Temple University Athletics
#21/20 OWLS SNAP XAVIER'S HOME WIN STREAK WITH 67-62 VICTORY
1.22.06 | Women's Basketball
CINCINNATI, OH - Senior Candice Dupree scored 22 points to lead #21/20 Temple past host Xavier, 67-62, before a nationally-televised audience on ESPN2. Dupree added a game-high five blocks. Junior Kamesha Hairston netted 19 points while sophomore Lady Comfort had 15 as the Owls snapped a 19-game home winning streak for the Musketeers. This is the second opponent home-winning streak that the Owls have broken this week, crushing Rutgers' 20-game streak on Thursday night. Temple improves to 14-4 overall and 5-1 in Conference play, while the Musketeers fall to 12-6 overall and 3-4 in the A-10.
The Owls played a physical style from the very beginning, which resulted in 21 Xavier trips to the foul line, 17 of which the Musketeers converted on. Leading scorer Tara Boothe was a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe on her way to a game-high 30 points. The Owls shot a lethal 50% from the field as opposed to Xavier's 38.5%.
Xavier jumped out to an early lead but Temple kept on the defensive pressure, holding the Musketeers without a field goal for nearly 10 minutes.Dupree drove the lane at 8:28 to tie the game at 15 and a basket by Comfort 40 seconds later gave Temple its first lead, 17-15. Xavier battled back to tie the score at 19 but Temple went on a 5-0 run to open up a 24-19 lead with just over five minutes to play. Three straight fouls by Temple allowed the Musketeers to claw their way back and regain the lead, a 34-29 advantage that they took into the lockeroom.
Xavier's lead swelled to nine (52-43) but Temple responded with a 18-4 run to take a 61-56 lead with just under five minutes to play. Boothe hit a jumper with two minutes to go to make it 60-63 Temple but the Owls refused to back down defensively. Dupree and Fatima Maddox each earned a steal in the final minutes, allowing TU to get a defensive stop and possesion of the ball. A jumper by Hairston with just 24 seconds remaining gave Temple a 65-60 advantage but a careless Dupree foul sent Boothe to the line with 13 seconds to go. The all-time Xavier leading scorer sank both free throws to cut Temple's lead to three points. Desperate to regain ball possesion, the Musketeers began to foul with 10 seconds to go and finally sent Hairston to the line with just five seconds on the clock. Just as she had last year, Hairston came through for the Owls and made both shots from the charity stripe, allowing TU to walk away with the 67-62 win.
In her first start as an Owl, Maddox dished a team-high five assists, scored five points, grabbed five boards and earned two steals. Khadija Bowens chipped in with six points, three assists and three steals.
Temple returns to Philadelphia this weekend when it takes on Saint Joseph's on Friday at the Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. and Massachusetts on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Liacouras Center.
