Temple University Athletics
HARTFORD STUNS TEMPLE, 64-58, IN NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
3.19.06 | Women's Basketball
TRENTON, NJ -- Temple ran into an upset-minded Hartford team in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at the Sovereign Bank Arena Sunday and the 11th-seed Hawks stunned the Owls, 64-58. Temple ends its season with a 24-8 record while Hartford (27-3) will face the winner of the Georgia-Marist contest on Tuesday.
The Owls fought back from an 11-point halftime deficit to tie the game at 58 with 2:34 to play as senior guard Khadija Bowens' three-point play completed a 7-0 Temple run. Hartford had the answer, however, using its eighth-ranked scoring defense to hold TU scoreless the remainder of the contest while connecting on four-of-five free throws to ice the win.
Sophomore forward Danielle Hood led all scorers with 20 points for the Hawks, who recorded the program's first NCAA win. A first team all-America East selection was joined in double figures by junior Ikea Witt (15 points) and freshman Erica Beverly (11 points, 8 rebounds).
Junior Kamesha Hairston led the Owls with 17 points while Khadija Bowens and Candice Dupree, both playing in their final collegiate game, added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Two-time Atlantic 10 Conference Dawn Staley knew her Owl team would be in for a dogfight entering the contest. Although Temple had never faced Hartford, Staley knew her counterpart, seventh-year Hartford coach Jennifer Rizzotti well. The two are mirror images, each earning National Player of the Year honors as collegiate point guards - Staley at Virginia and Rizzotti at UConn -- and both coaching college teams while playing in the WNBA.
Their programs are as identical. Hartford is making its third trip to the NCAA Tournament in four years while Temple is dancing for the fourth time in five seasons. This year's squads boast conference Players of the Year in Dupree and Hartford's senior guard Erika Messam. Both teams also are ranked among the Top 15 in the nation in scoring defense.
Temple's man defense was up to the challenge, holding Messam scoreless in the first half while Hartford's 2-3 zone put the clamps on Dupree
Hood, the Hawks' leading scorer on the season (13.8 ppg.), picked up the scoring slack for Messam, tallying 10 first-half points to lift Hartford to a 25-24 lead at the break. Dupree, who averaged 28 points over the final two A-10 Tournament games to earn her third straight Most Outstanding Player honor, was held to five points over the first 20 minutes.
Hartford opened the second half strong with Hood scoring six points early to give the Hawks a 36-29 advantage. A 7-0 run capped by freshman MaryLynn Schaefer's three-pointer -- the first trey of the game for Hartford -- extended the lead to nine points, 45-36, with 12:30 to play. A driving lay-up by Messam two minutes later made it 51-40.
The Owls then ran off seven unanswered points of their own with a Bowens lay-up at the 6:37 mark cutting the deficit to 51-47.
Beverly and Dupree then traded baskets before Hartford extended the margin to eight points, 57-49, on baskets by Messam and Witt. Bowens then scored five points on an 9-1 Owl run to knot the game at 58.
Witt provided what would be the game-winning points, connecting on two free throws on the ensuing possession as she drove the lane and was fouled by Hairston. Fatima Maddox (5 points) missed a three-pointer that would have put Temple ahead on the Owls next possession. Dupree pulled in the offensive rebound but a hook shot in traffic was off the mark.
Hood missed a jumper on Hartford's next possession, but Dupree, missed a jumper from the baseline. Then it was the Hawks march to the charity stripe where they sealed the win.
It marked just the second win by an America East team in NCAA Tournament play, the last coming in 1999 when Maine stunned second-seed Stanford.
Dupree, one of the greatest players in Temple women's basketball history, ends her remarkable career second to Marilyn Stephens (2,194 points, 1980-84) on the school's all-time scoring (1,708 points) and blocked shots (218) list. Her blocked shot total ties Lynn Blaszczyk (218, 1979-83). Dupree also finished third on the school's all-time rebound list (940), behind just Stephens (1,519) and Blaszczyk (949).
In addition to Dupree and Bowens, Jennifer Owens also played in her final game for the Cherry and White as did reserves Stephanie Hicks and Gwen Browne.
