Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, February 13
Liacouras Center
12:00 PM
Temple University
vs
Rhode Island
Tonya Cardoza entertaining the crowd at the 2012 School Day game
Photo by: Mitchell Leff
Women's Basketball Hosts Rhode Island at Noon on Wednesday in Annual School Day Game
2.12.13 | Women's Basketball
Game Notes l Webcast l Live Stats
PHILADELPHIA - The 11th annual School Day game will see Temple women's basketball hosting Rhode Island at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 13 in the Liacouras Center. Youths from over 25 local schools will be in attendance, and will be treated to pregame festivities that include a welcome from Temple head coach Tonya Cardoza and 6ABC anchor Jennifer Joyce.
The Owls (11-12, 4-4) are looking to stay on the winning track after a 54-50 win against Saint Louis in their most recent outing. Temple has won the last nine meetings vs. Rhode Island, and the Rams are struggling with an overall record of 5-17 and an Atlantic 10 record of 0-7.
THE OPENING TIP
•Today's game marks the 11th annual School Day game, with children in attendance from over 25 local schools.
•Temple is coming off a close win vs. Saint Louis, 54-50 on Feb. 10...The game saw eight ties and 10 lead changes, but the Owls got big performances from all five starters to hold off the Billikens.
•Last week's other game was a tough loss at Charlotte (66-43 on Feb. 6) that saw the Owls go scoreless for more than nine minutes to close out the game...Victoria Macaulay led Temple with 15 points but fouled out with almost six minutes remaining.
•Prior to the Charlotte loss, Temple won back-to-back games over Richmond (61-48) and at UMass (66-54)...Sophomore Tyonna Williams led the Owls in both wins, scoring 17 points vs. Richmond and a career-high 23 points at UMass.
•Temple currently ranks third among all teams in NCAA Division I in three-point field goal defense at 23.9 percent.
•Temple won its conference opener at St. Bonaventure on Jan. 13 but then lost three straight league games, ending with a 71-55 loss to La Salle on Jan. 27, suffering a defeat at the hands of the Explorers for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
•Macaulay blocked a career-high nine shots in the win over Saint Louis, coming just two shy of the program record...She had recently blocked seven shots in the win at UMass on Feb. 3, and currently ranks 13th in the nation with 2.65 blocks per game.
•Before this year, the Owls had not lost back-to-back Atlantic 10 games since the 2002-03 season...The four conference losses are now the most since Temple went 12-4 in the A-10 in 2005-06.
•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.
•Macaulay recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds at UMass on Feb. 3.
•Six of Temple's losses this season were to teams with strong records and strong RPI's, Charlotte (17-4), Duquesne (14-3), Georgetown (9-4), Michigan State (12-1), Villanova (9-1) and Auburn (8-2).
•Temple was the only team to defeat Syracuse during its non-conference season, back on Dec. 2...The Orangewomen are now 19-3 and ranked 24th in the AP Poll Poll...Their only other losses came to #3/2 Connecticut and Villanova.
•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).
•Rhode Island is 5-17 overall but has lost 11 straight, including all seven A-10 games so far.
SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND
The Rams are 5-17 overall but still winless in the Atlantic 10 at 0-7. They have lost 11 in a row dating back to Dec. 22. This past weekend, Rhode Island was scheduled to play UMass but the game was postponed due to snow. Most recently, the Rams suffered a 60-45 loss at Butler on Feb. 7. Freshman guard Tayra Melendez leads URI with 11.0 ppg, while freshman forward Samantha Tabakman averages 8.4 ppg and a team-best 7.5 rpg.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST RHODE ISLAND
Temple is 36-14 all-time against Rhode Island, and has won the last nine straight meetings. The Owls tied the program record with 27 steals in last year's meeting, an 84-41 road win. Two years ago Temple also dominated, winning 81-34 at home. The last win for the Rams was in the 2003-04 season, 60-59 on their home court.
BIGTIME BLOCKING
The Owls put on a blocking clinic in their recent win vs. Saint Louis on Feb. 10. As a team they blocked 13 shots, just two shy of the program record set back in 1987. Victoria Macaulay blocked a career-high nine shots, also two shy of the program record, set in the same game in 1987. With 181 career blocks, Macaulay sits in sixth place all-time and is just eight blocks away from tying for fourth. She also ranks 13th among all players in NCAA Division I with 2.65 blocks per game this season.
DOWNTOWN DEFENDERS
After being stingy on three-point defense all season, the Owls have recently taken it to a new level. They held Richmond to a single trey in 15 attempts on Jan. 31, held UMass to 3-of-18 (16.7%) from behind the arc on Feb. 3, and held Charlotte to 2-of-10 shooting (20%) from three-point range on Feb. 6. Temple is ranked third in NCAA DI in three-point field goal defense at 23.9%.
ACCEPTING CHARITY
Sophomore Tyonna Williams is shooting 75.6 percent from the free throw line this season, but has hit them at an 89 percent clip over Temple's last seven games. She has missed only four free throws in that stretch, going 31-of-35. On her way to scoring a career-high 23 points in the win at UMass, she hit a career-high 8-of-9 at the line.
STARTERS GET IT DONE
Temple's bench had been key for a stretch of recent games, but in the last four games, three of them wins, it has been the starters' time to shine. All but six points (out of 224) have been scored by the Owls' five starters in the last four games combined. Four of them finished in double figures in wins vs. Richmond on Jan. 31 and Saint Louis on Feb. 10, and three did so in a win at UMass on Feb. 3. Highlights of those performances have included Tyonna Williams scoring a career-high 23 points at UMass, and Victoria Macaulay leading the Owls in the last two games with 15 at Charlotte and 16 vs. Saint Louis. The five starters have also accounted for 155 of 164 rebounds, 26 of 30 steals and 58 of 59 assists.
MACAULAY TAKING CHARGE
Along with leading the team in a number of categories on the stat sheet, senior center Victoria Macaulay ranks high among all Atlantic 10 players in five areas. She is averaging 14.6 ppg (6th), 9.0 rpg (5th), has a field-goal percentage of 45.8 (8th), has 2.7 blocks per game (2ndd) and 6.7 def. rpg (2nd).
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 - The 11th annual School Day game will see Temple women's basketball hosting Rhode Island at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 13 in the Liacouras Center. Youths from over 25 local schools will be in attendance, and will be treated to pregame festivities that include a welcome from Temple head coach Tonya Cardoza and 6ABC anchor Jennifer Joyce.
The Owls (11-12, 4-4) are looking to stay on the winning track after a 54-50 win against Saint Louis in their most recent outing. Temple has won the last nine meetings vs. Rhode Island, and the Rams are struggling with an overall record of 5-17 and an Atlantic 10 record of 0-7.
THE OPENING TIP
•Today's game marks the 11th annual School Day game, with children in attendance from over 25 local schools.
•Temple is coming off a close win vs. Saint Louis, 54-50 on Feb. 10...The game saw eight ties and 10 lead changes, but the Owls got big performances from all five starters to hold off the Billikens.
•Last week's other game was a tough loss at Charlotte (66-43 on Feb. 6) that saw the Owls go scoreless for more than nine minutes to close out the game...Victoria Macaulay led Temple with 15 points but fouled out with almost six minutes remaining.
•Prior to the Charlotte loss, Temple won back-to-back games over Richmond (61-48) and at UMass (66-54)...Sophomore Tyonna Williams led the Owls in both wins, scoring 17 points vs. Richmond and a career-high 23 points at UMass.
•Temple currently ranks third among all teams in NCAA Division I in three-point field goal defense at 23.9 percent.
•Temple won its conference opener at St. Bonaventure on Jan. 13 but then lost three straight league games, ending with a 71-55 loss to La Salle on Jan. 27, suffering a defeat at the hands of the Explorers for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
•Macaulay blocked a career-high nine shots in the win over Saint Louis, coming just two shy of the program record...She had recently blocked seven shots in the win at UMass on Feb. 3, and currently ranks 13th in the nation with 2.65 blocks per game.
•Before this year, the Owls had not lost back-to-back Atlantic 10 games since the 2002-03 season...The four conference losses are now the most since Temple went 12-4 in the A-10 in 2005-06.
•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.
•Macaulay recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds at UMass on Feb. 3.
•Six of Temple's losses this season were to teams with strong records and strong RPI's, Charlotte (17-4), Duquesne (14-3), Georgetown (9-4), Michigan State (12-1), Villanova (9-1) and Auburn (8-2).
•Temple was the only team to defeat Syracuse during its non-conference season, back on Dec. 2...The Orangewomen are now 19-3 and ranked 24th in the AP Poll Poll...Their only other losses came to #3/2 Connecticut and Villanova.
•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).
•Rhode Island is 5-17 overall but has lost 11 straight, including all seven A-10 games so far.
SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND
The Rams are 5-17 overall but still winless in the Atlantic 10 at 0-7. They have lost 11 in a row dating back to Dec. 22. This past weekend, Rhode Island was scheduled to play UMass but the game was postponed due to snow. Most recently, the Rams suffered a 60-45 loss at Butler on Feb. 7. Freshman guard Tayra Melendez leads URI with 11.0 ppg, while freshman forward Samantha Tabakman averages 8.4 ppg and a team-best 7.5 rpg.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST RHODE ISLAND
Temple is 36-14 all-time against Rhode Island, and has won the last nine straight meetings. The Owls tied the program record with 27 steals in last year's meeting, an 84-41 road win. Two years ago Temple also dominated, winning 81-34 at home. The last win for the Rams was in the 2003-04 season, 60-59 on their home court.
BIGTIME BLOCKING
The Owls put on a blocking clinic in their recent win vs. Saint Louis on Feb. 10. As a team they blocked 13 shots, just two shy of the program record set back in 1987. Victoria Macaulay blocked a career-high nine shots, also two shy of the program record, set in the same game in 1987. With 181 career blocks, Macaulay sits in sixth place all-time and is just eight blocks away from tying for fourth. She also ranks 13th among all players in NCAA Division I with 2.65 blocks per game this season.
DOWNTOWN DEFENDERS
After being stingy on three-point defense all season, the Owls have recently taken it to a new level. They held Richmond to a single trey in 15 attempts on Jan. 31, held UMass to 3-of-18 (16.7%) from behind the arc on Feb. 3, and held Charlotte to 2-of-10 shooting (20%) from three-point range on Feb. 6. Temple is ranked third in NCAA DI in three-point field goal defense at 23.9%.
ACCEPTING CHARITY
Sophomore Tyonna Williams is shooting 75.6 percent from the free throw line this season, but has hit them at an 89 percent clip over Temple's last seven games. She has missed only four free throws in that stretch, going 31-of-35. On her way to scoring a career-high 23 points in the win at UMass, she hit a career-high 8-of-9 at the line.
STARTERS GET IT DONE
Temple's bench had been key for a stretch of recent games, but in the last four games, three of them wins, it has been the starters' time to shine. All but six points (out of 224) have been scored by the Owls' five starters in the last four games combined. Four of them finished in double figures in wins vs. Richmond on Jan. 31 and Saint Louis on Feb. 10, and three did so in a win at UMass on Feb. 3. Highlights of those performances have included Tyonna Williams scoring a career-high 23 points at UMass, and Victoria Macaulay leading the Owls in the last two games with 15 at Charlotte and 16 vs. Saint Louis. The five starters have also accounted for 155 of 164 rebounds, 26 of 30 steals and 58 of 59 assists.
MACAULAY TAKING CHARGE
Along with leading the team in a number of categories on the stat sheet, senior center Victoria Macaulay ranks high among all Atlantic 10 players in five areas. She is averaging 14.6 ppg (6th), 9.0 rpg (5th), has a field-goal percentage of 45.8 (8th), has 2.7 blocks per game (2ndd) and 6.7 def. rpg (2nd).
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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