Temple University Athletics
STILL PERFECT!! OWLS DEFEAT GW TO WIN A-10 CHAMPIONSHIP
3.7.05 | Women's Basketball
WASHINGTON-- Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Candice Dupree scored 21 points to lead five players in double figures as #15/16 Temple beat George Washington 70-62 to win its second straight Atlantic 10 tournament title and earn an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. Dupree also repeated as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 19 ppg and 7.7 rpg, becoming just the third player in A-10 history to do so.
The Owls (27-3) won their 24th straight, the longest winning streak of any team, both men or women in the nation. They are the first repeat tournament champions since Xavier in 2000-01 and have won the title the last three out of four years.
Kamesha Hairston earned her fourth double-double of the season, off of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Ari Moore scored 14 points, while Cynthia Jordan added 11 points. Moore joined Dupree on the All-Tournament team. Jennifer Owens rounded out the double-figure scoring with 10 points.
TU jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, courtesy of five points by senior forward Ari Moore. After a basket by GW senior forward Anna Montanana, Dupree scored six straight points to give the Owls their largest lead of the half at 19-9 with 7:46 remaining. However, the Colonials closed to within 19-18 as sophomore guard Kenan Cole stroked a pair of jumpers from the left wing and sophomore Corinne Turner made one-of-two at the line. Temple went to the locker room holding a 28-22 advantage as Dupree added four of her 15 first half points and junior guard Jennifer Owens scored on a length-of-the-court pass from Cynthia Jordan.
A three-pointer by Jordan from the top of the key gave Temple its largest lead of the evening at 43-27 at the 14:06 mark of the second half. However, Colonials senior center Jessica Simmonds then erupted for 15 of her 18 second-half points and Montanana hit one-of-two at the line to bring GW within 56-52 with 2:43 to go.
Temple upped its lead to six on a pretty turnaround jumper in the paint by Dupree and the Owls knocked down 12-of-14 foul shots in the final 1:24 to capture its third-ever Atlantic 10 Championship.
The Colonials, playing in their fourth tournament final since 2000, never got closer than six the rest of the way.
Dupree scored 15 points in the first half, hitting 7-for-10 from the floor, helping the Owls to a 28-22 halftime lead.
Kamesha Hairston scored all 11 of her points in the second half, including seven during a 12-1 run that gave the Owls a 45-29 lead with 12:54 left.
Anna Montanana led the Colonials with 26 points, scoring 11 of her team's first 13. George Washington made just one field goal in the opening 6:32 of the second half.
Although technically the visiting team, the loss was George Washington's first on its home court in 22 games. This marks the third time this season that the Owls have broken an opponent's streak. With the Dec. 22 win at Villanova, TU broke the Wildcats' 15-home game winning streak. They also shattered Richmond's 13-game win streak a month later.
