No. 2/2 UConn Defeats Women's Basketball

Sunday, February 1

McGonigle Hall

2:00 p.m.

Temple University

10-12, 6-3Amer.

UConn

20-1, 10-0Amer.

UConn

Temple

Erica Covile recorded a double-double against the No. 2/2 Huskies

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

No. 2/2 UConn Defeats Women's Basketball

2.1.15 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA — A half-court shot earned Temple freshman Dan Ray a $10,000 prize, but that momentum didn't carry over to the court, as the Owls' women's basketball team suffered an 83-49 loss to No. 2/2 UConn at McGonigle Hall on Sunday. The Huskies have now won 28-straight American Athletic Conference games, moving to 20-1 overall, 10-1 in conference play. Temple dips to 10-12, 6-3 in The American.

Freshman Alliya Butts led the Owls with 12 points, while junior Erica Covile notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, also adding three steals. Covile's double-double was her second in two games against UConn this season, the only two the Huskies have given up in 21 games this season. Sophomore Feyonda Fitzgerald had nine points, while senior Tyonna Williams added eight to go along with three assists.

Temple got off to a hot start, draining its first two shots en route to a 5-0 lead. UConn's Kaleena Mosqueda Lewis got the Huskies on the board with a three, but Butts answered for the Owls, increasing the Temple lead to 8-4 with 17:36 to play.

UConn turned things around with a 15-4 run to take over the lead at 19-12 midway through the half. Breanna Stewart connected for seven during the Huskies surge. Temple kept the game close, with a 7-3 run, closing the gap to 24-19 with 8:11 to play, but UConn struck for eight unanswered to open its largest lead of the contest, a 32-19 lead on a Kia Nurse three.

Temple was able to cut the UConn lead back down to single digits as, back-to-back "and one" plays by the Owls made it 35-26. Williams converted on a three-point play, while Fitzgerald added a rare four-point conversion during the surge.

UConn took advantage of Temple foul trouble down the stretch, converting six free throws and adding a three from Jefferson and a lay-up from Stewart to close out the half on a 13-4 run, leading 48-30.

At the break, Covile led the Owls with eight points and five rebounds, while Butts, Williams, and Fitzgerald had six each. UConn's Stewart had 15 to lead all players at the half, while Mosqueda-Lewis added eight for the Huskies who out-shot the Owls, 50% to 33.3% in the stanza.

UConn's Morgan Tuck drained the first basket of the second half, before Temple scored six unanswered to make it 50-36 with 16:46 to play. The Owls kept the lead around 15 before UConn scored nine-straight points, including four from Moriah Jefferson, to go up 64-39 with 8:43 to play.

Fitzgerald hit a driving lay-up to bring the deficit down to 64-41, but that margin proved to be the closest Temple would come the rest of the way. UConn rolled down the stretch, closing out the game on a 19-8 run, sealing the 83-49 victory.

Five players reached double-figures for UConn, led by a game-high 17 from Stewart. Tuck finished with 15 points and eight boards, while Mosqueda-Lewis had 12 points and five rebounds. Rounding out the scoring for the Huskies, Jefferson finished with 12 points and Gabby Williams added 10. Kiah Stokes blocked eight shots with eight rebounds.

Temple returns to action on Wednesday, hosting Memphis in a 12 p.m. game at the Liacouras Center.

Game Notes: Temple set a new McGonigle Hall attendance record, as 2,646 fans were on hand at today's game, breaking the previous record of 2,030, set last year against UConn... Temple University freshman Dan Ray, a media studies major from Cumberland, Maine, drained a half-court shot at halftime, winning $10,000.

Box Score (PDF)