Temple University Athletics
Women's Basketball Ends Season With Loss To Arizona State In NCAA First Round
3.24.08 | Women's Basketball
March 24, 2008
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College Park, Md.- Senior Ashley Morris led all scorers with 21 points, including 12 in the first half, but even she could not help the Temple women's basketball team overcome long scoreless stretches, as the Owls fell 61-54 to Arizona State in the First Round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. With the score tied at 26 at halftime, ASU used a 13-0 second half run to crush all of Temple's hopes for a return trip to the Second Round. After an improbable run, the Owls finish their season with a 21-13 record, while the Sun Devils continue on with a 22-10 mark.
Senior Lady Comfort finished her Temple career with 11 points and five rebounds, while sophomores Kristie Watkins-Day and LaKeisha Eaddy each contributed six second half points.
"I thought we lost it on the defensive end, not necessarily what we were doing on an offensive end," said Staley. "I thought we came out in the second half and gave up an easy lay-up. Our players were not ready to play and then we just played the ball screen wrong on Noe and she got a three off ... I think that gave them a little cushion to open the game up. It was more so of a mental breakdown defensively but other than that I feel the ballgame was pretty even."
As predicted the first half was a defensive battle, with neither team able to get into its offense. Each squad suffered long scoreless droughts, allowing for the game to be deadlocked at the break. Temple held a slight 27-24 rebounding edge but committed 19 turnovers.
Morris got TU on the board first with a driving lay-up at 19:23, sparking a 4-0 run for the Owls. Briann January scored first for the Sun Devils at 18:27 but Temple continued to roll and took a 13-6 by the 16:30 mark. The Owls began to cool off a bit, however, going scoreless for over four minutes, allowing Arizona State to put together a 12-0 run and take a 17-15 lead with just over 11 minutes to play. Comfort finally broke the TU scoring drought with a lay-up at 11:05 to tie the game at 11. The Sun Devils, known for their defense, turned up the pressure, forcing the Owls to waste most of their shot clock on every possession. Temple seemed to buckle under the pressure, going scoreless for seven minutes, allowing ASU to reclaim a 23-17 lead by the five minute mark. Morris finally got the Owls going again with a basket at 4:35 and started a 4-0 run that made it a one-point game (23-22) with just over three minutes to play. A Shenita Landry put-back put Temple on top, 24-23 at 1:47 but the Sun Devils refused to back down, making it a tie game at the break.
Temple's offensive woes continued in the second half allowing the Sun Devils to go on a 13-0 run out of the gate and make it a 39-26 game at 15:43. Temple seemed lost, taking bad shots and turning the ball over possession after possession. Morris finally got the Owls on the board at 15:14 to make it 39-28 but Temple continued to struggle from the field. Watkins-Day's first basket of the game, cut ASU's lead to eight points (41-33) at 12:35. The sophomore continued to be the Owls' lone source of offensive power over the next five minutes but without help from her teammates, Arizona State took a 13 point lead, 50-37, at the nine minute mark. Temple fought to stay in the game, getting within eight points (53-45) with back-to-back jumpers by Eaddy. With the clock winding down, Dawn Staley started to substitute offense for defense, trying to extend her team's season for at least one more game. Morris' floating jumper made it a six-point game (55-49) with two minutes remaining but that would be as close as the Owls could get as ASU took the game, 61-54.
Lauren Lacey led three Sun Devils in double figures with 14 points, while Jill Noe finished with 12. January had 10.
