The Temple Women’s Basketball team defeated a ranked USF team Saturday afternoon with a score of 77-71. This marks the Owls second win against a ranked opponent this season. The win puts Temple at 11-2 in conference play and 21-5 overall, and the USF loose brings them down to 9-4 in conference play and 20-6 overall.
The first quarter started off back and forth between the Bulls and the Owls. USF got the game started with a layup, but Junior Donnaizha Fountain answered with a layup in the paint. A good free throw and a fast break layup would give the Owls a 3-point advantage over the Bulls. However, a good layup and two free throw shots would give USF a 1-point advantage. Again, Donnaizha Fountain would make a layup, but USF would answer with a layup. At the end of the first quarter, Senior Feyonda Fitzgerald sank a three-pointer that started a 9-2 Temple run, so the Owls would lead 18-12 going in to the second quarter.
The Owls kept their lead throughout the entire second quarter, and only USF to come within 5 points. Donnaizha Fountain started off the second quarter with a good three-point shot. Junior Alliya Butts had a fast break layup and Feyonda Fitzgerald also contributed to scoring with another three-pointer. Towards the end of the quarter, Junior allowing Khadijah Berger sank a three that surged a 10-2 Temple run, so the Owls ended the first half up by 13 points.
USF came out more aggressive in the second half and challenged the Owls. Temple still managed to keep their lead in the third quarter, but again, the Bulls cut the Owls lead almost in half. Eight fouls by the Owls and many missed shots gave USF a chance to get back in the game. The Bulls made their first three-pointer of the game early in the third quarter that surged a USF run where they would come within 4 points of Temple. USF outscored Temple in the third quarter 23-17. The Owls came out 7 points ahead of the Bulls going in to the fourth and final quarter.
Temple was up for the beginning half of the fourth quarter but too many missed shots by the Owls gave USF a 1-point lead over the Owls with about five minutes left. Alliya Butts would make a three-pointer, but the Bulls answered with a nice layup. USF would go up by 3 points, but Fitzgerald would sink a three-point shot to tie up the game with two minutes left. Donnaizha Fountain and Feyonda Fitzgerald outscored USF 13-4 with 2 minutes left to give the Owls the edge over USF.
Feyonda Fitzgerald was the high-scorer for the Owls with 23 points and 7 assists. Donniazha Fountain was right behind Fitzgerald with 22 points and 5 rebounds. Alliya Butts notched 13 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds. Junior Tanaya Atkinson would record her eighth double-double of the year with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Khadijah Berger had 6 points and 4 rebounds.
The Owls will face the #1 UConn Huskies on Wednesday at UConn.
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