Temple Falls to Drexel in Big 5 Classic Third-Place Game

Sunday, December 7

Villanova, Pa.

2:15 p.m.

Temple University

4-5,0-0American

Drexel

6-3,0-0CAA

Drexel

Temple

Photo by: Zamani Feelings

Temple Falls to Drexel in Big 5 Classic Third-Place Game

12.7.25 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – The Temple women's basketball team (4–5) came up short against Drexel (6–3) in the third-place game of the Big 5 Classic hosted by Villanova on Sunday evening. Kaylah Turner led the Owls with 16 points (5–11 FG).

How it happened
First Quarter

Drew Alexander knocked down a three-pointer to give the Owls a 6–2 lead at the 7:45 mark of the opening quarter.
Kaylah Turner joined the scoresheet after hitting a contested shot from behind the arc, extending Temple's lead to 9–2.
Nearing the halfway point of the quarter, the Dragons had only four points, all scored by Laine McGurk.
Down the stretch of the first, the Owls went 0–9 from the floor, enduring a three-minute scoring drought and committing three straight turnovers.
Drexel also struggled to close the quarter, going 0–6 from the field and 1–10 overall during a 3:24 scoring drought.

Second Quarter

Brianna Mead opened the scoring early in the second quarter to give Temple a 13–6 lead.
Molly Rullo powered through heavy traffic to make a tough shot, putting Drexel into double digits.
Rullo again attacked the basket, finishing through contact and converting the and-one to pull the Dragons within two, 15–13.
Jaleesa Molina knocked down a jumper to increase Temple's lead to four.
Savannah Curry displayed excellent dribbling before scoring and drawing a foul; she completed the three-point play to push the lead to 22–15.
Drexel went on a scoring drought of more than four minutes, missing five straight field goals.
Temple followed with its own drought of nearly five minutes and committed three straight turnovers to close the half.
Rullo finished the first half perfect from the field (4–4) and from deep (1–1), becoming the only player to reach double figures in the opening 20 minutes.

Third Quarter

Grace O'Neill opened the second half with a jumper, tying the game at 22.
Kaylah Turner broke the tie with a jumper one minute into the quarter, marking Temple's first points since the 4:56 mark of the second.
Beginning at the eight-minute mark, Temple went without a made field goal for more than two and a half minutes.
Both teams traded baskets, with Temple holding a 26–24 lead under the five-minute mark.
Rullo buried a three-pointer to pull Drexel within one, 30–29, with under three minutes to go.
She followed with another triple at the 1:41 mark, giving Drexel the lead.
The Dragons built a 6–0 run over a two-minute stretch, making five of their last seven attempts.
Temple, meanwhile, went more than three minutes without a field goal.

Fourth Quarter

Khloe Miller tallied her first basket of the game, cutting the Drexel lead to 36–34.
Turner drained a wide-open three to regain the lead for Temple.
Deja Evans answered immediately for Drexel, reclaiming the lead and reaching double figures.
O'Neill hit a deep jumper, marking the seventh lead change of the night, as Drexel went ahead 40–39.
Rullo knocked down her fourth three-pointer to put Drexel up 43–39.
Since the 7:39 mark, the Owls went 0–5 from the field and endured a scoring drought of more than two minutes.
A quick inbound led to an easy layup for Evans, giving the Dragons their largest lead of the game at 47–39.
Alexander ended Temple's drought with a pull-up jumper, trimming the deficit to 47–41.
Rullo surpassed 20 points after hitting her fifth three-pointer, extending the Drexel lead to 52–43.
Molina intercepted a pass and fed Turner, who drilled a three to pull Temple within seven, 57–50, with 43.5 seconds left.