Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE FALLS TO UMMC EKATERINGBURG, 76-73, IN EXHIBITION PLAY
11.8.04 | Women's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA -- Three Owls reached double-figures, led by junior Jennifer Owens' 17 points, but UMMC Ekateringburg shot 55% in the second half to defeat
Both teams looked to run-and-gun in a high-paced tune-up for the regular season. Owens, who averaged 0.4 points per game last year, found a hot spot along the baseline and connected on a trio of three-pointers. Head coach Dawn Staley mixed in her five freshman into the rotation, with Nicole Pittman earning the start at forward. Rookie center Amanda Piribauer played 22 minutes, the most of any newcomer, and scored five points and grabbed four caroms.
In a second half that featured 10 lead changes, the Owls tied the game at 71-71 with 2:20 to play on a Hairston lay-up. UMMC's Agne Abromaite connected on 1-of-2 free throws to give the visitors a one-point lead, but Hairston answered back with a jumper to give TU a 73-32 advantage with just over a minute to play. Unfortunately for the Cherry and White, it would prove to be its last.
A layup by Iziane Castro Marques (game-high 23 points) put UMMC up for good, 74-73. A scramble on the offensive end led to several contested short jumpers, but none found the bottom of the net. Marques sank two free throws down the stretch to ice the game.
Senior co-captain Cynthia Jordan scored eight points and dished eight assists and the heir-apparent, freshman Ashley Morris, played an energetic nine minutes, scoring four points, and caused havoc with her ball-hawking defense.
Abromaite added 13 for UMMC, and Marina Khazova and Olga Podkovalnikova each added 11.
