Temple University Athletics
OWLS CRUISE TO 11TH STRAIGHT WITH 69-43 VICTORY OVER FORDHAM
1.20.05 | Women's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA--Temple continued to roll, as the Owls took home their 11th straight victory on Thursday night, a 69-43 win over the Fordham University Rams (4-14, 0-5 A-10). Senior guard Cynthia Jordan led Temple with 20 points, going 3-4 from the three-point line. Temple, who has not lost a game since Dec. 4, improves to 14-3 overall and 6-0 in the Atlantic 10. This is TU's longest winning streak since the team won 11 in a row during the 1989 season. The 2004-05 squad is on track to break the record for most consecutive wins, 12, which was set during the 1923-24 season.
Temple owned the contest from the time it stepped on the floor, going on a 21-0 run. Jordan scored 11 points during this stretch, sinking three straight treys and adding two free throws to open up the Owls' commanding lead. Jada Jefferson finally got the Rams on the board with a lay-up at 14:46. Temple began to slow its attack a bit, allowing Fordham to gain some points, though the Rams did not see double figures until Jefferson hit a jumper with 2:43 remaining. The Rams were able to whittle down the Owls' 24 point lead to 18 by the half, making the score 36-18 going into the locker rooms. Candice Dupree was unstoppable on defense, rejecting four Ram shots and earning two steals to go along with her half-high six rebounds and three assists.
Monica Mack began the second-half scoring at 19:36 to bring the Rams' within 16, the closest differential in 16 and a half minutes. However, this would be as close as Fordham would ever get to Temple, as the Owls' lead swelled to as much as 26 points before settling on the 69-43 final tally.
Dupree finished the game with 14 points and nine rebounds, just one board shy of her eighth double-double. Kamesha Hairston also netted in double figures, scoring 10 points. Lady Comfort had an outstanding day under the basket, grabbing seven rebounds and one steal in nine minutes of action.
Jade Leitao was the only Ram to finish in double figures with 10 points and three assists.
Temple travels to Virginia this weekend to take on the preseason Atlantic 10 West favorite Richmond Spiders on Sunday at 2 p.m. The game can be seen live on ESPN2.
