Temple University Athletics
Temple won four games in the 2015 WNIT Tournament, including an overtime win over NC State
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Women's Basketball: A Look Back at the 2014-15 Season
5.22.15 | Women's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – Returning just five players from the 2013-14 season and facing their second year in the competitive American Athletic Conference, no one could have predicted the Temple women's basketball team's success this season, except maybe the Owls' themselves.
The 2014-15 team had just one senior on their short roster. Luckily, Tyonna Williams was that one senior.
"She's someone that plays with so much passion, but she is so supportive," said Head Coach Tonya Cardoza. "She's like a coach on the floor. She's someone that if I had to build a program, I would want to start with her because she exemplifies what you want in a player, in a leader."
Under Cardoza and Williams' leadership, Temple finished the 2014-15 season with a 20-17 record and a trip to the WNIT Semifinals. The Owls hit the 20-win mark under Cardoza for the first time since the 2012 season. The WNIT success also marked the first post-season final four in program history.
20 wins and a trip to a post-season final four… these milestones seemed unlikely at the start of the season. Temple carried a roster of just nine, which included six underclassmen. Even more unlikely for the Owls, the starting line-up for the bulk of the season featured a pair of freshmen.
The emergence of rookie Alliya Butts followed the Owls' script of talented freshmen guards, as her breakout season came a year after then rookie Feyonda Fitzgerald led Temple in scoring. Butts was joined in the starting line-up by classmate Tanaya Atkinson, who was a starter for all 37 games of her rookie campaign.
Butts jumped into her starting role at the onset of the conference season, ironically taking that job from Fitzgerald. But both flourished in their new roles, as Butts ended as the team's top scorer, while Fitzgerald ranked third in scoring off the bench, recording her second-straight season with a double-digit scoring average.
Butts finished with 446 points during her rookie campaign, ranking her fourth all-time in freshman scoring for Temple. She also led the Owls in steals and ranked third in assists, en route to a number of individual accolades, including Big 5 Rookie of the Year, American Athletic Conference All-Conference and All-Freshman Honors, and All-Big 5 honors.
Atkinson, meanwhile, was counted on to score and rebound for Temple, recording six double-doubles on the season. Her final numbers stood at 10.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest.
"To get that sort of production from a pair of freshmen is great," noted Cardoza. "We needed both guys to step up for us, and they did that."
Another rookie, Khadijah Berger, also came up big for the Owls, leading Temple in three-point shooting percentage. She racked up 30 makes from beyond the arc, connecting on 36.6% of her attempts.
However, even with the underclass production, Cardoza said that without Williams, the Owls would have been a different team.
"She had a bunch of young guys and she could have been frustrated, but that was never the case," Cardoza said. "They followed her lead."
The 2014-15 season also saw the emergence of another star for Temple -- junior Erica Covile. The combo guard had her best season yet in cherry and white, ranking second in the conference in rebounding (8.3 rpg), while also averaging 11.4 points per contest.
Covile racked up a team-best nine double-doubles, leading the Owls in scoring in 12 games. She had 21 contests in double-figures in scoring, also pulling down double-digit rebound totals in 14 games. Covile earned the program's first ever American Athletic Conference Player of the Week award, and closed the season with All-Conference and All-Big 5 honors.
With strong guard play from Fitzgerald, Covile, and the freshman class of Atkinson, Berger, and Butts, the Owls also had some bright spots down low during the season. Sophomore center Safiya Martin emerged as a top-rebounder and shot blocker, battling through a mid-season injury to finish with 5.4 boards per game and a team-best 50 blocks. Forward Mama Traore, a junior transfer, saw action in all but one game for Temple, making seven starts, while sophomore center Taylor Robinson was also counted on during the season.
As a team, the Owls started strong with a season-opening win over Big 5-rival, La Salle. Fitzgerald showed no indication of a sophomore slump, dropping a career-best 29 points. That season opening luck ran out shortly, however, as Temple fell on the road in another Big 5 game, with Saint Joseph's topping the Owls, 78-74 in overtime.
Temple then hit the road for the Hall of Fame Challenge, but three games in three days proved to be tough for the young Owls. A resounding win over Georgetown highlighted the trip to Lawrenceville, Kan., but Temple fell to the host school, as well as Alabama, on the trip.
The final game of the tournament was played at a familiar site – Mohegan Sun Arena, the home of the American Athletic Conference Championships. The Owls rebounded in that final tournament game, topping Harvard, 81-69, with Atkinson being named MVP.
After five-straight road games, the Owls were sluggish in their return to North Broad Street, dropping home games to nationally-ranked Florida State and Rutgers, as well as Delaware and Fordham. A win over Howard on the road gave Temple new life, but back in Philadelphia, a furious comeback fell just short at Villanova, wrapping up the fall semester for the team.
When the Owls returned for winter break, so did their winning ways. Temple rattled off three-straight victories, topping Memphis, Cincinnati, and SMU, to open conference play, 3-0. However, a 52-50 Big-5 setback at Penn followed, and Temple then dropped a pair of contests to the top-two teams in the American, UConn and USF.
With their American Athletic Conference mark just above .500, the Owls picked up conference wins in four out of their next five games, moving to 7-3. A tough road trip then saw Temple fall at Tulane and Tulsa, setting their overall record to 11-14 and their conference mark to 7-5.
Needing to get back to .500 to qualify for a post-season bid, the Owls closed the regular season by winning five out of their final six games. The run was highlighted by a 79-69 senior day victory over ECU at McGonigle Hall.
Though the Owls fell to ECU in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament, their final regular-season push ensured they had done enough to qualify for the post-season.
Receiving their first WNIT bid since the 2011-12 season, the Owls showed they are ready for the national stage. The team opened the tournament with a 67-54 win on the road at Marist, and then posted a 61-56 win at Penn in the second round.
Temple was then able to host a third-round game, welcoming NC State to McGonigle Hall. After falling behind at the half, the Owls tied it up at the end of regulation, before Fitzgerald hit the game-winner with under a second remaining in overtime, sending the team into the quarterfinals.
With a bid to the final four on the line, Temple defeated a tough Middle Tennessee State team. The Owls used a strong first half and a solid finish to hold on for a 69-57 victory on the road.
Though the team's storybook season came to an end with an overtime loss at West Virginia in the semifinals, the Owls showed that their future is bright.
Unlike this season, next year's Temple team will feature eight returners with solid experience, also adding transfers and new recruits. The Owls lose only Williams, an All-WNIT selection, to graduation.
Williams ended her career at Temple as the program record holder for three pointers and free throw percentage, making 171 threes and connecting on 81.6% (230-282) from the line. She also finished fourth all-time with 397 assists.
Beyond the statistics, Williams left her Owls with a legacy that was more than just points and assists. Her leadership will live on, though, instilled in each of the eight returners she brought under her wing, leaving Cardoza's 2015-16 squad poised for success.
2014-15 Women's Basketball Highlight Video
The 2014-15 team had just one senior on their short roster. Luckily, Tyonna Williams was that one senior.
"She's someone that plays with so much passion, but she is so supportive," said Head Coach Tonya Cardoza. "She's like a coach on the floor. She's someone that if I had to build a program, I would want to start with her because she exemplifies what you want in a player, in a leader."
Under Cardoza and Williams' leadership, Temple finished the 2014-15 season with a 20-17 record and a trip to the WNIT Semifinals. The Owls hit the 20-win mark under Cardoza for the first time since the 2012 season. The WNIT success also marked the first post-season final four in program history.
20 wins and a trip to a post-season final four… these milestones seemed unlikely at the start of the season. Temple carried a roster of just nine, which included six underclassmen. Even more unlikely for the Owls, the starting line-up for the bulk of the season featured a pair of freshmen.
The emergence of rookie Alliya Butts followed the Owls' script of talented freshmen guards, as her breakout season came a year after then rookie Feyonda Fitzgerald led Temple in scoring. Butts was joined in the starting line-up by classmate Tanaya Atkinson, who was a starter for all 37 games of her rookie campaign.
Butts jumped into her starting role at the onset of the conference season, ironically taking that job from Fitzgerald. But both flourished in their new roles, as Butts ended as the team's top scorer, while Fitzgerald ranked third in scoring off the bench, recording her second-straight season with a double-digit scoring average.
Butts finished with 446 points during her rookie campaign, ranking her fourth all-time in freshman scoring for Temple. She also led the Owls in steals and ranked third in assists, en route to a number of individual accolades, including Big 5 Rookie of the Year, American Athletic Conference All-Conference and All-Freshman Honors, and All-Big 5 honors.
Atkinson, meanwhile, was counted on to score and rebound for Temple, recording six double-doubles on the season. Her final numbers stood at 10.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest.
"To get that sort of production from a pair of freshmen is great," noted Cardoza. "We needed both guys to step up for us, and they did that."
Another rookie, Khadijah Berger, also came up big for the Owls, leading Temple in three-point shooting percentage. She racked up 30 makes from beyond the arc, connecting on 36.6% of her attempts.
However, even with the underclass production, Cardoza said that without Williams, the Owls would have been a different team.
"She had a bunch of young guys and she could have been frustrated, but that was never the case," Cardoza said. "They followed her lead."
The 2014-15 season also saw the emergence of another star for Temple -- junior Erica Covile. The combo guard had her best season yet in cherry and white, ranking second in the conference in rebounding (8.3 rpg), while also averaging 11.4 points per contest.
Covile racked up a team-best nine double-doubles, leading the Owls in scoring in 12 games. She had 21 contests in double-figures in scoring, also pulling down double-digit rebound totals in 14 games. Covile earned the program's first ever American Athletic Conference Player of the Week award, and closed the season with All-Conference and All-Big 5 honors.
With strong guard play from Fitzgerald, Covile, and the freshman class of Atkinson, Berger, and Butts, the Owls also had some bright spots down low during the season. Sophomore center Safiya Martin emerged as a top-rebounder and shot blocker, battling through a mid-season injury to finish with 5.4 boards per game and a team-best 50 blocks. Forward Mama Traore, a junior transfer, saw action in all but one game for Temple, making seven starts, while sophomore center Taylor Robinson was also counted on during the season.
As a team, the Owls started strong with a season-opening win over Big 5-rival, La Salle. Fitzgerald showed no indication of a sophomore slump, dropping a career-best 29 points. That season opening luck ran out shortly, however, as Temple fell on the road in another Big 5 game, with Saint Joseph's topping the Owls, 78-74 in overtime.
Temple then hit the road for the Hall of Fame Challenge, but three games in three days proved to be tough for the young Owls. A resounding win over Georgetown highlighted the trip to Lawrenceville, Kan., but Temple fell to the host school, as well as Alabama, on the trip.
The final game of the tournament was played at a familiar site – Mohegan Sun Arena, the home of the American Athletic Conference Championships. The Owls rebounded in that final tournament game, topping Harvard, 81-69, with Atkinson being named MVP.
After five-straight road games, the Owls were sluggish in their return to North Broad Street, dropping home games to nationally-ranked Florida State and Rutgers, as well as Delaware and Fordham. A win over Howard on the road gave Temple new life, but back in Philadelphia, a furious comeback fell just short at Villanova, wrapping up the fall semester for the team.
When the Owls returned for winter break, so did their winning ways. Temple rattled off three-straight victories, topping Memphis, Cincinnati, and SMU, to open conference play, 3-0. However, a 52-50 Big-5 setback at Penn followed, and Temple then dropped a pair of contests to the top-two teams in the American, UConn and USF.
With their American Athletic Conference mark just above .500, the Owls picked up conference wins in four out of their next five games, moving to 7-3. A tough road trip then saw Temple fall at Tulane and Tulsa, setting their overall record to 11-14 and their conference mark to 7-5.
Needing to get back to .500 to qualify for a post-season bid, the Owls closed the regular season by winning five out of their final six games. The run was highlighted by a 79-69 senior day victory over ECU at McGonigle Hall.
Though the Owls fell to ECU in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament, their final regular-season push ensured they had done enough to qualify for the post-season.
Receiving their first WNIT bid since the 2011-12 season, the Owls showed they are ready for the national stage. The team opened the tournament with a 67-54 win on the road at Marist, and then posted a 61-56 win at Penn in the second round.
Temple was then able to host a third-round game, welcoming NC State to McGonigle Hall. After falling behind at the half, the Owls tied it up at the end of regulation, before Fitzgerald hit the game-winner with under a second remaining in overtime, sending the team into the quarterfinals.
With a bid to the final four on the line, Temple defeated a tough Middle Tennessee State team. The Owls used a strong first half and a solid finish to hold on for a 69-57 victory on the road.
Though the team's storybook season came to an end with an overtime loss at West Virginia in the semifinals, the Owls showed that their future is bright.
Unlike this season, next year's Temple team will feature eight returners with solid experience, also adding transfers and new recruits. The Owls lose only Williams, an All-WNIT selection, to graduation.
Williams ended her career at Temple as the program record holder for three pointers and free throw percentage, making 171 threes and connecting on 81.6% (230-282) from the line. She also finished fourth all-time with 397 assists.
Beyond the statistics, Williams left her Owls with a legacy that was more than just points and assists. Her leadership will live on, though, instilled in each of the eight returners she brought under her wing, leaving Cardoza's 2015-16 squad poised for success.
2014-15 Women's Basketball Highlight Video
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballPost Game Press Conf. vs. Coppin State
Friday, December 19
Ep. 29: Last Episode of First Semester from David & Amelia
Wednesday, December 17
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Adam Fisher)
Sunday, December 14
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Derrian Ford & Gavin Griffiths)
Sunday, December 14
