Temple University Athletics
Temple University
St. Francis (PA)
Women's Basketball Opens Season Tuesday vs. Saint Francis
11.7.21 | Women's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - The Temple women's basketball team takes on the Saint Francis Red Flash in the 2021-22 season opener on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7:00 pm at McGonigle Hall. The game will be aired on ESPN+.
THE OWLS
> Picked to finish fifth in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Poll, Temple enters the season following an 11-11 2020-21 campaign.
> Mia Davis, Temple's leading scorer last season and this year's AAC Preseason Player of the Year, returns for her fifth season with the Owls.
> Point guard Jasha Clinton, named to the AAC All-Freshman Team last season, leads the backcourt for the Owls having averaged 14.4 points per game in 2020-21.
> Senior Alexa Williamson returns as the third Owl that averaged double-digits last season with 12.3 points per game. The Houston, Pa. native added 6.7 rebounds per game as well as 1.3 blocks per game for the Cherry & White.
> The Owls welcome a host of fresh faces to the nest this season. In total, Temple has nine new players on the roster (three transfers, six freshmen). Graduate transfers Jalynn Holmes and Jiselle Thomas look to make a big impact this season, having both averaged double-digits in points last season for their former teams.
SCOUTING SAINT FRANCIS
> The Red Flash finished last season 14-9 overall and 12-4 in the conference. Saint Francis fell in the first round last season to second-seeded Wagner in the NEC tournament.
> Having lost last year's leading scorer Karson Swogger, Saint Francis opens the season led by guard Lili Benzel.
> Senior forward Jada Dapaa led the team in rebounds per game (8.6) last season.
> Saint Francis is 1-4 in its last five season openers with its last opening win coming in the 2016-17 season.
LAST SEASON
> Â With a shortened season due to COVID-19, the Owls only played 22 games last season, three of those being non-conference contests.
> Â Temple had four games last season that were postponed or canceled due to COVID-19.
> Â After starting off the season with a three-game losing streak in non-conference play, the Owls responded with a four-game winning streak going into 2021 with wins against SMU, Tulsa, ECU, and UCF.
> Â The Cherry & White won six of its last nine games to enter the AAC Tournament as the fifth seed. However, in the opening round of the tournament against #4 Tulane, the Owls fell 83-73 to end their season.
LAST TIME THEY MET
> This is the first ever meeting between the Owls and the Red Flash.
UP NEXT
> The Owls travel to Fort Myers, Fla. to take on Florida Gulf Coast for their first road game of the season. The game will be played on Friday, Nov. 12 at 6:00 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
