Women's Basketball Closes Out 2007 At #6 Rutgers

Dec. 28, 2007

Piscataway, N.J.-Temple (6-6) will look to end 2007 on a good note, traveling to face #6 Rutgers (8-2) on December 30.  The game, which tips off at 2 p.m., can be seen on ESPNU and heard on WPHT 1210 AM.  The Owls' last trip to the RAC proved to be a successful one, as Temple earned its first-ever win over a Top 10 opponent with a 48-47 victory over the then #9 Scarlet Knights.

Ashley Morris netted a game-high 18 points to lead the Temple women's basketball team to a record setting 16th consecutive Big Five victory, a 65-40 win over Penn on Thursday night.  Shenita Landry and Lady Comfort finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively, as the Owls cruised to their third straight victory. Normally a dominant rebounding team, Temple out-rebounded Penn by just three boards, 38-35.  Comfort led the Owls effort with six.  TU did manage to force 23 Quaker turnovers, while shooting an impressive 42% from the field. LaKeisha Eaddy dished a game-high five assists, while Landry complimented her offense with a solid defensive output of three steals and two blocks.  Shanea Cotton also contributed three steals.

Morris leads Temple in scoring and assists, averaging 16.6 ppg and dishing 44 assists.  She also leads Temple in three-point shooting, making 37.2% of her attempts.  Comfort is averaging 9.2 ppg and a team-high 8.8 rpg.  Eaddy has a team-high 20 steals. 

Rutgers returns to the hardwood after a bit of a break.  The Scarlet Knights have been idle from NCAA competition since defeating Princeton, 53-48, on December 12.  Since that that time, RU played an exhibition game against DT3 on December 21, a game that it won, 66-54.  Epiphanny Prince had a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds against Princeton, while Kia Vaughn had 12 points. Heather Zurich led Rutgers against DT3 with 18 points

Prince leads two Rutgers players in double figures, averaging 12.9 ppg.  Matee Ajavon is second on the squad with 10.2 ppg and tops in assists (40), while Vaughn is RU's leading rebounder (8.4 rpg).

Temple is 0-4 against Top 10 opponents this season, with losses to Georgia, Duke, Stanford and Maryland.

All Roads Lead to Temple
Dawn Staley is not the only person in the RAC today that can claim to be a head coach of the Temple Owls.  Former coach and current Associate Athletic Director Kristen Foley (1995-2000), who preceded Staley will be broadcasting today's game on the radio, while Charlene Curtis, who headed the Owls from 1990-95 and preceded Foley, will be calling the game for ESPNU.  Ironically, Curtis has other ties to Staley, as she also served as an assistant coach for the WNBA's Charlotte Sting.  In related news, Foley starred for the Scarlet Knights from 1983-87, leading the team to consecutive Elite Eight performances in 1986 and 1987 and earning a spot on the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament Team in 1986.

Sibling Rivalry
Temple and Rutgers have quite a storied rivalry. In the 2004-05 season, Rutgers gave Temple its first win over a ranked opponent in 18 years and then returned the favor by knocking the Owls out of the NCAA Tournament Second Round and ending their 25-game winning streak.  In the 2005-06 season, it was Temple's time to shine, as the then #21 Owls defeated the then #9 Scarlet Knights, 48-47, for TU's first win over a Top 10 opponent.  The victory also ended a RU 20-home game winning streak.

Former Player Coach
Temple Head Coach Dawn Staley and Rutgers senior guard Matee Ajavon shared the gym this summer as player and coach for USA Basketball's Pan American Games Team. The duo won gold for the U.S. for the first time since 1987. 

Temple University Athletics

Women's Basketball Closes Out 2007 At #6 Rutgers

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