Temple University Athletics
Temple Women's Basketball To Face Arizona State In NCAA Tournament First Round
3.17.08 | Women's Basketball
March 17, 2008
PHILADELPHIA- The Temple women's basketball team (21-12) will make its fifth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 23, when it takes on Arizona State (21-10) as part of the Oklahoma City Regional in a First Round match-up in College Park, Md. This is the third meeting between the two schools, though they have not met since the 1988 season. Game time is set for 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
This is the second straight year and third overall that the Cherry and White have received an at-large bid.
11th-seeded Temple fell just five points shy of its fifth automatic NCAA Tournament bid, dropping a 47-42 decision to Xavier in the Atlantic 10 Final on March 10. TU finished the season with a 21-12 record and a 12-2 mark in A-10 play. Senior Ashley Morris was voted the A-10's Most Improved Player and earned a spot on the Conference's First Team. Fellow senior Lady Comfort was named Second Team All-Atlantic 10 and sophomore LaKeisha Eaddy selected to the All-Defensive Team.
Sixth-seeded Arizona State advanced to the PAC 10 semifinals, falling 65-61 to Cal. ASU finished 14-4 in the competitive PAC 10, dropping both meetings to Cal and Stanford. The Sun Devils are led by Lauren Lacey, averaging 12.5 ppg, and Briann January, averaging 11.2 ppg.
A win in the First Round would pit Temple against the winner of #3 Duke and #14 Murray State on Tuesday March, 25. The Owls were knocked out of the 2007 NCAA Tournament with a Second Round loss to Duke. TU is 0-1 against the Blue Devils this season, falling 64-53, in the Paradise Jam.
