Huge First Half Pushes #1 UConn Over Women's Basketball

Wednesday, February 1

Liacouras Center

7:00 p.m.

Temple University

16-5,6-2American

UConn

21-0,9-0American

UConn

Temple

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Huge First Half Pushes #1 UConn Over Women's Basketball

2.1.17 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple women's basketball team fell 97-69 at the hands of the top-ranked UConn Huskies on Wednesday night at the Liacouras Center. The win, the 96th straight for UConn, improves the three-time defending NCAA Champions to 21-0 overall, 9-0 in The American. Temple dips to 16-5, 6-2 in conference play, suffering back-to-back losses for the first time this season.

UConn built a 54-18 lead at the break, negating a third-quarter that saw Temple out-score the Huskies, 29-22. For the game, the Owls out-rebounded UConn, 42-30, including 26-8 on the offensive glass, but the Huskies forced 19 Temple turnovers and out-shot the Owls, 61.3% to 36.5%.

Temple junior Tanaya Atkinson recorded her sixth double-double of the season, scoring 20 points with 10 rebounds (nine offensive) and adding a career-high four assists. Junior Alliya Butts finished with 13 points, five assists, and two steals, while classmate Khadijah Berger notched 12 points. Senior Feyonda Fitzgerald scored seven points and dished out seven assists, while senior Ruth Sherrill had six points and six rebounds and junior Donnaizha Fountain had six points.

UConn turned a 6-5 lead into a blow-out with a 21-3 run that ended the first quarter and the second quarter featured more of the same. Temple got the lead down to 16 points (27-11) on three from Atkinson, but another significant UConn run, this time 25-7, gave the Huskies a 54-18 lead at the half.

Butts led Temple with six first half points, while Atkinson added five. Three Huskies hit double-digits in scoring in the first half, with Katie Lou Samuelson leading the way with 16 points. Napheesa Collier had 10 points and seven rebounds, while Gabby Williams added 10 points and three blocks in the first 20 minutes.

After UConn extended the lead to 38 points early in the third quarter, Temple found its offensive rhythm. The Owls rattled off a 21-12 run, which included eight points from Atkinson and six from Berger, to get the lead to 29, at 70-41. After UConn responded to go back by 32, Butts struck for five unanswered to close the frame with UConn up 27, 74-47.

The fourth quarter saw a 16-6 UConn run that pushed the lead to 90-53 with 5:49 remaining. However, Temple closed the game with a 16-7 surge to set the final to 97-69.

Temple's 69 points against the Huskies were the most for any team in the American this season, and the Owls' third-quarter surge was the first time that the Huskies have been out-scored in a quarter during conference play this year.

The Owls are back in action on Sunday, heading to Tulane for a 2:00 p.m. (EST) conference clash.

Box Score (PDF)