Late Push Not Enough as Owls Fall to Pirates

Saturday, February 14

Philadelphia, Pa.

2 PM

Temple University

10-14,4-8American

ECU

19-7,11-2American

East Carolina

Temple

Late Push Not Enough as Owls Fall to Pirates

2.14.26 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – The Temple women's basketball team (10–14, 4–8 American) fell to the East Carolina Pirates (19–7, 10–2 American), 79–73, at home on Saturday afternoon. Temple had four players score in double figures. Saniyah Craig led the Owls with 20 points, going 9-for-16 from the field. Savannah Curry finished with a career-high 18 points, shooting 6-for-8 from the field and 2-for-3 from behind the arc.

How It Happened
First Quarter

Both teams started the game firing on all cylinders, as neither missed a shot in the opening minute, with ECU leading 5–4.
Craig made a layup to give the Owls their first lead of the game, 6–5.
The lead was quickly erased, as Keanna Rembert made a layup and converted an and-one play to put the Pirates ahead, 8–6.
The teams continued to trade baskets until the media timeout with 4:59 left in the quarter, as ECU held a 14–12 lead.
The Owls went on a two-minute scoring drought.
Drew Lexander hit a corner three as the first quarter expired to bring the Owls within three, 24–21, heading into the second quarter.

Second Quarter

Craig hit a jumper to keep the Owls within three, 26–23.
Felicia Jacobs followed with a layup to pull Temple within one, 26–25, with 8:52 left in the half.
ECU went on a 7–0 run over 2:30 to take a 33–25 lead heading into the media timeout. Temple committed four turnovers in a 2:45 span.
Jayla Hearp nailed a three-pointer immediately after the media timeout to extend the Pirates' lead to 11, 36–25.
Curry intercepted a pass and raced the length of the court for a layup, cutting the deficit to 36–29.
Temple's defense forced three turnovers in three possessions and held the Pirates scoreless for three minutes.
Following a pair of free throws from Kaylah Turner and Curry, the Owls ignited an 8–0 run to cut the deficit to 36–33.
The Pirates missed their final nine field-goal attempts and committed four turnovers in a five-minute span.
Tristen Taylor came up with a steal but was fouled on her way to the basket. She made one of two free throws to tie the game at 36 with 41 seconds remaining in the half.
Temple closed the quarter on an 11–0 run, forcing six ECU turnovers in a 5:49 stretch to send the game into halftime tied at 36.

Third Quarter

Kennedy Fauntleroy quickly regained the lead for the Pirates with back-to-back baskets, 41–36.
Curry recorded a steal and converted a fast-break layup to cut the deficit to three, 41–38.
Hearp answered with a corner three to push the lead to six, 44–38.
Craig battled through traffic for a bank shot to make it 44–40.
Curry added another steal and layup to bring the Owls within two, 44–42, with 5:31 left in the quarter.
Craig converted a tough shot and was fouled, ending a scoring drought of more than two minutes for Temple.
Taylor Barner knocked down a corner three to extend the Pirates' lead to eight, 54–46.
Craig connected on a fast-break layup in the final seconds of the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 57–48.

Fourth Quarter

Curry scored the first basket of the quarter to trim the deficit to seven, 57–50.
Taylor drew attention in the paint and kicked the ball out to Curry, who knocked down a three-pointer to make it 60–53.
Both teams endured scoring droughts of more than two minutes before Hutton converted a layup for the Pirates and Curry responded with a corner three.
Savannah Brooks completed an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Pirates a 67–58 lead with 4:05 remaining.
Molina scored on a finger-roll layup to bring the Owls within seven, 69–62, with 2:24 left.
A steal by Curry led to a Craig layup, cutting the deficit to five, 69–64.
Taylor knocked down a corner three to pull the Owls within six, 73–67, with 45 seconds remaining.
Taylor made two free throws to make it a four-point game, 73–69, with 38 seconds left.
Taylor added another basket to cut the Pirates' lead to 77–73 with seven seconds remaining.
The Pirates sealed the game with two free throws to secure the 79–73 victory.

Inside the Box

The teams were tied seven times in the first quarter.
Temple shot 50% (12-for-24) in the first half, while East Carolina shot 41% (13-for-32).
The Pirates were 3-for-10 (30%) from behind the arc, while the Owls were 1-for-9 (11%).
Temple committed 17 turnovers in the first half compared to ECU's nine.
The Owls outrebounded the Pirates 21–11 in the first 20 minutes.
Temple finished the game shooting 43% (26-for-61) from the field, while East Carolina shot 44% (27-for-62).
Temple committed 24 turnovers, and East Carolina had 20.
The Owls received 11 points from their bench, while the Pirates had nine.

Up Next
Temple will travel to Charlotte on Tuesday, Feb. 17, for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff. The game will air live on ESPN+.