Temple University Athletics
Women's Basketball Opens 2008-09 Season With Friday Game Against Bowling Green
11.13.08 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 13, 2008
PHILADELPHIA- Temple begins the Tonya Cardoza era with a non-conference game against Bowling Green on Friday, November 14. The contest features a match-up of two regular season conference champions, as the Owls captured the Atlantic 10 title and the Falcons were the Mid-American Conference champions for the fourth consecutive year. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. and can be viewed live on owlsports.com.
The Cherry and White return three starters from a team that finished 21-13 last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament First Round. Junior LaKeisha Eaddy is TU's top returner, averaging 9.0 ppg and 2.8 apg last season. Seniors Shenita Landry and Shanea Cotton will provide power in the post, as both finished among the team's leaders in rebounding and blocks. Sophomore Lindsay Kimmel returns as Temple top perimeter shooter, sinking 51 treys last season.
Temple is 8-2 against Mid-American Conference teams, with its only losses coming against Bowling Green on November 24, 2006 and Miami (OH) on January 2, 2008.
Bowling Green returns nine letterwinners, including three starters, from last year's 26-8 team. The Falcons were 13-3 in MAC play and advanced to national postseason play for the fourth-straight season, getting to the second round of the WNIT. This season, BGSU was picked to win both the MAC's East Division and the MAC Tournament.
Sophomore Lauren Prochaska was named to the Preseason All-MAC Team. She averaged 14.8 points and 5.9 rebounds as a freshman in 2007-08 and was voted the MAC Freshman of the Year.
Series Record
This is the second meeting between Temple and Bowling Green. BGSU leads the series, 1-0, after defeating the Owls, 86-67, on November 24, 2006.
Let's get it started
Temple is 18-12 in season openers since the 1979-80 season.
Same state, Different City
After spending 14 seasons as Duquesne's head women's basketball coach, Dan Durkin returns to his native Philadelphia as an assistant coach. Durkin, the winningest women's basketball coach at Duquesne, has also made stops at Penn State, New Mexico State and Bishop McDevitt High School.
Welcome to the Nest
The Temple bench has quite a different look this season, as the Owls welcome Waynetta Veney and Brittany Hunter to the sidelines. Veney spent last season as an assistant at Providence and has made stops at William & Mary and American University. Ohio native and former UConn standout Hunter helped the Huskies to two BIG EAST Tournament titles, the Elite Eight and the Final Four.
