Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, February 27
Indianapolis, Ind.
7:00 PM
Temple University
at
Butler
Meghan Roxas
Photo by: Mitchell Leff
Women's Basketball Heads to Butler on Wednesday for Final Regular Season Road Game
2.26.13 | Women's Basketball
Game Notes l Live Stats l Webcast
PHILADELPHIA - Just two games remain in the regular season for Temple women's basketball, and the first takes the Owls on the road for the last time as they head to Butler for a 7:00 p.m. contest on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Temple (12-15, 5-7) and Butler (16-11, 7-5) will be meeting for the first and last time as Atlantic 10 regular-season opponents.
Neither of the final two games are must-wins for Temple, but one win out of the final two would ensure a berth in the upcoming Atlantic 10 Tournament. The first round, quarterfinals and semifinals will be played at Saint Joseph's from March 8-10. The Owls will close out the regular season against Fordham for Senior Day on Sunday, March 3 at McGonigle Hall at 2:00 p.m. Lone senior Victoria Macaulay will be honored prior to the start of the game.
THE OPENING TIP
•Temple has lost three straight and needs a win to ensure a berth in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, but can also get into the tournament with its current five wins.
•The Owls were within nine points of #14/14 Dayton with seven minutes remaining, but allowed a big closing run by the Flyers in a 67-47 loss on Feb. 24...Temple's 26 turnovers led to a 31-6 edge in points off turnovers by Dayton.
•Temple's other two recent losses were closer, starting with a 49-41 OT loss at Saint Joseph's on Feb. 17 followed by a one-point, 54-53 loss to Xavier on Feb. 20.
•The Owls led Xavier by five with a minute and half remaining, but a turnover with nine seconds left allowed the Musketeers to score the game-winning layup...Temple was unable to get a clean shot off in the final six seconds.
•The loss at Saint Joseph's broke a streak of 13 straight wins against the Hawks dating back to 2006...The Owls held SJU to 29.4 percent shooting from the field, but shot a season-low 25.9 percent themselves.
•In the Owls' most recent win they defeated Rhode Island at home, 56-45...Three players scored in double figures, led by Sally Kabengano with 14 points, and Victoria Macaulay with her 10th double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
•Temple currently ranks third among all teams in NCAA Division I in three-point field goal defense at 24.5 percent.
•Macaulay ranks 10th in the nation with 2.89 blocks per game.
•Over the last six games, redshirt junior Natasha Thames has averaged 11.1 rebounds per game...She grabbed a career-high 18 boards at #14/14 Dayton (Feb. 24) and recorded 15 rebounds at Charlotte (Feb. 6).
•Before this year, the Owls had not lost back-to-back Atlantic 10 games since the 2002-03 season...The seven conference losses are now the most since Temple went 9-7 in the A-10 in 2002-03.
•Macaulay recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds vs. Rhode Island on Feb. 13.
•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).
•Butler is having a solid first season in the A-10 at 7-5, and is 16-11 overall...Most recently, Butler lost 68-44 to Richmond...Three players average in double figures, led by junior forward Daress McClung with 16.6 ppg as well as a team-best 9.3 rpg.
SCOUTING BUTLER
Butler is having a solid first season in the Atlantic 10 with a record of 7-5, and the Bulldogs are 16-11 overall. They started their first A-10 slate with a loss to Dayton followed by four straight wins. Most recently, Butler lost 68-44 to Richmond at home. Three players average in double figures in scoring for Butler, led by junior forward Daress McClung with 16.6 ppg as well as a team-best 9.3 rpg. Butler leads the A-10 in blocks with 6.0 per game, having recorded 161 blocks to its opponents' 78.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST BUTLER
Temple and Butler are meeting for the first and last time as Atlantic 10 opponents, and have only faced each other once before. The Owls got an 82-53 win over the Bulldogs back in 1988 at the Northern Illinois Fastbreak Fest.
MACAULAY MOVES INTO REBOUNDING TOP 10
Senior center Victoria Macaulay now ranks 10th all-time in program history in career rebounds with 684. More than a third of those are from this season alone (244) and while she is only averaging 5.7 rpg for her career, she leads the Owls with 9.0 rpg this season.
FIGHT TO THE FINISH
While the Owls are experiencing a rough stretch at a key time in the season, the losses will not likely affect their ability to earn a berth in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. They are currently tied for eighth with three other teams, and one win in the final two games will ensure a spot.
STREAK AGAINST THE HAWKS ENDS IN OT
Temple's streak of wins against Saint Joseph's, which had reached 13, ended on Feb. 17 in overtime at Hagan Arena. It was the first OT game of the year for the Owls, and the extra period did not match up to the intensity of the rest of the game. The Owls go the first bucket but did not score again, losing the game 49-41. Temple's Big 5 season is now complete, with a record of 1-3.
FUTURE OWLS
Three recruits have signed to play for Temple in 2013-14, with more expected in the future. The three so far are: Feyonda Fitzgerald, a 5-7 guard out of Norfolk, Va. (Lake Taylor HS, Boo Williams AAU), Taylor Robinson, a 6-4 center out of St. Louis, Mo. (Ladue Horton Watkins HS, Midwest Elite AAU) and Safiya Martin, a 6-4 center out of Fayetteville, Ga. (Sandy Creek HS, Georgia Pearls AAU).
DOWNTOWN DEFENDERS
After being stingy on three-point defense all season, the Owls have recently taken it to a new level and they now rank third in NCAA Division I in three-point field goal defense at 24.5%. 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, held Charlotte to 2-of-10 shooting (20%) from three-point range on Feb. 6, and held Saint Joseph's to just 1-of-8 on Feb. 17.
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 14.0 ppg (7th), 9.0 rpg (5th), has a field-goal percentage of 43.8 (11th), has 2.9 blocks per game (1st) and 6.7 def. rpg (3rd). Macaulay's 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.
OWLS RAISE OVER $1,000 FOR PLAY 4KAY
Through a dedicated fundraising effort, the Owls raised $1,013 for the Play 4Kay initiative which raises breast cancer awareness and funds for research. The team raised over $700 on their own, and a sizeable donation of $190 came from the JFK Medical Center employees.
BIGTIME BLOCKING
The Owls put on a blocking clinic in their win vs. Saint Louis. As a team they blocked 13 shots, just two shy of the program record set 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 198 career blocks, Macaulay sits alone in fourth place all-time. She has blocked at least five shots in four of the last seven games, and currently ranks 10th among all players in NCAA Division I with 2.89 blocks per game.
PHILADELPHIA - Just two games remain in the regular season for Temple women's basketball, and the first takes the Owls on the road for the last time as they head to Butler for a 7:00 p.m. contest on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Temple (12-15, 5-7) and Butler (16-11, 7-5) will be meeting for the first and last time as Atlantic 10 regular-season opponents.
Neither of the final two games are must-wins for Temple, but one win out of the final two would ensure a berth in the upcoming Atlantic 10 Tournament. The first round, quarterfinals and semifinals will be played at Saint Joseph's from March 8-10. The Owls will close out the regular season against Fordham for Senior Day on Sunday, March 3 at McGonigle Hall at 2:00 p.m. Lone senior Victoria Macaulay will be honored prior to the start of the game.
THE OPENING TIP
•Temple has lost three straight and needs a win to ensure a berth in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, but can also get into the tournament with its current five wins.
•The Owls were within nine points of #14/14 Dayton with seven minutes remaining, but allowed a big closing run by the Flyers in a 67-47 loss on Feb. 24...Temple's 26 turnovers led to a 31-6 edge in points off turnovers by Dayton.
•Temple's other two recent losses were closer, starting with a 49-41 OT loss at Saint Joseph's on Feb. 17 followed by a one-point, 54-53 loss to Xavier on Feb. 20.
•The Owls led Xavier by five with a minute and half remaining, but a turnover with nine seconds left allowed the Musketeers to score the game-winning layup...Temple was unable to get a clean shot off in the final six seconds.
•The loss at Saint Joseph's broke a streak of 13 straight wins against the Hawks dating back to 2006...The Owls held SJU to 29.4 percent shooting from the field, but shot a season-low 25.9 percent themselves.
•In the Owls' most recent win they defeated Rhode Island at home, 56-45...Three players scored in double figures, led by Sally Kabengano with 14 points, and Victoria Macaulay with her 10th double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
•Temple currently ranks third among all teams in NCAA Division I in three-point field goal defense at 24.5 percent.
•Macaulay ranks 10th in the nation with 2.89 blocks per game.
•Over the last six games, redshirt junior Natasha Thames has averaged 11.1 rebounds per game...She grabbed a career-high 18 boards at #14/14 Dayton (Feb. 24) and recorded 15 rebounds at Charlotte (Feb. 6).
•Before this year, the Owls had not lost back-to-back Atlantic 10 games since the 2002-03 season...The seven conference losses are now the most since Temple went 9-7 in the A-10 in 2002-03.
•Macaulay recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds vs. Rhode Island on Feb. 13.
•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).
•Butler is having a solid first season in the A-10 at 7-5, and is 16-11 overall...Most recently, Butler lost 68-44 to Richmond...Three players average in double figures, led by junior forward Daress McClung with 16.6 ppg as well as a team-best 9.3 rpg.
SCOUTING BUTLER
Butler is having a solid first season in the Atlantic 10 with a record of 7-5, and the Bulldogs are 16-11 overall. They started their first A-10 slate with a loss to Dayton followed by four straight wins. Most recently, Butler lost 68-44 to Richmond at home. Three players average in double figures in scoring for Butler, led by junior forward Daress McClung with 16.6 ppg as well as a team-best 9.3 rpg. Butler leads the A-10 in blocks with 6.0 per game, having recorded 161 blocks to its opponents' 78.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST BUTLER
Temple and Butler are meeting for the first and last time as Atlantic 10 opponents, and have only faced each other once before. The Owls got an 82-53 win over the Bulldogs back in 1988 at the Northern Illinois Fastbreak Fest.
MACAULAY MOVES INTO REBOUNDING TOP 10
Senior center Victoria Macaulay now ranks 10th all-time in program history in career rebounds with 684. More than a third of those are from this season alone (244) and while she is only averaging 5.7 rpg for her career, she leads the Owls with 9.0 rpg this season.
FIGHT TO THE FINISH
While the Owls are experiencing a rough stretch at a key time in the season, the losses will not likely affect their ability to earn a berth in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. They are currently tied for eighth with three other teams, and one win in the final two games will ensure a spot.
STREAK AGAINST THE HAWKS ENDS IN OT
Temple's streak of wins against Saint Joseph's, which had reached 13, ended on Feb. 17 in overtime at Hagan Arena. It was the first OT game of the year for the Owls, and the extra period did not match up to the intensity of the rest of the game. The Owls go the first bucket but did not score again, losing the game 49-41. Temple's Big 5 season is now complete, with a record of 1-3.
FUTURE OWLS
Three recruits have signed to play for Temple in 2013-14, with more expected in the future. The three so far are: Feyonda Fitzgerald, a 5-7 guard out of Norfolk, Va. (Lake Taylor HS, Boo Williams AAU), Taylor Robinson, a 6-4 center out of St. Louis, Mo. (Ladue Horton Watkins HS, Midwest Elite AAU) and Safiya Martin, a 6-4 center out of Fayetteville, Ga. (Sandy Creek HS, Georgia Pearls AAU).
DOWNTOWN DEFENDERS
After being stingy on three-point defense all season, the Owls have recently taken it to a new level and they now rank third in NCAA Division I in three-point field goal defense at 24.5%. 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, held Charlotte to 2-of-10 shooting (20%) from three-point range on Feb. 6, and held Saint Joseph's to just 1-of-8 on Feb. 17.
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 14.0 ppg (7th), 9.0 rpg (5th), has a field-goal percentage of 43.8 (11th), has 2.9 blocks per game (1st) and 6.7 def. rpg (3rd). Macaulay's 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.
OWLS RAISE OVER $1,000 FOR PLAY 4KAY
Through a dedicated fundraising effort, the Owls raised $1,013 for the Play 4Kay initiative which raises breast cancer awareness and funds for research. The team raised over $700 on their own, and a sizeable donation of $190 came from the JFK Medical Center employees.
BIGTIME BLOCKING
The Owls put on a blocking clinic in their win vs. Saint Louis. As a team they blocked 13 shots, just two shy of the program record set 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 198 career blocks, Macaulay sits alone in fourth place all-time. She has blocked at least five shots in four of the last seven games, and currently ranks 10th among all players in NCAA Division I with 2.89 blocks per game.
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