Owls Edge George Mason in Overtime for Home Opener Victory

Monday, November 3

Philadelphia, Pa.

7 PM

Temple University

1-0,0-0American

George Mason

0-1,0-0Atlantic 10

OT 1

George Mason

Temple

Owls Edge George Mason in Overtime for Home Opener Victory

11.3.25 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – In the first game of the regular season, Temple women's basketball (1-0) hosted the George Mason Patriots (0-1) and soared to an overtime victory over the reigning Atlantic 10 champions, 94-85.
Tristen Taylor led all Owls with 19 points. Two Owls recorded double-doubles: Saniyah Craig with 16 points and 15 rebounds, and Jaleesa Molina with 12 points and 10 assists.

How It Happened
First Quarter

George Mason opened the game with a 3-pointer, immediately answered by Kaylah Turner, who connected from deep.
Both teams traded baskets early, tying the game at 5-5 with under eight minutes to play. Through the first four minutes, the teams combined for seven turnovers — three by George Mason and four by Temple.
At 6:24, Savannah Curry battled through traffic to convert a tough layup and complete the and-one.
Both teams entered the media timeout shooting 4-of-5 from the field, with the Patriots leading 14-10. Tristen Taylor hit a jumper to bring the Owls within four at the five-minute mark.
Kennedy Harris extended George Mason's lead to 17-10 with a 3-pointer at the four-minute mark. Following that shot, the Owls went 0-for-4 from the field, enduring a scoring drought of more than three minutes before Drew Alexander hit a jumper at the buzzer to make it 21-14 Patriots.

Second Quarter

Coming out of the break, George Mason pushed its lead to 27-16. Tristen Taylor hit a jumper from the free-throw line to cut the deficit to six.
Zahirah Walton forced a steal and scored in transition to restore a double-digit lead for the Patriots. After a Craig bucket, Harris answered with another 3-pointer.
Harris and Walton became the first Patriots to reach double digits, combining for 22 of George Mason's first 34 points.
At 3:44, the Owls went on a 7-0 run — shooting 5-for-6 from the field — with key baskets from Craig and a 3-pointer by Alexander. The Patriots went scoreless for two and a half minutes during that stretch.
A steal by Taylor led to a fast-break layup by Turner, cutting the deficit to 37-32. Alexander then hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minute to pull Temple within one, 39-38, at halftime.

Third Quarter

Temple took its first lead of the game after Jaleesa Molina converted a tough layup, drew a foul and made the free throw to put the Owls ahead 41-39.
After a brief scoring drought, Louis Volker tied the game at 45. Kelian Cedano responded with a jumper to give Temple a 49-46 lead, and Taylor added two free throws to make it 51-46.
Craig battled for another offensive board and was rewarded with two more free throws — her eighth rebound of the night.
Cedano's 3-pointer put the Owls on a 7-0 run before Page Greenburg answered with a triple for the Patriots. Greenburg hit another 3-pointer moments later to cut the deficit to two, but Ariana Meriedy drained her first collegiate basket just before the buzzer to give Temple a 58-54 lead heading into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

Brianna Mead opened the quarter with her first basket as an Owl, extending the lead to 60-54.
Craig secured her 10th rebound at the 8:09 mark, recording her first double-double as an Owl.
Temple made it 63-57 after Molina grabbed a rebound and found Cedano on the break for an easy layup.
At 6:11, George Mason was 0-for-7 from the field during a four-minute scoring drought. Curry ended Temple's own two-and-a-half-minute drought with a 3-pointer, pushing the lead to 66-60.
Mary Amoateng scored to pull the Patriots within five, and later brought them within one at 72-71. Turner responded with a jumper off a screen to extend the lead to 72-69.
With 32 seconds left, Molina made a layup to give Temple a 74-71 advantage. The Patriots tied the game at 74 on a Walton jumper with 5.4 seconds remaining, and a final shot by Craig at the buzzer fell short — sending the game to overtime.

Overtime

Cedano opened the extra period with a fast-break layup to make it 77-74. Greenburg hit a corner 3-pointer to bring the Patriots within one, but Taylor answered with a jumper to push the lead back to 80-77.
Molina buried a corner 3-pointer to extend Temple's lead to 83-77, then scored back-to-back baskets as the Owls went 3-for-3 from the field in the final minute.
Trailing by five with 30 seconds left, George Mason fouled Turner, who hit both free throws to make it 90-83.
Taylor added two more free throws to give Temple its largest lead of the night, 94-85.

Inside the Box

The Patriots went 1-for-11 from 3-point range in the second quarter.
Drew Alexander finished with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Craig had nine points and four rebounds at halftime.
George Mason shot 38% from the field and 25% (4-of-16) from 3-point range in the first half, while Temple shot 51% (16-of-31).
The Owls went 9-of-10 from the free-throw line in the third quarter; the Patriots were 3-of-4.
In the second half, Temple shot 17% (7-of-24) from beyond the arc while maintaining its lead.

Up Next
Temple continues its homestand on Friday, Nov. 7, hosting another A-10 foe, George Washington, at 7 p.m. at the Liacouras Center. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.