Temple University Athletics
Cotton Lifts Temple to 73-46 Win Over Toledo
12.10.08 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 10, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - Temple women's basketball concluded its five-game homestand with a 73-46 win over Toledo on Wednesday night at the Liacouras Center.
The Owls improved to 5-3 on the season, while the Rockets fell to 3-6.
The teams traded baskets over the first five minutes of action before Temple went ahead by five, 13-8 on a lay-up by senior Shanea Cotton. The Rockets came back within two, 17-15 with 8:53 to go in the half. The Owls then went on their first run, a 5-0 mark, fueled by a jumper by senior Shenita Landry and a trey by junior LaKeisha Eaddy. Temple held a 10-point lead at intermission, 31-21. The Owls held a 29-9 advantage in rebounding at the break.
Temple stormed out of the locker room to open the second half with an 8-2 run to go ahead by 16 points, 39-23 with 16:46 to go. After a lay-up by Rocket Melissa Goodall, the Owls went on a 9-0 run, sparked by five points from Eaddy, a lay-up and a three-point bucket. Temple allowed UT one basket over a three-minute span to expand its run to 19-2, pushing its lead to 29 points, 60-31 with 8:22 on the clock. The Owls closed out the contest with a 27-point margin.
"One of the things I told them was that we had to dominate on the offensive boards," said first-year Temple head coach Tonya Cardoza. "For the most part, we weren't happy about the Florida State game. Tonight we wanted to be the aggressor right away and dictate how the game would be played."
Cotton finished with a career-high 23 points and eight rebounds. Landry followed with her third double-double of the season of 13 points and game-high 12 rebounds. Freshman Kristen McCarthy came off the bench for 12 points, while Eaddy finished with 10 points and a game-high nine assists.
Tanika Mays led Toledo with 14 points. Goodall and Naama Shafir followed with 10 points apiece.
Overall, Temple out-rebounded Toledo, 56-21. The Owls' 56 boards were one shy of the Liacouras record [57 vs. Western Michigan, Dec. 19, 2006].
Temple shot 47 percent (31-of-66) from the floor, while UT shot 35 percent (20-of-57). The Owls committed 23 turnovers while forcing 18.
Temple takes a 10-day break for final exams before visiting Villanova on Dec. 20 in the Big 5 opener for both teams. The Owls, who now travel for the next six games, don't return home to the Liacouras Center for 35 days.
"They're a very difficult team to play against," Cardoza said of Villanova. "I'm excited about that first [Big 5] game out."
