference matchups. She has emerged as a true scoring threat, offering Richardson another weapon in her “equal opportunity offense.”
“[Turner is] fearless,” Richardson said. “I like that about her because she’s so confident in her shot and she’s so confident in her game. I love that. I love that confidence in her.”
Molina has been a starter all season but struggled against tougher competition in non-conference play. However, facing the higher level athletes seems to have benefitted her in AAC games.
Molina is averaging 11 points and nine rebounds per game in conference play and has recorded a double-double in four of six conference games. Molina had not collected double-digit points or rebounds in any game before the conference play.
While the six game spurt to open conference play is an encouraging sign, there are still nearly two months left in the season and a long way to go before March. The Owls still have to face other conference leaders in UTSA, North Texas and Tulane so the road ahead will not be easy. However, the difficult non-conference schedule has set Temple up for success and will continue to prove beneficial for the remainder of the season.
“That non-conference schedule set us up to be resilient,” Richardson said. “We’re going to see that for the rest of the season, where we may get punched, but we’re not going to lay down.”
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