Temple University Athletics
Upset-Minded Temple Nearly Topples #8/10 Georgia, 57-51
11.16.07 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 16, 2007
Athens, Ga.-Senior point guard Ashley Morris single-handedly put the Temple women's basketball team (1-1) on her back in the second half, scoring 17 of her game and career-high 21 points and allowing her team to take a 51-49 lead on #8/10 Georgia (4-0) with just over two minutes to play, but it was not enough as the Owls fell, 57-51, on Friday night. Temple clawed back from as much as a 14 point deficit to take the lead with but could not hold on as the Bulldogs used a 8-0 run to end the game.
LaKeisha Eaddy scored 11 points, grabbed a career-high eight rebounds and had a game-high four steals. Lady Comfort and Shanea Cotton each grabbed 12 rebounds to help Temple out-rebound Georgia, 53-48. Shenita Landry chipped in with three blocks. Play in the first half was ugly, with both teams struggling from the field and in the paint. Temple made just 23.5% of its shots and had 13 turnovers and 11 fouls. The Bulldogs weren't much better with eight fouls and a 32.4% shooting clip. What the Owls lacked in offense, they made up for in defense, out-rebounding the Lady Bulldogs, 28-26, forcing 10 UGA turnovers and holding All-American Tasha Humphrey to just one basket, which she scored with 30 seconds left in the half. Georgia took a 6-0 lead, thanks to Temple's horrid shooting in the opening minutes. The Owls failed to score on their first six trips down the floor, unable to sink a basket until Morris hit a jumper at 16:31. Comfort had the Owls' second basket at the 14 minute mark, to make it 9-4 and end TU's two and half minute scoring drought but Temple continued to struggle and soon found themselves down 21-7 with 10 minutes to play. Cotton finally got the Owls in double digits with a 4-0 run, Temple's first field goals in over four minutes, making it 21-11 at 8:26. Temple used a 10-2 run to cut UGA's lead to six (23-17) at 4:30. Temple continued to work and was able to cut Georgia's lead to four points (25-21) with just over two minutes to play. UGA closed out the half with a 6-0 run and was able to take a 30-21 lead into the locker room.Temple came out of the locker room a more aggressive squad, led by an unstoppable Morris. The senior guard hit a trey at 19:40 to begin a 12-5 run and cut Georgia's lead to just two points, 35-33, at the 15 minute mark. Just when it seemed that the Owls were going to gain their first lead of the game, Temple went cold. The Cherry and White suffered a four minute scoring drought and allowed a 10-2 Lady Bulldog run to make it 43-35 at 11:33. Morris refused to quit, doing everything to help her team and getting Temple within four points (47-43) with just over seven minutes to play. Lindsay Kimmel sank a trey at 6:14 to make it a one-point game 47-46 and Morris hit one more to tie the game at 49 with 5:17 to play. Eaddy stole the ball and made a fast break lay-up to give Temple its first lead of the game (51-49) at 4:37. Humphrey made a free throw at 3:37 to make it a one-point Temple lead, 51-50, and spark a 7-0 Georgia run that gave the Lady Bulldogs the 57-51 win.
Temple finished with a 29.9% shooting percentage and 20 turnovers, though Georgia wasn't much better with a 30.8% shooting clip and 15 turnovers.
Humphrey finished with a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds to lead three players in double figures. Ashley Houts notched a team-high 12 points, while Angel Robinson had 11.
Temple continues its NCAA Tournament caliber schedule on Sunday when it visit Georgia Tech at 2 p.m.
