Temple University Athletics
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EARNS FIRST EVER NATIONAL RANKING, #24 IN AP POLL, #25 IN ESPN/USA TODAY POLL
1.24.05 | Women's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA-
"This is a reward for all of the players that have come through Temple", said Head Coach Dawn Staley. "The girls have worked so hard for this and they have finally gotten to see their hard work develop into something tangible. This is a huge step towards our goal of becoming a national powerhouse."
Temple began its historical run to the top this season after nearly toppling both LSU and Tennessee in November. Temple drew within three points with 7:35 to play against #2 LSU but couldn't get any closer before falling 65-51. However, it was not until the unranked Owls traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee that the nation began to take notice. Temple, which held UT to just 32% shooting for the game, took a 9-0 lead to begin the game and never trailed by more than five throughout the rest of the contest. Though the Owls were defeated 52-48 in the final seconds of the game, Temple earned a large number of votes in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Polls.
The Owls used their offensive momentum to take down #22/20 Rutgers on December 13, the team's first victory over a ranked club since March 10, 1989 when they defeated #20/21 Rutgers in the Atlantic 10 semifinals. Temple gained its 12th straight win and knocked off its second ranked opponent on January 23 at Richmond. Junior All-American candidate Candice Dupree scored a career-high 31 points, including 18 in the first half, and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Owls, 82-62 over #24 Richmond. The win also marked the end of Richmond's 13 home game winning streak, previously the fourth-longest home winning streak in the country.
Temple's 12-consecutive wins is currently the fourth longest streak in the country. It also ties a Temple record, dating back to the 1923-24 season, when the Owls played a perfect 12-0 schedule.
Dupree leads the Owls with 16.4 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game. Cynthia Jordan is averaging 12.9 ppg and 4.56 assists per game, while Kamesha Hairston is chipping in with 11.8 ppg.
After defeating two ranked teams and compiling a 12-game winning streak, the Temple women's basketball team earned its first ever national ranking in the Associated Press and the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Polls. The Owls, who are 15-3 overall and 7-0 on the Atlantic 10, gained the #24 spot in the AP Poll and the #25 position in the ESPN/USA Today Poll, after knocking off --/#25 University of Richmond, 82-62, on January 23 and #22/20 Rutgers on December 13.
