Temple University Athletics
Women's Basketball Returns Home Hoping To School Rhode Island
1.13.09 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 13, 2009
PHILADELPHIA-The Temple women's basketball team (9-5, 1-0 A-10) returns home to the Liacouras Center after a month-long road trip to host the Rhode Island Rams (7-8, 0-1 A-10) in the Owls' annual School Day game. Tip off is set for 12 p.m. following a morning of basketball skills drills and talks promoting communication and teamwork for the participating students.
Series Record
This is the 47th meeting between Temple and Rhode Island, with Temple leading the series, 32-14. The Owls won the last meeting, 80-70, on January 27, 2008.
Owls + Kids = Winners
Temple should consider playing all of its games in front of thousands of screaming children, as the Owls are a perfect 6-0 on their School Day. The Cherry and White have also set two Liacouras Center records on School Day; field goal percentage (62.2) vs. Charlotte (1/6/06) and most points scored in a half (56) against St. Bonaventure (1/13/05).
Coaching Connections
Rhode Island Associate Head Coach Ervin Monier is quite familiar with North Broad Street, having served as an assistant coach at Temple from 2000-04. Assistant Coach Korie Hlede starred for Duquesne from 1994-98, while the Dukes were coached by none other than current TU Assistant Coach Dan Durkin.
Scouting the Owls
Shenita Landry and Shaqwedia Wallace combined to sink three free throws in the final 30 seconds of the game to give Temple a 58-53 win over Saint Joseph's on Sunday. Landry led all scorers with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Wallace scored 13. LaKeisha Eaddy had 12 points and dished four assists. Temple out-rebounded the Hawks, 39-24. The game was extremely tight, as it featured 10 ties and 11 lead changes. Temple was led by Landry early on, who had 11 first-half points. The second half continued to be tight, but Temple's defense proved to be the difference, forcing the Hawks to go scoreless for long periods of time.
Shanea Cotton leads four Owls in double figures with 12.9 ppg, while Landry is second with 12.6 ppg and a team-high 8.9 rpg. Wallace is third with 11.8 ppg. Eaddy is fourth with 10.1 ppg and has dished a squad-high 58 assists.
Scouting the Rams
Megan Shoniker tallied a game-high 18 points as Rhode Island took down in-state rival Providence, 55-49, Monday. It marked Rhody's first victory over the Friars - or any member of the BIG EAST Conference - since Dec. 5, 2003. Sierra Cooper joined Shoniker with double figures in the scoring column, putting up a 13-point performance and adding three steals and a block. Lindsay Harris led the team with eight rebounds and a game-high four steals and four assists. Harris has now led the team in steals in each of URI's last seven games. The Rams finished 41.5% (22-53) from the field while holding Providence to 27.7% shooting (18-65). The Friars, however, were a perfect 8-of-8 from the line while URI connected on just 8-of-17 foul shots. PC also held a slight advantage on the boards, outrebounding Rhody by a 42-40 margin.
Shoniker leads two URI players in double figures with 11.8 ppg, while Cooper is second with 11 ppg and a team-high 6.4 rpg.
Head of the Class
The Owls are ranked in the top three in seven Atlantic 10 statistical categories. Temple is second in assists (15.07) and third in scoring offense (68.3), field goal percentage (.423), rebounding margin (+4.9), blocks (4.07), rebounding offense (41.8) and tied for third in steals (8). Individually, LaKeisha Eaddy is first in steals (2.54) and third in assists (4.46) and Shenita Landry is third in rebounding (8.9).
