Temple University Athletics
Temple Women's Basketball Upsets #13 George Washington, 68-66
1.19.08 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2008
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PHILADELPHIA - Temple women's basketball captured its second upset of the season with a 68-66 victory over No. 13 George Washington in Atlantic 10 Conference action on Saturday at the Liacouras Center.
Leading the game for the first 58 minutes, Temple won the game on a Shanea Cotton jumper in the paint with 22 seconds to go. The Colonials had several chances to score in the final seconds, missing two shots and turning the ball over on an in-bounds plays. The steal, by LaKeisha Eaddy with two seconds to play, sealed the Owl win.
Temple improved to 9-10 overall and 2-1 in A-10 action, while George Washington fell to 14-4 overall and 2-1 in the A-10. The Owls' win snapped GW's nine-game winning streak and 18-game A-10 winning streak, while handing the Colonials their first conference loss this season.
The Owls bolted out of the locker room to open the first half with a 5-0 run. TU built its lead to eight points, 13-5. The Colonials went on a 9-1 run of their own to tie the game at 14-14. GW tied the game again at 16-16, but never led during the stanza. With two treys from freshman Lindsay Kimmel, the Owls closed out the half with an 8-3 run and led by five at intermission, 31-26.
George Washington scored the first two buckets to open the second half and cut the lead to one, 31-30. Temple responded with an 11-2 run to push its lead to 10 points, 42-32, on back-to-back three pointers by Kimmel. GW came back again, coming within two, 49-42. The Owls led the entire way until the Colonials took their only lead of the game, 66-64 with two minutes to go. TU scored the game's final four points for the win.
Kimmel led TU with a career-high 15 points from a career-high five three pointers. Seniors Lady Comfort and Ashley Morris followed with 14 points each. Morris also dished out a career-high nine assists, one shy of a double-double performance.
The upset of a ranked team is Temple's second this season. TU beat No. 22 Purdue at the Paradise Jam, 61-47 on Nov. 24. With the nation's 14th hardest schedule, Temple has now faced seven ranked opponents this year.
Sarah-Jo Lawrence paced GW with 17 points. Kimberly Beck added 15 points, including a perfect 4-for-4 from the line, while Jessica Adair had 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Antelia Parrish had 11 points.
Overall, Temple out-rebounded George Washington, 35-24. The Owls shot 53.2 percent from the field (25-47), while GW went 45.3 percent (24-53).
Temple travels to Richmond on Wednesday, Jan. 23 for a 7 p.m. game.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Dawn Staley, Temple head coach
On Lindsay Kimmel:
I like the fact that Lindsay gives us an outside threat. She executed to the `t'.
On pace of the game:
We wanted to make them work. We wanted to be a little more patient. Ashley (Morris) did a tremendous job of controlling the game.
On Shanea Cotton's game-winning shot:
Yes, in my eyes (she got the shot off on time).
On her team's win:
It's a start over. We haven't really competed for 40 minutes in a while. We've played hard, but we haven't always played smart. Everybody needs to know how important it is to pay attention to detail.
On rivalry with George Washington:
To beat GW is bragging rights. They beat us at the end of last season. You want to avenge those losses. This was a great win for our young team.
Ashley Morris, Sr., Point Guard
We were well-prepared and well-coached. Coach said today we'd get our mojo back if we won this game. We just bought into that.
On Lindsay Kimmel:
She's a great three-point shooter. She opens up the floor.
Lindsay Kimmel, Fr., Guard
Getting the ball inside to Lady (Comfort) was a big factor today.
Joe McKeown, George Washington head coach
On the final two minutes of play:
We took the lead and got the ball back. We took a shot. (LaKeisha) Eaddy made that shot in transition and that was a big play.
We played from behind the whole second half. Temple was fired up today. Temple is a better team than their record reflects. A game like this gives them the confidence to get back on track.
Jessica Adair, Jr., Center
On Temple:
They played hard. We didn't play defense hard enough.
