Temple University Athletics
Women's Basketball Opens Up Big Five Play At Villanova Saturday
12.16.08 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 16, 2008
PHILADELPHIA-Temple women's basketball returns to action on Saturday, December 20, traveling to Villanova to begin the 2008-09 Philadelphia Big Five series at 1 p.m. The Owls are currently on a record setting 18-game winning streak in the Big Five and have gone a perfect 4-0 the last four years. `Nova is 1-2 in the Big Five after topping Penn and losing to La Salle and Saint Joe's. This is Temple's first Big Five contest of the season.
Series Record
This is the 38th meeting between Temple and Villanova. `Nova leads the series, 24-13 but TU has won the last four meetings, most recently a 54-46 decision on December 21, 2007.
Player of the Week
After compiling a game and career-high 23 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals in the win over Toledo (12/10), Shanea Cotton was named the Big Five Player of the Week. She shot 67% from the field and went 3-for-4 from the free throw line to earn her first career city POW honor.
RPI Report
In the latest Women's RPI Report (12/15), the Atlantic 10 Conference is ranked seventh out of 32 conferences overall. Temple is one of eight A-10 teams ranked in the top 100, ranking 62nd.
Scouting the Owls
Temple concluded its five-game homestand with a 73-46 win over Toledo on Dec. 10. The Rockets came back within two, 17-15 with 8:53 to go in the first half but that would be as close as they could get as Temple held a 10-point lead at intermission, 31-21. The Owls held a 29-9 advantage in rebounding at the break. In the second half, 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. Shanea Cotton finished with a career-high 23 points and eight rebounds. Shenita Landry followed with her third double-double of the season of 13 points and game-high 12 rebounds. Kristen McCarthy came off the bench for 12 points, while LaKeisha Eaddy finished with 10 points and a game-high nine assists.
Cotton leads four Owls in double figures with 14.1 ppg, while Landry is second with 12.3 ppg and a team-high 9.3 rpg. Eaddy is third with 11.4 ppg and a team-high 39 assists and Shaqwedia Wallace rounds out the double figure scorers with 11.2 ppg.
Scouting the Wildcats
A balanced scoring effort and stifling second half defense led Villanova to a 55-37 victory over Binghamton on Dec. 10. Laura Kurz scored a game-high 14 points and all eight players used by the Wildcats got into the scoring column. Villanova secured the outcome with a 12-0 second half run in a span of nearly six minutes that turned a 35-29 lead into a 47-29 margin with 9:26 remaining. In addition to her game-high scoring total, Kurz also led all players with nine rebounds. Maria Getty chipped in 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting
Kurtz leads two players in double figures with 16.8 ppg and a team-high 9.4 rpg, while Getty is second with 10.9 ppg.
