OWLS WIN INAUGURAL TEMPLE HOLIDAY CLASSIC WITH VICTORY OVER MISSISSIPPI

PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple women's basketball team (5-6, 0-0) faced Mississippi (8-5, 0-0) its fourth SEC opponent of the season in the championship of the Temple Holiday Classic and came away with an 84-69 victory on December 31. Four Owls scored in double figures as the team shot nearly 40 percent from the field. Temple also improved drastically from the free throw line, hitting a Liacouras Center record 27 free throws while shooting 75 percent from the charity stripe. The Owls defense forced 23 Lady Rebel turnovers and collected 10 steals.

Senior guard Natalia Isaac led Temple in scoring with a season-high 27 points. Isaac was 4-9 from three-point range and hit 11-12 from the free throw line. Lisa Jakubowicz (season-high 19 points, seven rebounds) Stacey Smalls (12 points) and Athena Christoforakis (10 points) and Natalia Isaac (10 points) were the other double figure scorers for the Owls. Sophomore forward Toni Belafonte came off the bench help the Temple rebounding effort with seven boards.

Sherika Wright led Ole Miss with 21 points. Ally Kelly (12 points) Tashondrea Moton (11 points) and Von Kirk (10 points) were the other double figure scorers for the Lady Rebels. Amber Watts led Mississippi in rebounding with a game-high 10 boards.

Temple placed three players on the All-Tournament team including Isaac, Christoforakis and the Most Outstanding Player, Lisa Jakubowicz. Sherika Wright from Mississippi and Destiney Avent from Maryland-Eastern Shore were the other players selected on the All-Tournament team.

The Owls ring in the new year with a road trip to Amherst, Massachusetts to play the Umass Minutewomen on Thursday, January 3, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. in Temple's first Atlantic 10 Conference game of the season.

Temple University Athletics

OWLS WIN INAUGURAL TEMPLE HOLIDAY CLASSIC WITH VICTORY OVER MISSISSIPPI

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