Temple University Athletics
Women's Basketball Hosts Florida Saturday At 2 p.m. In Non-Conference Finale
1.4.08 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2008
PHILADELPHIA-The Temple women's basketball team will look to get back on track before beginning its Atlantic 10 schedule when it hosts the Florida Gators on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Liacouras Center. The game can be seen locally on Comcast SportsNet and in Florida on Cox Cable. It will also be broadcast live on WPHT The Big Talker 1210 AM.
Switching teams
This is not the first time that Florida Head Coach Amanda Butler has been to the Liacouras Center. Butler spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Charlotte 49ers, one of Temple's Atlantic 10 rivals. In two meetings, Butler and her 49ers could not top Staley and the Owls.
The Proof is in the Numbers
It seems as if Ashley Morris is campaigning for every Most Improved Player award that there is. After scoring a total of 299 points in three years as a reserve point guard, Morris has really stepped up her scoring game this season. The senior has netted 239 points in 15 games, just 70 points less than her total career points.
Showing Improvement
Just 15 games into the season, Kristie Watkins-Day has already been showing signs of improvement from last year. The sophomore earned her first career start against Miami (Ohio) on Jan. 2 and led the team in scoring with 10 points. After averaging just 8.7 mpg, 1.3 ppg and 1.3 rpg last season, Watkins-Day has rebounded to post 1.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg in 12.8 mpg.
Twenty-three turnovers and 24 fouls. Though Kristie Watkins-Day did an admirable job with 10 points and a career-high eight rebounds, it was not enough to offset those glaringly high numbers as Temple fell, 70-53, to Miami (Ohio) Wednesday. Shenita Landry nearly had a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds, while Ashley Morris dished a career-high nine assists to go along with her eight points. Shanea Cotton contributed six points and a career-high three blocks. Though the Owls shot nearly 40% from the floor, Miami committed just eight turnovers and 18 fouls to earn the win.
Morris leads Temple in scoring and assists, averaging 15.9 ppg and dishing 55 assists. She also leads Temple in three-point shooting, making 36.6% of her attempts. Lady Comfort is averaging 8.4 ppg and a team-high 8.0 rpg. LaKeisha Eaddy has a team-high 22 steals and Landry is tops in blocks with 15.
Aneika Henry grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds and blocked a personal-best six shots to lead a defensive charge that sparked Florida to a 71-51 win over Florida A&M Wednesday. Henry's 15 boards led a Florida effort that hauled in a season-high 55 in the contest. The Gators also forced 21 turnovers and limited FAMU to just 32.5 percent (20-61) shooting from the field on the night. Depree Bowden led the scoring attack with a season-high 24 points that featured a 6-of-11 clip from behind the three-point arc. Sharielle Smith chipped in with a career high-tying 14 points, while Brittaney Thomas went for 10.
Bowden leads three Gators in double figures, averaging 15 ppg, while Marshae Dotson and Sha Brooks are contributing 14.5 and 10.1 ppg, respectively. Dotson is also tops in rebounding (8.8 rpg), while Brooks leads the team in helpers with 43.
Today's game can be seen live on Cox Cable and Comcast SportsNet and heard on WPHT, The Big Talker, 1210 AM.
Series Record
This is the fifth meeting between the Temple Owls and the Florida Gators, with Florida leading the series, 3-1. Temple won the last meeting, 85-80, in overtime on January 2, 2007.
