Women's Basketball Withstands Late UCF Comeback to Win 72-57

Saturday, January 17

McGonigle Hall

2:00 p.m.

Temple University

8-11, 4-2Amer.

UCF

6-11, 2-4Amer.

UCF

Temple

Tanaya Atkinson notched a double-double against UCF

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Women's Basketball Withstands Late UCF Comeback to Win 72-57

1.17.15 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA — A huge first half for the Temple women's basketball team negated a late comeback from UCF, as the Owls topped the Knights, 72-57, at McGonigle Hall on Saturday. Temple improves to 4-2 in The American, 8-11 overall, while UCF falls to 6-12 overall, 2-4 in conference play.

The Owls built a 49-20 first half lead, surviving a second-half surge from UCF that saw the Knights shoot 52% to Temple's 19%. However, the 29-point first-half lead stood, with the Owls using a late 15-2 run to squash any comeback hopes for UCF.

Senior Tyonna Williams led Temple with 17 points and four assists, while freshman Tanaya Atkinson notched her fourth-career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Atkinson also added a career-best four steals and to go with two assists. Freshman Alliya Butts finished with 14 points, a game-high five assists, and four steals. Junior Erica Covile notched her second-straight double-double with 11 points and 11 boards, while sophomore Feyonda Fitzgerald chipped in with eight points.

Temple scored the first eight points of the game, with half of their offense coming from Atkinson steals off the press. After UCF got on the board with an Aliyah Gregory lay-up, the Owls pressed on, extending the lead to 14-2 with 15:25 on the clock.

UCF leading scorer, Zykira Lewis, hit UCF's first three with 13:35 left in the half, closing the gap to 18-7. However, Temple scored six-straight to push their edge back to 17 points. The Knights responded by hitting back-to-back buckets for the first time all game, closing the gap to 24-11 with 9:35 to play.

After the UCF surge, Temple went on a 16-2 run to take their largest lead to that point, a 27-point advantage (40-13) with 3:12 to play. The Knights followed with a 5-0 run to get the Owls' lead back down to 22, but Temple closed out the half with a 9-2 run, including a steal and a pull-up jumper from Williams making it 49-20 at the break.

Temple's defense was the story of the first half, with the Owls forcing 15 UCF turnovers. Offensively, Williams led all players with 15 points at the half. Temple's Atkinson and Butts had seven each, as the Owls shot 42.2% from to field to UCF's 27.6% Lewis had 10 points at the break for UCF.

The UCF offense came out scoring in the second half, opening the stanza on a 20-2 run, closing the gap to 51-40 with 9:32 to play. The Temple offense stalled, with the only Owl points the first 11 minutes of the half coming on free throws.

Following a lay-up from Temple's Atkinson, UCF scored five-straight to whittle the lead back to single digits at 53-45, with 8:21 to play. The Owls' offense rebounded, however, going on a 15-2 run to increase the advantage to 68-47 with 4:52 to play. UCF surged following the Temple spurt, cutting the lead 13, but Temple closed out the game with a pair of free throws from Williams to seal the 72-57 victory.

UCF's Lewis finished the game with 21 points to lead all players, while Yanique Gordon wrapped up a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Temple is back in action at home on Tuesday, hosting Cincinnati at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN3.

Box Score (PDF)