WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ESCAPES WITH WIN OVER BROWN, 68-61

PROVIDENCE, RI -- At times Friday's season-opening women's basketball game between Temple and Brown resembled a rugby match, with both teams playing a physical brand of hard-nosed defense. In a game that featured 49 fouls and 61 foul shots, the Owls held off a scrappy Bears squad, 68-61, in a rowdy Pizzitola Center. Junior Candice Dupree scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, both game-highs, and solidified her status as an All-American candidate.

Leading 62-51 with 49 seconds to play, it looked like the Cherry and White (1-0) had the game in the bag. The hosts had different plans as they went on a 7-2 run capped by an Ashley King-Bischof three with 15 seconds to go to cut the TU lead to 64-61. The Owls were perfect down the stretch, as junior Jennifer Owens and senior Ari Moore sank two charity tosses apiece, to produce 68-61 final.

The Owls started off slowly, trailing 13-7 with 14:14 remaining in the first half. Dupree and sophomore Kamesha Hairston (14 points, eight rebounds) scored the first 18 points of the half and it was not until a Moore layup at the 5:13 mark that another Owl entered the scoring column. The Dupree-Hairston show was just enough, as the duo combined for 23 points as Temple took a 29-23 lead into the locker rooms.

Leading by six at 38-32 with 15:36 to play, the Owls went on a 13-4 run over the next six minutes to lead by a game-high 15 points at 49-34. The Bears were able to cut into the lead and got within five points with under four minutes to play. Dupree scored six of the next eight points to give TU a healthy cushion, but the game then began to get interesting.

Brown (0-1) hit two three-pointers and went 4-for-4 from the line, including King-Bischof's clutch triple from the top of the key with 15 seconds to play that sent a raucous crowd of 852 into a frenzy. The Bears forced a turnover on the next possession, but missed a jumper and turned the ball over to fall short of their upset bid.

Moore scored 12 points and added nine rebounds, including a 6-for-6 performance from the line. Dupree, who was 13-for-17 from the foul line, was just a single free throw made from tying the program record held by Mimi Carroll with 14 against Maryland on February 18, 1986. As a team, Temple shot 28-for-38 (73.7%), which was one made free throw short of a program record set on February 22, 2002 versus Fordham.

Holly Robertson paced Brown with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Sarah Hayes (15 points) and Colleen Kelly (14 points) both reached double-figures. Temple held the edge on the glass, outrebounding the Bears, 38-28.

The Owls return to action on Tuesday when they host #2/2 LSU at 7 p.m. at the Liacouras Center.  

Temple University Athletics

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ESCAPES WITH WIN OVER BROWN, 68-61

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