Temple University Athletics
Temple University
6-5,0-0AAC
La Salle
3-7,0-0Atlantic 10
Gary Ties Career-High as Temple Takes Down La Salle, 85-61
12.17.23 | Women's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – The Temple women's basketball team (6-5, 0-0 AAC) throttled Big 5 rival La Salle (3-7, 0-0 A-10) 85-61 Sunday afternoon at Tom Gola Arena on the campus of La Salle. This is the Owls 9th straight win over La Salle dating back to the 2012-13 season. It is Temple's third straight win. For the third time this season, five or more players scored in double-figures.
It was a career day for guard Tarriyonna Gary, who scored 23 points to tie her career-high. This is the second time Gary has set a career best against a Big 5 opponent, with the first coming with 23 points against No. 24 Villanova last season. The Florida native also set a season-high in assists with four.
First Quarter: Temple 13, La Salle 6
> After La Salle struck first, Aleah Nelson netted the first basket of the game for Temple off a mid-range jumper.
> Both sides started the game off cold, with the teams combining for just six points on the first 16 possessions. The teams went over three minutes of gametime without scoring a point going into the first media timeout.
> Gary converted a three-pointer and layup on consecutive possessions to cap a 7-0 run that gave the Owls a 9-4 lead with 2:19 remaining in the quarter.
> The Cherry & White closed out the quarter with a 11-4 run to take a seven-point advantage into the second quarter. Demi Washington grabbed three boards in the first.
Second Quarter: Temple 36, La Salle 27
> Gary started off the second quarter with a three-pointer from the right side on Temple's first possession, improving to 3-3 from the field to start. Ines Piper followed up with a layup to increase the Owls' lead to 18-6.
> The Owls and Explorers exchanged a flurry of threes, including another by Gary. Both teams found a scoring rhythm in a high-scoring second quarter. A fourth three by Gary gave the Owls a 28-16 lead at the midway point of the frame.
> La Salle trimmed the lead to single digits going into the half.
> Temple and La Salle shot a combined 55.9% from the field in the second quarter. The Owls led by as much as 16 points, but the Explorers cut the lead to 36-27 at halftime. Gary's 14 points led the way for Temple.
> The Owls forced the Explorers to turn the ball over 17 times in the first half, behind two steals each by Piper and Demi Washington.
Third Quarter: Temple 59, La Salle 42
> The Owls started the quarter on an 8-3 run off 4-5 shooting to extend the lead to 44-30 at the 7:51 mark, prompting La Salle to use a timeout.
> Temple's defense dominated, holding La Salle without a basket for over six straight minutes of gametime.
> The Owls pushed their lead to 20 at the 4:04 mark of the third quarter, during an 8-0 run that stretched Temple's lead to 54-32.
> The Cherry & White shot 10-21 (47.6%) from the field in the third quarter, holding a 59-42 lead at the end of the third.
Fourth Quarter: Temple 85, La Salle 61
> Temple came out aggressive on defense to start the fourth quarter, totaling five steals in the first four minutes. The Owls scored 30 points off turnovers in the game, compared to 12 for La Salle.
> The Owls opened the final quarter on an 18-7 run that stretched the lead to 77-49 with 5:23 remaining.
> Temple outscored La Salle 27-19 in the fourth quarter, with the outcome never in doubt. The Owls led by as much as 29 points and went on to win 85-61.
Game Notes
> Today's win marks three straight victories for the second time in Diane Richardson's tenure at Temple.
> Temple will conclude the Big 5 season with a record of 2-2. The Owls have won consecutive Big 5 games for the first time since they defeated Villanova and La Salle back-to-back in December of 2019.
> This is only Temple's third true road game of the season.
> The Cherry & White have now won 22 of the last 23 games against La Salle.
Statistically Speaking
> Aleah Nelson moved 101 points away from the 1,500 career mark. Rayne Tucker's 10 rebounds increased her career total to 477.
> Gary tied her career-high in points with 23. The guard shot 57.1% from the field, including 5-10 from deep. Her previous career-high of 23 came against Villanova during the 2022-23 season.
> Washington tied her season in steals with two, while Piper set a season-high with three.
> Demi Washington (4) and Tiarra East (3) each tied their season highs in assists.
> Rayne Tucker grabbed 10 rebounds, it is the third time this season she has crossed into double-figures in rebounds.
> The Owls dominated in the low post, holding a 46-20 advantage in points in the paint scoring.
Up Next
> Temple will begin a three game homestand with Northwestern Thursday at 11 a.m. It is the annual schoolday game, with schools from around the Philadelphia area visiting The Liacouras Center. The game will stream on ESPN+ and the Varsity Network App. Tickets are available to purchase at Owlstix.com.
