Hot-Shooting Tulsa Downs Women's Basketball with Second-Half Runs

Tuesday, February 10

Tulsa, Okla.

8:00 p.m.

Temple University

11-14, 7-5AAC

Tulsa

13-10, 8-4AAC

Temple

Tulsa

Erica Covile had 15 points and eight boards

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Hot-Shooting Tulsa Downs Women's Basketball with Second-Half Runs

2.10.15 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa used a pair of second half runs to erase a four point halftime deficit, topping the Temple women's basketball team, 75-67, to take over fourth place in the American. The loss dips the Owls to 11-14 overall, 7-5 in The American, while Tulsa improves to 13-10, 8-4 in conference play.

Temple nearly withstood second-half Tulsa runs of 10-0 and 9-0 but the Hurricanes answered every offense that Temple drummed up. The Golden Hurricane shot 51.4% in the second half, out-lasting the Owls.

Freshman Alliya Butts scored 17 points with two assists and two steals, while junior Erica Covile had 15 points, eight rebounds, three steals and a pair of assists. Sophomore Feyonda Fitzgerald gave the Owls a boost of the bench with 14 points and three assists, while senior Tyonna Williams had five points and a team-high four assists.

Temple got of to a hot start, opening a 10-3 lead over Tulsa as Covile and freshman Tanaya Atkinson each connected from beyond-the-arc before the first media timeout. The Golden Hurricane got to within three with back-to-back threes of their own with 12:20 to play.

The Owls got a surge from the bench as Fitzgerald scored four and freshman Khadijah Berger added three, as part of a 9-3 Temple run. The surge increased Temple's lead to 19-9 with 10:47 to play. Tulsa then put together a 16-5 run to take their first lead of the contest, a 25-24 advantage with 4:40 remaining in the half.

Temple's Covile buried a three as the Owls briefly regained the lead, before Tulsa went back on top, 27-26 with 3:32 left in the stanza. Covile again gave Temple a lead, sinking a pair of free throws and sparking the Owls to a 7-2 surge which put them up 33-29 at the break.

Covile had 13 at the half to lead all players, while Fitzgerald had six and Atkinson added five. Tulsa was paced by Antoinet Webster's eight points, while Kelsee Grovey had six at the break. Both teams shot around 41% from the field in the half, with the Owls forcing 11 Tulsa turnovers.

A Butts lay-up was the first points for either team in the second half, but Tulsa followed with a 9-0 run to take a 38-35 lead with 17:44 to play. Ashley Clark had four during the Hurricane run. Temple tied the game on two occassions, but Tulsa surged again, going up by five at 49-44 with 14:03 to play.

Both teams heated up on offense, with Temple cutting the lead to two several times. However, Tulsa was just as hot, and a banked in three from Grovey sparked a 10-0 run that put Tulsa up 12 (67-55) with 5:45 to play.

Temple was able to get the lead down to 69-61 with an 8-4 run, but Tulsa withstood the late Temple surge, closing out the 75-67 victory.

Five Tulsa players finished in double figures, led by a double-double from Clark who had 12 points and 10 boards, with Grovey and Mariah Turner each recording 15 points. Webster chipped in with 10, while Kadan Brady had 10. Grovey had eight assists in the contest, leading a Tulsa offense that shot 47% for the game.

Temple returns home to play Houston on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Liacouras Center. The game is part of a doubleheader with the men's team, with the Owl men hosting East Carolina at 2 p.m.

Box Score (PDF)