Heartbreaking End to Record-Setting WBB Season

Saturday, March 18

Durham, N.C. - Cameron Indoor Stadium

6:30 p.m.

Temple University

24-8

#10 Oregon

21-13

Oregon

Temple

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Heartbreaking End to Record-Setting WBB Season

3.18.17 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Quotes (PDF)Postgame Press Conference

DURHAM, N.C. -- It was a heartbreaking end to a record-setting season for the Temple women's basketball team, as the seventh-seeded Owls fell 71-70 to 10th-seeded Oregon in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Temple, making its first appearance in the "Big Dance," since 2011, sees its year come to a close at 24-8, while Oregon (21-13) advances to play the winner of #2 Duke/#15 Hampton.

A fast-paced game saw nine ties and 13 lead changes, but in the end, it was Oregon who got the final bucket, as Ruthy Hebard scored with 5.5 ticks on the clock. Temple senior Feyonda Fitzgerald drove the length of the court on the final play, but Hebard appeared at seemingly the last second, to put a body on Fitzgerald and blocked what would have been the game-winner for the Owls.

"It was the perfect scenario -- open court where we're really good with Feyonda with the basketball in her hands," said head coach Tonya Cardoza. "I saw her paying attention to the clock, so I knew that she was alert and that she knew she had more time to get to the other basket. The guy just came over and made a great play on it."

For the Owls, junior Alliya Butts scored a season-best 28 points, going 12-of-19 from the field, including 4-of-8 from long-range. Fitzgerald ended her night with 16 points and six assists, while junior Tanaya Atkinson had eight points and a game-best 14 rebounds. Senior Ruth Sherrill notched 10 points, five rebounds, and three steals, while Safiya Martin (six rebounds) and Shantay Taylor (four points) rounded out the box score.

Oregon and Temple finished with nearly identical stat lines, as the Ducks shot 44% to Temple's 41%, but Temple out-rebounded Oregon, 41-40. Both teams committed 10 turnovers and grabbed three steals in the contest.

A back-and-forth first quarter saw both teams shoot over 40%, but neither lead by more than four points. Nine from Butts was the difference for the Owls, who led 20-18 after the first 10 minutes of play.

Back-to-back Oregon threes sparked a 10-4 Ducks' run to put them up 34-26 with 3:41 left in the second quarter. Temple countered with an 8-1 surge to get right back into the game, including six points and a buzzer-beater from Butts to put the Owls down only one (35-34) at the half.

Butts led all players with 13 first half points, while Sherrill had 10 for the Owls. Both teams shot around 42% from the field, but Oregon held a 24-18 advantage on the glass. For the Ducks, Hebard and Mallory McGwire combined for 22 points at the break.

Temple out-scored Oregon, 24-17, in the third quarter, to lead 58-52 after three. Butts had 13 points in the frame as the Owls took their largest lead of the game.

Oregon battled back to tie the game with a 10-4 fourth quarter run, as a Lexi Bando three made it 62-62 with 4:56 left. From there, it was all Fitzgerald and the combo of Sabrina Ionescu/Hebard, as each scored the final six points for their teams. Oregon's final bucket came with 5.5 remaining, and Hebard's block sealed the victory for the Ducks.

"I just thought that was a great game, both teams really going after each other," added Cardoza. "Oregon's a really good team and in the first half they were exploiting us in the post. We made some adjustments and started scoring going down the stretch. No matter what, my players were always fighting. If I had to do it again I would put the ball in Feyonda [Fitzgerald]'s hands."

Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Press Conference