East's Career-High 28 Points Leads Temple to 59-55 Win Over VCU

Friday, November 15

Richmond, Va.

7:00 p.m.

Temple University

2-1,0-0AAC

VCU

2-1,0-0Atlantic 10

Temple

VCU

Photo by: Tim McCall

East's Career-High 28 Points Leads Temple to 59-55 Win Over VCU

11.15.24 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. - Temple women's basketball defeated Virginia Commonwealth University 59-55 at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, Va. Leading scorer Tiarra East had tied her career high 28 points shooting 11-20 from the field. Anissa Rivera recorded a double-double, dominating on the glass with 16 rebounds and adding 12 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter

At the end of the game's first minute, Tarriyonna Gary made a steal and was fouled on the breakaway sending her to the line where she earned the games first point.
The teams exchanged buckets over the next five-and-a-half minutes with neither team holding an advantage of greater than three points. At the first timeout at 3:41, VCU held an 8-5 lead.
With 96 seconds remaining in the period, Gary nailed a three to tie the game and the quarter ended with each team making one more field goal for a 10-10 tie at the end of the first.
The Owls were 4-18 in the first quarter, but 15 rebounds kept the game tight.

Second Quarter

After going 0-3 from three-point range in the first quarter, VCU got hot in the 2nd period, hitting three threes and taking a 21-16 lead at the 4:32 break.
Kaylah Turner kept the Owls in the game, scoring six of their 12 points in the quarter. The half ended with VCU holding a 28-22 advantage.
The Owls were 0-5 from three and were outrebounded 12-11. VCU was 3-5 from three shooting 60%.
Tiarra East was the Owls' leading scorer in the first half with eight points and was 4–11 from the field.
Rough first half for the Owls after going 6-20 from the field, shooting just 26% and 1-9 from three.

Third Quarter

East got hot in the third, scoring seven points before the midway point and cutting the lead to 33-31 following a made jumper and a foul shot at the 6:07 mark.
Four consecutive points before the 1:37 media timeout left the game 43-40, VCU.
A three-point basket from Turner with 15 seconds left tied the game and ended the period at 43-43.
The Owls were 8-17 from the field outsourcing VCU 21-15. East shot 4-5 in the third quarter.

Fourth Quarter

The final period was a defensive battle as the first points were not scored until the 6:08 mark when VCU broke the tie with a two-point basket by Lucia Sotela Miguez. That broke a 6-minute, 22-second scoring drought for the Rams who last scored with 2:34 left in the 3rd period.
East reached the 20-point plateau with a free throw 4:56 that made it a one-point game, 47-46 VCU. Her next score, at 3:40, was a three-pointer that tied the game at 50.
Temple takes the lead 54-52 with 2:03 remaining with an offensive rebound and then a layup from East. Two free throws from Anissa Rivera with 1:48 remaining gave Temple a 56-53 lead.
The Owls held that three-point lead until 0:21 was left when Mary-Anna Asire hit a two-pointer and was granted a foul shot. However, she did not connect. East was fouled on the ensuing possession and made both her shots for a 58-55 lead with 19.6 remaining.
Rivera's 16th rebound was her most important coming with 10.2 seconds remaining. Following a timeout and an inbound pass, East was sent to the line again and hit 1-2 to extend the lead to four.
VCU's final possession ended with a steal by East, and the Owls won 59-55.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

The Owls had 15 rebounds in the first quarter, led by Anissa Rivera's six, generating second-chance opportunities.
Off the bench, Turner had a season-high nine points. She also contributed two assists, two steals, and one rebound.
Rivera had a season-high 16 rebounds, including 11 defensive boards.
Temple's defense forced VCU to 28 turnovers resulting in 17 points. The Owls forced 17 turnovers in the second half.
Leading scorer East had a season-high 28 points and seven rebounds. East was 11-20 from the field and 6-10 from the free-throw line.
Temple had 30 points in the paint and shot 70.6% from the free-throw line.

UP NEXT
The Owls stay on the road and they are back in action on Tuesday, November 19, at Georgetown. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.