Women's Basketball Struggles Offensively in Loss at Harvard

Thursday, December 1

Cambridge, Mass.

7:00 p.m.

Temple University

3-2

Harvard

6-1

Temple

Harvard

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Women's Basketball Struggles Offensively in Loss at Harvard

12.1.16 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Temple women's basketball team shot just 32.4% (23-71) from the field, suffering a 73-62 defeat on the road at Harvard on Thursday night. The loss drops Temple to 3-2 on the season, while the Crimson improve to 6-1 on the season.

Harvard shot 48.2% (27-56) from the field and out-rebounded the Owls, 43-39, to grab their sixth-straight victory. Temple forced 17 Crimson turnovers, but Harvard scored 36 points in the paint to account for the point differential.

Temple junior Tanaya Atkinson recorded her third-straight double-double, leading the Owls on both ends of the floor with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Feyonda Fitzgerald had 15 points and five assists with junior Alliya Butts also adding 15 points. Freshman Shantay Taylor notched a career-best nine points, while classmate Shannen Atkinson pulled down a career-high seven boards.

Temple jumped out to an 11-3 lead led by five points from Tanaya Atkinson. The Owls' lead was short-lived, however, as the Crimson rattled off a 12-2 run to close the frame with a 15-13 advantage. Temple shot just 30% (6-20) from the field in the frame.

Harvard's lead grew to 26-16 with a 10-3 run to open the second quarter. Temple answered with five-straight points from Taylor, to cut it to seven at 28-21 with 2:42 on the clock. Harvard added back-to-back buckets to make it an 11-point lead before Butts got a jumper to close the gap to 32-23 at the break.

Butts' seven points led Temple at halftime, while Tanaya Atkinson and Taylor each had five points. The Owls struggled offensively, connecting on just 10-of-38 (26.3%) from the field, while Harvard made 12-of-27 (44.4%) in the half.

A 9-2 Temple run opened the third quarter, as a Tanaya Atkinson three-point play made it 36-32 with 7:15 on the clock. Harvard countered with a 15-4 run to open up their largest lead of the game 49-36. Temple out-scored the Crimson 7-2 to cut into the lead at the end of the frame, making it 51-43 after three.

A bucket from Atkinson closed the gap to just six to start the fourth quarter, but Temple could get no closer. Harvard used runs of 9-2 and 7-2 to take their largest lead of the game at 69-55 with 3:41 to play. Temple closed the game on a 6-0 run, but Harvard held on for the 73-62 victory.

The Crimson had five players in double-figures, led by 21 points and 10 rebounds from Destiny Nunley and 13 points and 11 rebounds from Sydney Skinner.

Temple is back in action at home on Sunday, hosting Vermont at 2:00 p.m. at McGonigle Hall.

Box Score (PDF)