Temple University Athletics
Thursday, March 19
Poughkeepsie, NY
7:00 p.m.
Temple University
17-16
67
at
54
Marist College
21-12
1
2
F
Temple
31
36
67
Marist
25
29
54
Junior Erica Covile scored 19 points for the Owls
Photo by: Julia Martin
Women's Basketball Downs Marist to Advance in WNIT
3.19.15 | Women's Basketball
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — The Temple women's basketball team advanced in the WNIT with a 67-54 first round win at Marist on Thursday. Junior Erica Covile and freshman Tanaya Atkinson combined for 37 points, while the team had a season-low of just six turnovers to improve the Owls to 17-16 overall, while Marist falls to 21-12.
The victory was the first for Temple in post-season play since the 2011-12 season. That Owl team advanced to the WNIT third round.
Covile led the way with 19 points, while also adding six boards. Atkinson finished with 18 points and five rebounds, while sophomore Feyonda Fitzgerald had 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Senior Tyonna Williams had nine points, including a three that tied her for the all-time program lead with 162. Sophomore Safiya Martin led a big effort for the Owls on the boards, pulling down 10 rebounds.
It was all Temple in the opening minutes, as the Owls scored the first eight points of the game and jumped out to a 14-3 lead. Covile had eight early points, including back-to-back threes that gave Temple the early edge. Marist responded with seven-straight points, including the second three of the game from Madeline Blais.
Temple interrupted the Red Foxes run with a jumper from Fitzgerald, before Marist scored eight unanswered to take its first lead of the game, 18-16 with 10:23 on the clock. The teams traded leads over the next three possessions, until Temple scored six-straight as part of an 11-3 run to take a 29-23 lead with with 3:47 to play in the half.
Marist cut the Owl lead to 29-25 on a bucket by Tori Jarosz, but Temple got a pair of free throws from Williams to take a 31-25 lead into the locker room. At the break, Marist was out-shooting Temple 39.3% to 36.5% but Temple held a significant edge on the glass, 25-13. Atkinson and Covile had eight each for the Owls, with Martin pulling down eight rebounds. Marist's Blais had 12 first half points, going 5-for-8 from the field.
Temple increased their advantage to double figures after back-to-back buckets from Covile opened the second half. Marist, however, responded with a 9-0 run to close the gap to just one at 35-34 at 14:58. Following the surge from the Red Foxes, Temple put together a 10-4 run to push its advantage back to 45-38 with 10:58 on the clock. Covile and Fitzgerald both hit threes during the stretch for the Owls.
Over the next six minutes of play, the teams traded baskets, but Temple got threes from Williams and Fitzgerald during the run to push the lead to 55-44 with 7:06 to play.
Temple held a double-digit lead until Marist converted two sets of free throws to cut the lead to 59-51 with 1:42 to play. From that point on it was all Temple, as the Owls forced three-straight defensive stops, while converting free throws at the other end of the court. Marist hit a last-ditch three with 36 seconds to play, but Temple was 10-for-10 from the line in the final 2:30 of action to seal the win.
Both teams hovered around 37% from the field, but Temple held a 40-31 advantage on the glass. The Owls' six turnovers were the lowest for the team since February 2012 when Temple turned the ball over just five times in a win over Rhode Island.
Jarosz led the Red Foxes with 15 points, while Sidney Coffee added 14 and Blais added 12.
The Owls will now head back home to Philadelphia to take on Big 5-rival Penn on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. The Quakers took the first meeting between the teams, a 52-50 win at the Palestra on January 5.
Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery
The victory was the first for Temple in post-season play since the 2011-12 season. That Owl team advanced to the WNIT third round.
Covile led the way with 19 points, while also adding six boards. Atkinson finished with 18 points and five rebounds, while sophomore Feyonda Fitzgerald had 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Senior Tyonna Williams had nine points, including a three that tied her for the all-time program lead with 162. Sophomore Safiya Martin led a big effort for the Owls on the boards, pulling down 10 rebounds.
It was all Temple in the opening minutes, as the Owls scored the first eight points of the game and jumped out to a 14-3 lead. Covile had eight early points, including back-to-back threes that gave Temple the early edge. Marist responded with seven-straight points, including the second three of the game from Madeline Blais.
Temple interrupted the Red Foxes run with a jumper from Fitzgerald, before Marist scored eight unanswered to take its first lead of the game, 18-16 with 10:23 on the clock. The teams traded leads over the next three possessions, until Temple scored six-straight as part of an 11-3 run to take a 29-23 lead with with 3:47 to play in the half.
Marist cut the Owl lead to 29-25 on a bucket by Tori Jarosz, but Temple got a pair of free throws from Williams to take a 31-25 lead into the locker room. At the break, Marist was out-shooting Temple 39.3% to 36.5% but Temple held a significant edge on the glass, 25-13. Atkinson and Covile had eight each for the Owls, with Martin pulling down eight rebounds. Marist's Blais had 12 first half points, going 5-for-8 from the field.
Temple increased their advantage to double figures after back-to-back buckets from Covile opened the second half. Marist, however, responded with a 9-0 run to close the gap to just one at 35-34 at 14:58. Following the surge from the Red Foxes, Temple put together a 10-4 run to push its advantage back to 45-38 with 10:58 on the clock. Covile and Fitzgerald both hit threes during the stretch for the Owls.
Over the next six minutes of play, the teams traded baskets, but Temple got threes from Williams and Fitzgerald during the run to push the lead to 55-44 with 7:06 to play.
Temple held a double-digit lead until Marist converted two sets of free throws to cut the lead to 59-51 with 1:42 to play. From that point on it was all Temple, as the Owls forced three-straight defensive stops, while converting free throws at the other end of the court. Marist hit a last-ditch three with 36 seconds to play, but Temple was 10-for-10 from the line in the final 2:30 of action to seal the win.
Both teams hovered around 37% from the field, but Temple held a 40-31 advantage on the glass. The Owls' six turnovers were the lowest for the team since February 2012 when Temple turned the ball over just five times in a win over Rhode Island.
Jarosz led the Red Foxes with 15 points, while Sidney Coffee added 14 and Blais added 12.
The Owls will now head back home to Philadelphia to take on Big 5-rival Penn on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. The Quakers took the first meeting between the teams, a 52-50 win at the Palestra on January 5.
Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery
Team Stats
TEMPLE
MARW
FG%
.367
.373
3FG%
.318
.375
FT%
.842
.833
RB
40
31
TO
6
11
STL
6
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
18
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
9
FGM
1
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's BasketballG
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