Temple University Athletics
Temple Defeats Charlotte, 72-55, to Stay Undefeated in the Atlantic 10
2.18.07 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2007
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-Shenita Landry led four players in double figures with 15 points as the Owls cruised to their seventh straight win and remained undefeated in the Atlantic 10 with a resounding 72-55 win over third place Charlotte on Sunday night. Kamesha Hairston, Lady Comfort and LaKeisha Eaddy each added 14 points to improve Temple's record to 22-5 on the season and a perfect 12-0 in the Conference.
With the win, the Owls, who are currently tied for first place in the Conference with George Washington (12-0), will finish no lower than second in the A-10.
Temple continued to dominate on the glass, out-rebounding Charlotte, 45-25, and used a 52% shooting percentage to overcome 18 turnovers.
The first half was decided in the lane, as 24 of Temple's 40 points came from inside the paint. The Owls' post players accounted for over 50% of Temple's offense, with Lady Comfort leading the charge with 10 points. Shenita Landry chipped in with eight and Jasmine Stone provided a huge spark off the bench with six points and four rebounds in 10 minutes.
Comfort got the Owls started, scoring six of Temple's 11 points in the first five minutes of the game. Charlotte was able to keep pace, however, never trailing by more than two points, thanks to a 60% shooting clip in the opening minutes. After a hot start, Temple began to struggle from the field, going scoreless for over three minutes and allowing the 49ers to go on a 5-0 run and take a 14-13 lead with 11:46 to play. Hairston finally broke the Cherry and White scoring drought with a jumper at 11:07 but a nagging turnover problem continued to plague the squad, forcing it to play catch-up. Sabrina Gregory was a huge obstacle for the Owls, netting eight points to lead the 49ers. After a slight breather, Comfort returned to work and sparked a 12-2 run, to put Temple back on top 27-21 at 4:41. Temple continued to roll with dominating play by Stone and Landry, and a 13-4 TU run gave the Owls a 40-27 lead at the break. The Owls finished the half with nearly a 52% shooting percentage and a resounding 26-10 rebounding advantage.
The teams went basket-for-basket to begin the second stanza, thanks to five points from Landry, and allowed Temple to maintain its 13 point lead. But, just as they had in the first half, the Owls began to cool off. With the Charlotte defense double and tripling down on All-America candidate Kamesha Hairston, Temple struggled to find other options. The 49ers disrupted the Cherry and White's offensive flow just enough to force fouls, turnovers and mount a comeback. Sabrina Gregory, who posted an eight point performance in the first half, chipped in another eight points to cut the once healthy Temple lead to just five (49-44) with just under 11 minutes to play. That was too close for Comfort and Landry, who spearheaded a 14-3 Temple run to put the Owls back in control 65-47 at the five minute mark. A 6-0 Charlotte run cut the Temple lead to 12 points (65-53) at 1:43 but that would be as close as it would get as the Owls coasted to their seventh straight win, 72-55.
Comfort nearly missed a double-double with nine rebounds, while Landry added eight. Hairston and Eaddy dished four assists a piece. Jasmine Stone had another admirable day with six points and six rebounds.
Gregory was the lone 49ers to reach double figures with 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field.
Temple continues its road stand when it travels to Pittsburgh for a match-up with the Duquesne Dukes on Thursday, February 23rd at 7 p.m.
