Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, February 4
Liacouras Center
12:00 p.m.
Temple University
11-12, 7-3Amer.
84
vs
61
Memphis
11-11, 5-6Amer.
1
2
F
MEMPHIS
24
37
61
Temple
35
49
84
Alliya Butts scored a career-high 30 points
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Record-Setting Performance Pushes Women's Basketball Over Memphis
2.4.15 | Women's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - It was a career day for the Temple women's basketball team as the Owls drained a program-record 15 three pointers en route to an 84-61 win over Memphis at the Liacouras Center. 2,814 fans were on hand for the "School Day" matinee and saw a career-high 30 points out of freshman Alliya Butts and a career-best seven threes from senior Tyonna Williams.
Butts and Williams led Temple to 51.7% shooting from beyond-the-arc, as the Owls moved to 7-3 in the American, 11-12 overall. Memphis fell to 5-6 in the conference, 11-11 overall. Temple's previous record for threes was 14, set on January 29, 2011 in an 84-56 win over Richmond. Prior to Butts' offensive explosion, the last Owl to score 30 points was Shay Peddy, who also scored 30 in a win over Duquesne on March 3, 2012.
Butts rounded out her stat line with three steals and a pair of assists. Williams, who moved into third place on Temple's all-time career three pointer list with 145 total, also chipped in with three assists. Freshman Tanaya Atkinson recorded her fourth-career double-double, notching 15 points and 15 rebounds, while junior Erica Covile had eight points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals in the win. Junior Mama Traore also had a career-day, pulling down a eight rebounds. Temple shot 49.5% from the floor, while holding Memphis to 35.6%.
Temple was hot from beyond-the-arc at the start of the game, jumping out to a 9-0 advantage with a pair of threes from Butts and one from Williams. Memphis broke its scoring drought with a bucket from Ariel Hearn at 16:37, and Mooriah Rowser added another to bring the score to 9-5 with 13:17 on the clock.
The Owls continues their accuracy from three point range as Williams hit two in a row, but Memphis answered with a 7-0 run to come to within one at 15-14 with 10:14 to play. Temple gained some breathing room with another Butts three and a three-point play from Covile, but Memphis answered with back-to-back buckets making it 21-18.
Following the Memphis surge, Temple closed out the half on a 14-6 run, setting the halftime score to 35-24.
Butts led all players with 18 points at the break, while Williams had nine on 3-of-4 threes, leading Temple to a 50% effort from beyond-the-arc. Memphis' Rowser led the Tigers with seven points, while Brianna Wright added six. Ariel Hearn chipped in with five points and four steals.
A jumper from Williams gave Temple its largest lead of the game in the opening minutes of the second half. Memphis, however, used an 11-5 surge to get the Owls' lead to single digits at 42-35 with 15:10 to play. Williams squashed the Tigers rally, with back-to-back threes to increase the Temple advantage to 48-36 with under 12 remaining.
Memphis wasn't done, scoring five straight on a pair of drives to the basket, making it an eight point game with 10:29 to play. Temple's Atkinson responded by scoring seven in a row to lead a 9-4 surge, pushing the lead to 15 (61-46) with 6:50 remaining.
Hearn interrupted the Temple run, hitting a running jumper with 6:30 on the clock, cutting the lead to 13 at 61-49. That proved to be as close as Memphis would get, as Temple closed out the game on a 23-13 run, which included two more threes from both Williams and Butts.
Hearn was the only Tiger in double figures, picking up 24 points with six rebounds and four steals. Wright and Rowser each chipped in with nine points in the loss.
Temple now hits the road for a pair of games, heading first to Tulane on Saturday for a 12 p.m. start. The Owls then play at Tulsa on Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Box Score (PDF)
Butts and Williams led Temple to 51.7% shooting from beyond-the-arc, as the Owls moved to 7-3 in the American, 11-12 overall. Memphis fell to 5-6 in the conference, 11-11 overall. Temple's previous record for threes was 14, set on January 29, 2011 in an 84-56 win over Richmond. Prior to Butts' offensive explosion, the last Owl to score 30 points was Shay Peddy, who also scored 30 in a win over Duquesne on March 3, 2012.
Butts rounded out her stat line with three steals and a pair of assists. Williams, who moved into third place on Temple's all-time career three pointer list with 145 total, also chipped in with three assists. Freshman Tanaya Atkinson recorded her fourth-career double-double, notching 15 points and 15 rebounds, while junior Erica Covile had eight points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals in the win. Junior Mama Traore also had a career-day, pulling down a eight rebounds. Temple shot 49.5% from the floor, while holding Memphis to 35.6%.
Temple was hot from beyond-the-arc at the start of the game, jumping out to a 9-0 advantage with a pair of threes from Butts and one from Williams. Memphis broke its scoring drought with a bucket from Ariel Hearn at 16:37, and Mooriah Rowser added another to bring the score to 9-5 with 13:17 on the clock.
The Owls continues their accuracy from three point range as Williams hit two in a row, but Memphis answered with a 7-0 run to come to within one at 15-14 with 10:14 to play. Temple gained some breathing room with another Butts three and a three-point play from Covile, but Memphis answered with back-to-back buckets making it 21-18.
Following the Memphis surge, Temple closed out the half on a 14-6 run, setting the halftime score to 35-24.
Butts led all players with 18 points at the break, while Williams had nine on 3-of-4 threes, leading Temple to a 50% effort from beyond-the-arc. Memphis' Rowser led the Tigers with seven points, while Brianna Wright added six. Ariel Hearn chipped in with five points and four steals.
A jumper from Williams gave Temple its largest lead of the game in the opening minutes of the second half. Memphis, however, used an 11-5 surge to get the Owls' lead to single digits at 42-35 with 15:10 to play. Williams squashed the Tigers rally, with back-to-back threes to increase the Temple advantage to 48-36 with under 12 remaining.
Memphis wasn't done, scoring five straight on a pair of drives to the basket, making it an eight point game with 10:29 to play. Temple's Atkinson responded by scoring seven in a row to lead a 9-4 surge, pushing the lead to 15 (61-46) with 6:50 remaining.
Hearn interrupted the Temple run, hitting a running jumper with 6:30 on the clock, cutting the lead to 13 at 61-49. That proved to be as close as Memphis would get, as Temple closed out the game on a 23-13 run, which included two more threes from both Williams and Butts.
Hearn was the only Tiger in double figures, picking up 24 points with six rebounds and four steals. Wright and Rowser each chipped in with nine points in the loss.
Temple now hits the road for a pair of games, heading first to Tulane on Saturday for a 12 p.m. start. The Owls then play at Tulsa on Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Box Score (PDF)
Team Stats
MEMPHIS
TEMPLE
FG%
.365
.459
3FG%
.400
.517
FT%
.579
.765
RB
38
41
TO
11
13
STL
9
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
30
FGM
9
3FGM
6
FTM
6
Pts
25
FGM
9
3FGM
7
FTM
0
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
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