Temple University Athletics
Women's Basketball Escapes Western Michigan, 72-68
12.16.07 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 16, 2007
Kalamazoo, Mich.- Excessive foul calling plagued the Temple women's basketball team for the second straight game but this time the Owls used LaKeisha Eaddy to overcome, defeating Western Michigan, 72-68, on Sunday afternoon. Eaddy scored a career-high 23 points to offset 25 Temple fouls and a 25-for-35 Western Michigan free throw shooting performance. Temple improves to 5-6, while WMU falls to 3-7 on the year.
LaKeisha Eaddy was on fire for Temple in the first stanza, scoring a game-high 12 points and dishing four assists to help the Owls' 45% shooting clip. Western Michigan struggled from the field, making just six-of-26 for a 23.1% shooting percentage. The Broncos were able to keep pace with the Owls, thanks to 14 trips to the free throw line. Molly Dwyer was a perfect six-for-six, while Sara Vest made six-of-eight to give WMU 12 points from the charity stripe. The Broncos continued to use free throw trips to its advantage in the second half, getting within two points in the final minute of the game but it wasn't enough to topple the Owls.
Shenita Landry started off the scoring for Temple with a jumper at 19:38 but the Broncos answered with a 4-0 run to take an early lead. After three straight turnovers and two scoreless minutes, Eaddy sparked a 6-0 Temple run to make it 8-4 at 15:40. The Owls began to cool a bit, however, allowing Western Michigan to keep it close thanks to six trips to the free throw line. Two straight treys by Ashley Morris and Candice Borrows gave Temple a bit of breathing room, making it 16-10 with 12 minutes remaining. Sloppy Cherry and White play over the next four minutes caused TU's score to stall at 16 until a three-pointer by Lindsay Kimmel at 8:30 awoke the sleeping Owls. Temple went on a 13-6 run over the next six minutes to take a 32-20 lead on the Broncos with two minutes remaining. A trey by Jenny Loney at 1:11 gave Western Michigan its sixth and final field goal of the half to cut the deficit to single digits (32-23) but Eaddy continued her stellar play to put Temple back up 12 points (35-23) with 50 seconds on the clock. Two more free throw by Vest just before the end of the half made it 35-25 at the break.
Neither team was able to score on its first few trips down the floor and it wasn't until a Morris lay-up at 18:33 that the second half saw its first points. For Western Michigan, it was business as usual at the free throw line, scoring two straight at 17:40 and sparking a 8-2 WMU run to get the home team within six points (41-36) just two minutes later. As the Broncos continued to prosper at the foul line, thanks to eight Temple foul calls just seven minutes into the half, Temple struggled to keep its lead. Two free throws by Denooyer made it a two point game, 42-40, at 13 minutes. Eaddy came to the rescue yet again, scoring five straight points to make it a seven point game yet again (47-40) at the 11 minute mark. Landry took over next, netting four straight points to help TU extend its lead back to double digits. The Broncos weren't finished yet, however, putting together a seven-point run to get back within six points (53-47) at 8:40. The home team kept charging and got within four (64-60) at 3:40. Eaddy broke the two-minute Temple scoring drought to make it a six point game 50 seconds later. As the game entered its final minute, Western Michigan continued to roll and was just two points behind. Morris iced two free throws in the final 15 seconds of the game to allow Temple to escape with the 72-68 victory.
Morris finished with 19 points, while Landry nearly missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. Lady Comfort grabbed nine boards.
Jasmine Stone had eight rebounds in her 2007-08 debut
Tiera Delahoussaye led four Broncos in double figures with 18 points, while Ebony Cleary had 13 points. Dwyer and Vest chipped in 10 points a piece.
Temple returns home to face Big Five rival Villanova on Friday, December 21 at 3 p.m.
