Women's Basketball Defeats Houston to Close Regular Season Tied for Third

Monday, March 2

Houston, Texas

8:00 p.m.

Temple University

16-15 (12-6)

Houston

6-23 (1-17)

Temple

Houston

Atkinson had 15 points and 8 boards to lead Temple

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Women's Basketball Defeats Houston to Close Regular Season Tied for Third

3.2.15 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

HOUSTON -- The Temple women's basketball team closed out the American Athletic Conference regular season with a gritty 56-45 victory on the road at Houston on Monday night. The win lifts Temple to 16-15 overall, 12-6 in The American, while the Cougars fall to 6-23, 1-17 in conference play.

The Owls' victory ties Temple for third in the American with Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane hold the tie-breaker over the Owls, however, putting Tulsa as the three season in the conference tournament, while Temple will take the four seed. The top five seeds earn a bye into the quarterfinal round on Saturday.

Temple was led by 15 points and eight rebounds from freshman Tanaya Atkinson, while senior Tyonna Williams had 13 points, four assists and four rebounds. Freshman Alliya Butts added eight points, while juniors Erica Covile and Mama Traore each added seven in the winning effort.

Both teams struggled offensively to open play. Houston had the early edge, holding an 8-7 lead until five points from Butts sparked a 7-0 Owls run. The Cougars responded with two-straight buckets to cut the lead to 14-12 with 5:48 on the clock.

Both teams had 5-0 runs in the closing minutes of the half, setting the score to 19-17, before an Atkinson lay-up sent Temple into the locker room with a 21-17 lead.

Williams and Butts had five points each to lead the Owls, who shot 34.8% in the stanza. Atkinson added four points and five boards for the visitors. Houston was paced by seven points from Palmer, but the Cougars shot just 20.6% from the field and were 0-for-6 from three-point range. Houston kept things close with a 24-21 edge on the glass.

Opening the second half with a 9-4 run, Temple took its largest lead of the game (30-21) as Atkinson scored five and Williams added four in the first five minutes of the half. Following the Temple surge, the teams traded buckets taking the clock down to 11:50 with the Owls leading 34-25 on a fast-break bucket from Fitzgerald.

Following another surge from Temple that put the Owls ahead 41-29 with 8:27 to play, Houston scored eight unanswered points, including threes from Marche' Amerson and Bianca Winslow. The run closed the gap to just four points with 6:40 on the clock.

Williams took over the next two minutes of play, scoring four-straight points and then assisting a Covile bucket that pushed the lead back to 10 at 47-37 with under five to play. That surge proved to be the last push Temple needed, as the Owls closed out the game with a 9-5 run, sealing the 56-45 victory.

Temple ended the game with a 40.4% shooting percentage from the field, backed by a 44.8% effort in the second half. After committing 10 turnovers in the first half, the Owls had just five in the second. Houston was paced by 11 points each from Jessieka Palmer and Tyler Gilbert, who also helped the Cougars to a 42-40 edge on the boards.

Temple returns to action at the 2015 American Athletic Conference Tournament hosted at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Box Score (PDF)