Temple Turns Attention to UAB

Game Info: Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 3:00 PM ET
Location: Bartow Arena | Birmingham, Ala.
TV: ESPN+ | Listen:OwlSports.com/Listen | Live Stats:OwlSports.com

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News & Notes

Temple women's basketball fell to the top team in the American Conference, the Rice Owls, on Wednesday night, 77-66.
Jaleesa Molina closed out the night with 17 points and 11 rebounds, earning her ninth double-double of the season.
Kaylah Turner finished with 22 points, shooting 10-for-18 from the field.
Temple won the rebounding battle against Rice, 32-25. The Owls limited Rice to just two offensive rebounds while grabbing seven offensive boards themselves.
Despite winning the battle on the glass, Temple managed just two second-chance points.
Temple shot an efficient 47.2% (25-for-53) from the field, but Rice finished even higher at 53.6% (30-for-56).
Temple's only lead of the game came after the opening tip, when the Owls scored the first bucket of the night.

Scouting the Blazers

UAB enters the game sitting 12th in the American with a 3-12 conference record and a 10-17 mark overall. Its only win against a top-10 conference opponent came against UTSA on Feb. 3, 81-69.
Last season, the Blazers finished ninth in the American with a 7-11 conference record and went 16-16 overall. In the preseason poll, they were selected to finish 11th this season.
UAB is led by Cali Smallwood, who has scored 380 points (14.1 per game) through 27 games this season. Smallwood also leads the team in field goals made (133) and three-pointers made (81).
Second on the team in scoring is Sofia Munoz with 317 points (11.7 per game). Her 105 assists, 75 turnovers, and 35 steals are all team highs.
The Blazers are coming off a 60-54 loss to Wichita State. They did not score more than 17 points in any quarter against the Shockers and shot under 20% from three-point range as a team (5-for-26).
UAB is 0-3 all-time against Temple, with all three losses coming by 10 points or more.

By the Numbers

Temple ranks 4th in the conference in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 13.1 per contest.
The Owls rank 5th in the American in three-point percentage, shooting 32.0% from beyond the arc.
Kaylah Turner leads the conference in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game with 447 total points.
Tristen Taylor leads the American in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.90, the top mark in the conference.

Keys to Offense

Temple is averaging 67.6 points per game, which ranks 7th in the American.
The Owls are shooting 40.1% from the field, ranking 6th in the conference.
Temple is shooting 32.0% from three-point range, good for 5th in the American, and averages 6.2 made three-pointers per game.
The Owls are averaging 12.63 free throws made per game and shooting 71.5% from the free-throw line, both ranking 6th in the conference.
Temple averages 13.1 offensive rebounds per game, ranking 4th in the conference and 89th nationally.

The Assiter

Tristen Taylor leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.90).
Taylor led the conference last season in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.40), finishing 21st nationally.
Taylor finished fifth in the American in assists per game last season (4.4) and currently ranks fifth this season at 4.2 per game.

Kay Yow Servant Leader

This year, the Kay Yow Award spans 22 conferences across all divisions—DI, DII, DIII, and JUCO. Each conference honoree is recognized as a Servant Leader and wears a special patch on their jersey during the season.
Temple University Honoree: Tristen Taylor

Under New Leadership

Jaleesa Molina, Tristen Taylor, and Kaylah Turner have been named team captains for the 2025–26 season.
Taylor and Molina are the only returning starters from the 2024–25 roster.
Taylor averaged 6.7 points and a team-high 3.6 assists per game last season.
Molina averaged 7.4 points and seven rebounds per game while shooting 52.5% from the field.
Turner appeared in 31 games (two starts), averaging 10.1 points per game, third-highest on the team, shooting 41% from the field and 37% from three-point range.

Temple Turns Attention to UAB

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Players Mentioned

Jaleesa Molina

Tristen Taylor

Kaylah Turner

Temple University Athletics

Temple Turns Attention to UAB

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Players Mentioned

Jaleesa Molina

Tristen Taylor

Kaylah Turner

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