Women's Basketball Hosts UCF on Saturday

PHILADELPHIA - The Temple women's basketball team looks to improve to 4-2 in the conference with an American clash against UCF on Saturday at 2 p.m. at McGonigle Hall. The Owls (7-11, 3-2) are looking for their third-straight win against the Knights (6-10, 2-3). Following the game, Temple players will host an autograph session.

After winning three-straight to open conference play, Temple has lost their last two games in American action, including a 92-58 loss on Wednesday to No. 2/2 and two-time defending NCAA Champion UConn. The Huskies shot over 50%, out-rebounding and out-blocking the Owls. Sophomore Feyonda Fitzgerald led four players in double-figures for the Owls, scoring 16 points with 12 coming in the second half. Junior Erica Covile recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while picking up two steals. Freshman Alliya Butts scored 14 points with a pair of steals, while senior Tyonna Williams rounded out the Temple highlights with 10 points.

For the season, four players are averaging in double-figures for Temple. Fitzgerald leads the pack with 12.7 points per game, while tallying 2.7 assists per contest, with Butts chipping in with 10.8 points and a team-high 2.1 steals per game. Erica Covile averages 10.8 points and a team-best 9.4 boards per game, while Atkinson is fourth on Temple in scoring (10.8 ppg) and second in rebounding (6.9 rpg). Rounding out the indivual leaders, senior Tyonna Williams averages 9.4 points and a team-best 3.0 assists per game.

Temple shoots 35.0% from the field and 31.6% from three-point range, while connecting on nearly 70% of its free throws. The Owls are out-rebounding their opponents by a slim margin (41.8-41.7), but are being out-scored, 67.6 to 65.3 on the season.

UCF heads to Philadelphia with a 6-10 overall record and a 2-3 mark in The American. The Knights are coming off a heartbreaking last second loss to Tulane on Tuesday. In that game, UCF was up 70-66, before Tulane scored five points in the final 21 seconds, including a last-second jumper to win, 71-70. Zykira Lewis finished the night with a game-high 27 points on the strength of five 3-pointers. Freshman Aliyah Gregory added 16 points, and senior Yanique Gordon notched a game-high 11 rebounds with nine points.

UCF enters the game with The American's top scorer in Lewis. She is averaging 20.6 points pere outing, shooting nearly 40% from three-point range, while carrying a team-best 28 steals. The Knights are also aided by Gregory with 12.1 points per game, while senior Brittni Montgomery ranks third in scoring (12.1 ppg) and tops in rebounding (8.0 rpg). Senior Andrea Hines averages a team-high 4.63 assists per game, which ranks her second in the conference.

The Knights average 66.1 points per game, while giving up 67.1. They shoot 39.2% from the field, but only 29.7% from three-point range. UCF averages 18.5 turnovers per game, but out-rebounds its opponents by over four boards per contest.

Temple is 2-1 all-time against UCF, with the Owls winning two in a row. The teams met for the first time in 1995, an 84-66 UCF win, but Temple won the next two meetings, both coming in last year's American Athletic Conference regular season.

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Women's Basketball Hosts UCF on Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Alliya Butts

Erica Covile

Feyonda Fitzgerald

Tyonna Williams

Temple University Athletics