Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, January 16
Liacouras Center
7:00 PM
Temple University
vs
VCU
Tyonna Williams
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Women's Basketball Hosts VCU Wednesday Night in Atlantic 10 Home Opener
1.15.13 | Women's Basketball
Live Stats l Webcast l Game Notes
PHILADELPHIA - Fresh off a big win at St. Bonaventure in the Atlantic 10 opener this past Sunday, the Temple women's basketball team returns home to face VCU in the conference home opener on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Liacouras Center. Prior to tip-off, head coach Tonya Cardoza will be honored for reaching the 100-win milestone in the St. Bonaventure victory.
The Owls (7-8, 1-0) are playing VCU (7-9, 0-1) for the first time since the Rams joined the Atlantic 10. The only other meeting between the teams was back in 1980.
THE OPENING TIP
•Fifth-year head coach Tonya Cardoza got the 100th win of her career in the Owls' 67-59 win at St. Bonaventure on Jan. 13...The milestone came in Temple's A-10 opener, and against the only team to defeat the Owls in the A-10 regular season last year.
•Cardoza is now 100-46, and reached her 100th win four games sooner than her predecessor Dawn Staley, who had 50 losses before reaching 100 wins.
•The Owls have now won two in a row to more emphatically snap a six-game losing streak...The first win was a 68-41 victory vs. Western Michigan on Jan. 7.
•Senior Victoria Macaulay is both the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week and the Big 5 Co-Player of the Week.
•Macaulay notched her seventh double-double of the season with a game-high 23 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds at St. Bonaventure.
•Temple is now 17-14 all-time in Atlantic 10 openers and has won eight out of the last 10 including three in a row.
•Macaulay's 22 points led four Owls who scored in double figures against Western Michigan, including Tyonna Williams who notched her second career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 12 assists.
•Natasha Thames hit 7-of-8 from the field and 5-of-7 at the line en route to a career-high 19 points in Temple's most recent loss, a 61-58 defeat at Howard despite the Owls having a 17-point lead with 13 minutes remaining.
•Four of the Owls' recent losses were to teams with strong records, Georgetown (9-4), Michigan State (12-1), Villanova (9-1) and Auburn (8-2).
•Turnovers were costly for the Owls until recently...They committed over 20 of them in eight of their first 13 games...In the 2011-12 season, Temple committed more than 20 turnovers a total of just four times.
•Temple has six freshmen on a roster of 11, making the Owls the second-most inexperienced team in NCAA Division I women's basketball this season (San Jose State is in the top spot).
•VCU is 7-9 overall and most recently lost its A-10 opener at Saint Louis, 60-46...The Rams have lost three of their last four...Junior forward Robyn Parks leads the team with 17.7 ppg and 8.0 rpg.
CARDOZA WINS THE 100TH GAME OF HER CAREER
Fifth-year head coach Tonya Cardoza got the 100th win of her career in the Owls' 67-59 win at St. Bonaventure on Jan. 13. The milestone came in Temple's A-10 opener, which was against the only team to defeat the Owls in the A-10 regular season last year. Cardoza is now 100-46, and reached her 100th win four games sooner than her predecessor Dawn Staley, who had 50 losses before reaching 100 wins.
SCOUTING VCU
VCU has had an up-and-down season so far, losing its first three games before winning five of the next six, but has now lost three of its last four. The Rams suffered a 60-46 loss at Saint Louis in their A-10 opener this past Saturday. Head Coach Marlene Stollings is in her first season with the team, as VCU embarks on its first season in the Atlantic 10. Junior forward Robyn Parks leads the team with 17.7 ppg and 8.0 rpg, while freshman guard Jessica Pellechio is second on the team with 12.8 ppg.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST VCU
Temple and VCU have met just once before, back in November of 1980 at the Virgina Tipoff in Charlottesville, Va. The Owls won the game 92-77.
ATLANTIC 10 OPENERS
Temple is now 17-14 all-time in Atlantic 10 openers and has won eight out of the last 10 including three in a row. The two prior to this season were nail-biters. In 2010-11, the Owls won the A-10 opener at Charlotte by a narrow margin of 60-57. Last year, Kristen McCarthy hit a jumper with 0.2 seconds left to give Temple a 56-55 win at Richmond. While the margin of victory in the recent win at St. Bonaventure was eight points, the Owls did have to recover from a seven-point deficit with six minutes remaining in the game.
CLOSING STRONG
In a game that had been neck-and-neck and not seen either team lead by more than five, the Owls suddenly found themselves down seven points at St. Bonaventure with 6:03 remaining. What followed was a finish that will be remembered for a long time, as Temple closed the game on a 19-4 run to win the game by a score of 67-59. The Owls crashed the offensive glass, took advantage of missed shots by the Bonnies, and went a perfect 8-of-8 at the line in those final minutes.
MACAULAY HONORED AFTER BIG WEEK
Victoria Macaulay led the Owls to a 2-0 week with wins over Western Michigan and St. Bonaventure, and was recognized as the A-10 co-Player of the Week, the co-Big 5 Player of the Week, and the Under Armour OwlSports.com Player of the Week. She scored a game-high 23 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds against the Bonnies, and scored a game-high 22 points in the win vs. Western Michigan.
SWEET REVENGE
The only blemish on Temple's A-10 slate last season was a loss to St. Bonaventure, and the Owls have now already avenged that defeat with a win over the Bonnies in this year's A-10 opener. The 67-59 win was not an easy one, as Temple trailed by seven with six minutes left. The Owls closed the game on an impressive, 19-4 run to come away victorious and give head coach Tonya Cardoza the 100th win of her career.
LEARNING NOT TO LET GO
After struggling mightily with their ball-handling for much of the non-conference season, the Owls have now recorded season-lows in turnovers in each of the last two games. They committed just 12 in the win vs. Western Michigan on Jan. 7, and then a season-low 10 in the win at St. Bonaventure on Jan. 13. The two games were the first in which Temple recorded fewer turnovers than its opponent.
TRENDING
Some trends have emerged after Temple's first 15 games of the season. The most noticeable trends including the Owls being 7-3 when out-rebounding opponents, going 0-5 when being out-rebounded, going 5-1 when their starters outscore the opponents' starters, and going 4-0 when scoring 65 or more points.
WILLIAMS TIES RECORD WITH 12 ASSISTS
Sophomore Tyonna Williams dished 12 assists in the Owls' win vs. Western Michigan on Jan. 7, tying the Liacouras Center record for assists in a game. Her performance also ties for third all-time at Temple in a single game. Williams added 13 points to finish with the second double-double of the season and of her career.
BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK
The Owls' 68-41 win vs. Western Michigan on Jan. 7 was sorely needed after a string of six straight losses. The victory was a convincing one, with four players scoring in double figures, led by Victoria Macaulay with 22 points. Tyonna Williams notched a double-double with 13 points and a career-high 12 assists. Natasha Thames led all players with 12 rebounds. Temple recorded a then season-low 12 turnovers along with a season-high 22 assists, and out-shot the Broncos 44.6% to 23.6%.
TOUGH SCHEDULING
After the first 13 games of the season, the RPI report from rpiratings.com had Temple's schedule listed as the eighth-toughest among NCAA Division I teams. Others in the top eight included Stanford (1st), Tennessee (2nd), Baylor (3rd) and Connecticut (4th). The list updates each week, and Temple's recent opponents have pushed the Owls further down the ranks.
MACAULAY TAKING CHARGE
Along with leading the team in a number of categories on the stat sheet, senior center Victoria Macaulay ranks in the top five among all Atlantic 10 players in six areas. She is averaging 15.7 ppg (4th), 9.5 rpg (5th), has a field-goal percentage of 51.1 (2nd), has 2.0 blocks per game (3rd), 7.3 def. rpg (1st) and has played 34.9 minutes per game (4th). Her scoring numbers are particularly impressive when compared to the rest of her career. She averaged 3.0 ppg as a freshman, 4.6 ppg as a sophomore and 9.7 ppg as a junior.
PHILADELPHIA - Fresh off a big win at St. Bonaventure in the Atlantic 10 opener this past Sunday, the Temple women's basketball team returns home to face VCU in the conference home opener on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Liacouras Center. Prior to tip-off, head coach Tonya Cardoza will be honored for reaching the 100-win milestone in the St. Bonaventure victory.
The Owls (7-8, 1-0) are playing VCU (7-9, 0-1) for the first time since the Rams joined the Atlantic 10. The only other meeting between the teams was back in 1980.
THE OPENING TIP
•Fifth-year head coach Tonya Cardoza got the 100th win of her career in the Owls' 67-59 win at St. Bonaventure on Jan. 13...The milestone came in Temple's A-10 opener, and against the only team to defeat the Owls in the A-10 regular season last year.
•Cardoza is now 100-46, and reached her 100th win four games sooner than her predecessor Dawn Staley, who had 50 losses before reaching 100 wins.
•The Owls have now won two in a row to more emphatically snap a six-game losing streak...The first win was a 68-41 victory vs. Western Michigan on Jan. 7.
•Senior Victoria Macaulay is both the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week and the Big 5 Co-Player of the Week.
•Macaulay notched her seventh double-double of the season with a game-high 23 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds at St. Bonaventure.
•Temple is now 17-14 all-time in Atlantic 10 openers and has won eight out of the last 10 including three in a row.
•Macaulay's 22 points led four Owls who scored in double figures against Western Michigan, including Tyonna Williams who notched her second career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 12 assists.
•Natasha Thames hit 7-of-8 from the field and 5-of-7 at the line en route to a career-high 19 points in Temple's most recent loss, a 61-58 defeat at Howard despite the Owls having a 17-point lead with 13 minutes remaining.
•Four of the Owls' recent losses were to teams with strong records, Georgetown (9-4), Michigan State (12-1), Villanova (9-1) and Auburn (8-2).
•Turnovers were costly for the Owls until recently...They committed over 20 of them in eight of their first 13 games...In the 2011-12 season, Temple committed more than 20 turnovers a total of just four times.
•Temple has six freshmen on a roster of 11, making the Owls the second-most inexperienced team in NCAA Division I women's basketball this season (San Jose State is in the top spot).
•VCU is 7-9 overall and most recently lost its A-10 opener at Saint Louis, 60-46...The Rams have lost three of their last four...Junior forward Robyn Parks leads the team with 17.7 ppg and 8.0 rpg.
CARDOZA WINS THE 100TH GAME OF HER CAREER
Fifth-year head coach Tonya Cardoza got the 100th win of her career in the Owls' 67-59 win at St. Bonaventure on Jan. 13. The milestone came in Temple's A-10 opener, which was against the only team to defeat the Owls in the A-10 regular season last year. Cardoza is now 100-46, and reached her 100th win four games sooner than her predecessor Dawn Staley, who had 50 losses before reaching 100 wins.
SCOUTING VCU
VCU has had an up-and-down season so far, losing its first three games before winning five of the next six, but has now lost three of its last four. The Rams suffered a 60-46 loss at Saint Louis in their A-10 opener this past Saturday. Head Coach Marlene Stollings is in her first season with the team, as VCU embarks on its first season in the Atlantic 10. Junior forward Robyn Parks leads the team with 17.7 ppg and 8.0 rpg, while freshman guard Jessica Pellechio is second on the team with 12.8 ppg.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST VCU
Temple and VCU have met just once before, back in November of 1980 at the Virgina Tipoff in Charlottesville, Va. The Owls won the game 92-77.
ATLANTIC 10 OPENERS
Temple is now 17-14 all-time in Atlantic 10 openers and has won eight out of the last 10 including three in a row. The two prior to this season were nail-biters. In 2010-11, the Owls won the A-10 opener at Charlotte by a narrow margin of 60-57. Last year, Kristen McCarthy hit a jumper with 0.2 seconds left to give Temple a 56-55 win at Richmond. While the margin of victory in the recent win at St. Bonaventure was eight points, the Owls did have to recover from a seven-point deficit with six minutes remaining in the game.
CLOSING STRONG
In a game that had been neck-and-neck and not seen either team lead by more than five, the Owls suddenly found themselves down seven points at St. Bonaventure with 6:03 remaining. What followed was a finish that will be remembered for a long time, as Temple closed the game on a 19-4 run to win the game by a score of 67-59. The Owls crashed the offensive glass, took advantage of missed shots by the Bonnies, and went a perfect 8-of-8 at the line in those final minutes.
MACAULAY HONORED AFTER BIG WEEK
Victoria Macaulay led the Owls to a 2-0 week with wins over Western Michigan and St. Bonaventure, and was recognized as the A-10 co-Player of the Week, the co-Big 5 Player of the Week, and the Under Armour OwlSports.com Player of the Week. She scored a game-high 23 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds against the Bonnies, and scored a game-high 22 points in the win vs. Western Michigan.
SWEET REVENGE
The only blemish on Temple's A-10 slate last season was a loss to St. Bonaventure, and the Owls have now already avenged that defeat with a win over the Bonnies in this year's A-10 opener. The 67-59 win was not an easy one, as Temple trailed by seven with six minutes left. The Owls closed the game on an impressive, 19-4 run to come away victorious and give head coach Tonya Cardoza the 100th win of her career.
LEARNING NOT TO LET GO
After struggling mightily with their ball-handling for much of the non-conference season, the Owls have now recorded season-lows in turnovers in each of the last two games. They committed just 12 in the win vs. Western Michigan on Jan. 7, and then a season-low 10 in the win at St. Bonaventure on Jan. 13. The two games were the first in which Temple recorded fewer turnovers than its opponent.
TRENDING
Some trends have emerged after Temple's first 15 games of the season. The most noticeable trends including the Owls being 7-3 when out-rebounding opponents, going 0-5 when being out-rebounded, going 5-1 when their starters outscore the opponents' starters, and going 4-0 when scoring 65 or more points.
WILLIAMS TIES RECORD WITH 12 ASSISTS
Sophomore Tyonna Williams dished 12 assists in the Owls' win vs. Western Michigan on Jan. 7, tying the Liacouras Center record for assists in a game. Her performance also ties for third all-time at Temple in a single game. Williams added 13 points to finish with the second double-double of the season and of her career.
BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK
The Owls' 68-41 win vs. Western Michigan on Jan. 7 was sorely needed after a string of six straight losses. The victory was a convincing one, with four players scoring in double figures, led by Victoria Macaulay with 22 points. Tyonna Williams notched a double-double with 13 points and a career-high 12 assists. Natasha Thames led all players with 12 rebounds. Temple recorded a then season-low 12 turnovers along with a season-high 22 assists, and out-shot the Broncos 44.6% to 23.6%.
TOUGH SCHEDULING
After the first 13 games of the season, the RPI report from rpiratings.com had Temple's schedule listed as the eighth-toughest among NCAA Division I teams. Others in the top eight included Stanford (1st), Tennessee (2nd), Baylor (3rd) and Connecticut (4th). The list updates each week, and Temple's recent opponents have pushed the Owls further down the ranks.
MACAULAY TAKING CHARGE
Along with leading the team in a number of categories on the stat sheet, senior center Victoria Macaulay ranks in the top five among all Atlantic 10 players in six areas. She is averaging 15.7 ppg (4th), 9.5 rpg (5th), has a field-goal percentage of 51.1 (2nd), has 2.0 blocks per game (3rd), 7.3 def. rpg (1st) and has played 34.9 minutes per game (4th). Her scoring numbers are particularly impressive when compared to the rest of her career. She averaged 3.0 ppg as a freshman, 4.6 ppg as a sophomore and 9.7 ppg as a junior.
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