Women's Basketball Set for WNIT Quarterfinals at Middle Tennessee

Sunday, March 29

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

5:00 p.m.

Temple University

Middle Tennessee State

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Feyonda Fitzgerald is averaging 15 points per game in Temple's post-season run

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Women's Basketball Set for WNIT Quarterfinals at Middle Tennessee

3.27.15 | Women's Basketball

PHILADELPHIA -- The post-season continues on Sunday for the Temple women's basketball team. The Owls (19-16) will play at Middle Tennessee State University (24-9) in the WNIT quarterfinals on the road. The game will be streamed free of charge at goblueraiders.com

Temple is coming off another thrilling WNIT game, as the Owls topped NC State 80-79 in overtime on Thursday. Sophomore Feyonda Fitzgerald scored eight of Temple's 11 overtime points, including the game winner with under a second on the clock. Freshman Tanaya Atkinson led the Owls with 17 points, while classmate Alliya Butts added 16 in the win. Senior Tyonna Williams had 12 points and a game-high six assists, while junior Erica Covile had 11 points and six boards.

In three WNIT games, Fitzgerald is averaging 15 points and five rebounds a game, while Atkinson has contributed 13.7 points and 4.7 boards per game. Covile has added 13.0 points per game in the post-season, while pulling down a team-high8.3 rebounds an outing. Butts (10.0 ppg) and Williams (9.3 ppg) have also contributed to the offensive surge during the WNIT run.

For the year, Butts averages 12.5 points per game with 72 assists and a team-best 69 steals. Covile pours in 11.6 points and adds 8.4 boards a game, while also contributing 65 assists and 64 steals. Fitzgerald has come off the bench to average 11.1 points a game with 99 assists, while Atkinson averages 10.8 points and 6.7 boards an outing. Williams wraps up the season box score with 10.3 points per game and a team-high total 116 assists.

As a team, Temple outscores opponents 66.5 to 65.4, but is being out-rebounded by a slim margin. The Owls shoot 36.8% from the field and 32.4% from three, while connecting on 73.1% from the free throw line.

Middle Tennessee enters Sunday's clash after an 82-70 victory over Ole Miss. The Blue Raiders led from wire-to-wire, shooting a season-high 59.6 percent (28-for-47) from the field in the victory. Sophomore Ty Petty notched a career-high 29 points with a game-high seven assists, while classmate Olivia Jones added 22 points with six boards, four assists and three steals. Junior Brea Edwards rounded out the leading scorers with 11 points and eight boards.

So far in the WNIT, Petty is averaging a team-best 21.3 points per outing, while Jones has added 18.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Edwards has come on strong in the tournament, posting a double-double of 15.3 points and 10.7 rebounds a game.

On the season, Middle Tennessee out-scores opponents by an average of 12.8 points per game, while out-rebounding opponents by 2.6 boards a contest. the Red Raiders shoot 42.3% from the field, but just 30.7% from three and 61.5% from the charity stripe. Jones averages 19.7 points a game with a team-best 95 steals. Petty averages 18.6 points per game with a team-best 145 assists, while Edwards rounds out the offense with 7.7 points a game.

This will be the first ever meeting between Temple and Middle Tennessee, but the teams have one common opponent this season. Both schools defeated UCF, with Middle Tennessee topping the Knights 79-57 in December, while Temple has a pair of wins over their conference foes, 72-57 on January 17 and 71-54 on January 27.

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