Fitzgerald OT Heroics Sends Women's Basketball to WNIT Quarterfinals

Thursday, March 26

McGonigle Hall

7:00 p.m.

Temple University

19-16

NC State

18-15

OT 1

NC State

Temple

Temple celebrates it 80-79 overtime win

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Fitzgerald OT Heroics Sends Women's Basketball to WNIT Quarterfinals

3.26.15 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – Sophomore Feyonda Fitzgerald hit an off-balanced bank shot with a under a second remaining, sending the Temple women's basketball team to the WNIT Quarterfinals with an 80-79 overtime win over NC State on Thursday at McGonigle Hall. Temple moves to 19-16 overall with the victory, while NC State sees its season end at 18-15.

Fitzgerald's bucket completed late comebacks for the Owls at both the end of regulation and the end of overtime. Temple trailed by seven at the half before rallying to tie the game early in the second stanza. After the Owls fell behind late in regulation, junior Erica Covile's lay-up sent the game into OT where Fitzgerald won it for Temple.

Five players scored in double figures for Temple, led by 17 points from freshman Tanaya Atkinson and 16 from classmate Alliya Butts. Fitzgerald finished with 15 points, eight of which came in the overtime period, while adding five boards. Senior Tyonna Williams chipped in with 12 points, while Covile added 11 points and a team-high six rebounds. Rounding out the box score, freshman Khadijah Berger had six points and junior Mama Traore had five rebounds.

Butts highlighted the early action for Temple, scoring 10 points in the first eight minutes, giving the Owls a 13-7 lead. NC State battled back with an extended run, outscoring Temple, 20-3 over the next nine minutes of play. Chelsea Nelson came off the bench to score eight during the surge, while six points from Dominique Wilson also helped build a 27-16 lead for the Wolfpack.

Temple got the lead down to seven with a three from Berger and a free throw from Atkinson, but NC State scored six-straight to push the lead back to double figures at 35-22 with 2:23 to play. Temple, however, closed out the half with threes from Butts and Williams to make it a 35-28 game at the break.

Butts led all players with 13 first-half points, while Fitzgerald had four points and five boards for Temple. NC State was led by 10 points from Wilson and eight from Nelson. The Wolfpack out-shot the Owls 42.3% to 28.1%, while rebounding numbers were nearly equal, with NC State picking up 20 boards and Temple adding 19.

It took Temple just three minutes of play in the second half to erase the seven-point deficit. Martin and Butts brought the Owls to within three points early in the stanza, before an Atkinson three knotted the game at 35-35 with 17:01 on the clock.

A three from NC State's Williams interrupted the Temple start, but all together it was a 17-5 run from the Owls to start the half. That surge made it 45-40 Temple with 14:22 play. After the initial Owls' run, NC State battled back to tie the game and the lead changed hands five more times before settling on a 60-60 tie with 4:39 to play.

The visitors seemingly grabbed momentum down the stretch, taking the lead on a three from Len'Nique Brown and then building a 69-65 lead with 2:23 to play. Williams drove to the lane to get Temple to within two at 1:43, before an NC State offensive foul gave the ball to the Owls with 38 seconds to play. Covile's bucked then knotted the game at 69-69 before a Wolfpack miss and an Atkinson defensive rebound sent the game into overtime.

In the extra session, NC State built a quick four-point advantage. The teams traded buckets after the opening run by the Wolfpack, but after a pair of Miah Spencer free throws, NC State held a 79-75 lead with 1:13 to play. On the next possession, Fitzgerald nailed a three to get the Owls to within one, before Atkinson forced a steal on the other end of the court, giving Temple the ball with 24 seconds to play.

Fitzgerald's game-winner came with under a second on the clock, and NC State turned the ball over on the ensuing inbounds pass. After a time-out, Temple just needed to get inbound the ball safely to seal the 80-79 victory.

Five from NC State also hit double figures in the game, led by Wilson's game-high 18 poinnts. Brown ended with 16 points, while Jennifer Mathurin had 12 points and a game-high seven boards. Nelson and Carlee Schuhmacher rounded out the Wolfpack scoring with 11 and 10 points.

Temple advances to the WNIT Quarterfinals for the first time since the tournament moved to 64 teams. The Owls will play at Middle Tennessee State on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery | Post-Game Press Conference