Career Records Fall as Women's Basketball Surges Past Fairfield

Thursday, December 22

McGonigle Hall

2:00 p.m.

Temple University

8-3,0-0American

Fairfield

4-7, 1-1MAAC

Fairfield

Temple

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Career Records Fall as Women's Basketball Surges Past Fairfield

12.22.16 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Video Highlights Press Conference

PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple women's basketball team used a 20-0 run from the end of the third quarter to midway through the fourth to put away visiting Fairfield, 73-59, on Thursday afternoon at McGonigle Hall. Temple trailed by as many as six points in the third, before the late surge pushed the cherry and white to victory. The win lifts the Owls to 8-3 overall, while Fairfield's record dips to 4-7.

Junior Alliya Butts led the Owls with 26 points, tying a career-best with six threes, and in the process, became Temple's all-time career leader in the category. She passed former teammate and current Director of Operations, Tyonna Williams' 171 makes from long-range, and now has 176 total. Another career mark was matched in the contest, as the Owl victory tied head coach Tonya Cardoza with Dawn Staley (2000-08) for the all-time program lead with 172 wins.

Senior Feyonda Fitzgerald recorded her first double-double of the season and third of her career, recording 12 points and a career-best 12 assists. Junior Tanaya Atkinson also put up a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Butts added a season-best five steals in the game, while junior Khadijah Berger had eight points and classmate Donnaizha Fountain added seven. Rounding out the box score, senior Safiya Martin had four points, four blocks, and seven rebounds, while classmate Ruth Sherrill had six boards.

Both teams went on extended runs in the first quarter, but it was Fairfield that ended the frame hot. The Stags scored the first six points of the contest, before a 7-0 run had Temple on top, 7-6. Fairfield closed the quarter on another surge, this one 9-2, as the visitors took a 15-9 advantage after one.

Each team had a 5-0 run early in the second quarter with Temple's pulling them to within one at 15-14 on an Atkinson free throw. Fairfield pushed the lead back to six, before the teams traded threes to make it 25-19 Stags. From there, Temple used a 13-6 run, including a buzzer-beating three from Berger, which gave the Owls a 32-31 advantage at halftime.

Butts led all players with 14 first-half points, while Atkinson and Berger each had five. Fitzgerald dished out five assists in the first frame.

After Temple took its largest lead of the contest on a three from Fountain to open the third quarter, Fairfield responded, thanks in large part to the efforts of Samantha Cooper who scored 10 quick points. The Stags led by as many as six, including 51-45 with 3:36 to play, before Temple closed the quarter on a 9-2 run to grab a 54-53 advantage.

The Temple surge continued well into the final quarter, as the Owls opened the frame with 14 unanswered points, including two treys from Butts. Fairfield finally broke through with a bucket from Casey Smith at the 4:31 mark, but the damage was done. The Owls held Fairfield to just six total points in the quarter, finishing out the 73-59 victory.

For Fairfield, Cooper finished with 21 points for Fairfield, while Smith added 18 points in the loss.

Temple is idle until January 1, when the Owls open conference play on the road at Memphis.

Box Score (PDF) | Video Highlights | Post-Game Press Conference