Ice Cold Shooting Dooms Tulsa In Loss To Temple

Te’era Williams had a team-best 13 points, but it wasn’t enough as Tulsa dropped a 66-46 decision to Temple on Friday evening at the McGonigle Hall in Philadelphia, Pa.  The Golden Hurricane fell to 5-10 on the season and 2-2 in American Athletic Conference play, while the Owls moved to 9-5 overall and 3-1 in the league.

“We just couldn’t score,” Head Coach Matilda Mossman said.  “We went with a four-guard lineup because we felt like that was our best scoring lineup against them and those guys go 4-27.  Then we couldn’t play them because they couldn’t make a shot and weren’t playing together very well.  That was the problem against UConn and again tonight, we just didn’t play well together but thank goodness for Te’era Williams because she was huge tonight.  I also thought Tatyana Perez, after missing several games due to injury, was really good tonight.”

Erika Wakefield and Tayana Perez each added six points while Ashley Clark, Ashley Hughes, Jessica Pongonis and Crystal Polk all had four.  Clark pulled down a team-best seven rebounds, Wakefield and Perez each had three assists, and Wakefield added three steals.

Tulsa shot 31-percent from the field, including 21-percent from behind the arc and 50-percent (5-of-10) from the free throw line, while Temple was 38-percent from the field, 26-percent from three-point range and 44-percent from the charity stripe.

Temple had a 51-37 advantage in rebounds, including 20 offensive boards, a 14-11 lead in assists and a 7-1 lead in blocks, while Tulsa had a 10-9 advantage in steals.

The Hurricane scored 22 points in the paint, 22 points off the bench and just four second chance points, compared to the Owls 34 points in the paint, 24 points off the bench and 21 second chance points.

Tulsa jumped out to a 9-4 lead with 6:01 on the clock in the first quarter, but the Owls scored the next five points to tie the contest a minute later.  The score was tied again at 12-all with 2:18 left in the first frame, but Temple outscored the Golden Hurricane 9-2 to close out the first quarter with a 21-14 lead.

The Owls continued to climb ahead in the second frame, scoring 15 points and allowing just four for Tulsa, to take a 36-18 advantage into the break.

Tulsa shot just 25-percent from the field, including 14-percent from three-point range and were 1-of-2 from the free throw line, while Temple shot 41-percent from the field, 28-percent from behind the arc and were 2-of-5 from the charity stripe in the first frame.

In the third quarter, Temple climbed to a game-high 24-point advantage, 49-25, with 2:30 on the clock, but Tulsa scored five of the last seven points for a 21-point deficit, 51-30, after 30 minutes.

Tulsa outscored Temple, 16-15, in the final frame, as Williams had seven points and all six of Perez’ points came in the final quarter, but the effort was too late to make up the first half deficit.

Temple was led by Alliya Butts with 10 points, while Feyonda Fitzgerald and Donnaizha Fountain both added nine.  Ugo Nwaigwe had nine rebounds and five blocks.

Tulsa will return to action against Memphis on Sunday, January 10.  Game time is set for 1:00 pm Central in Memphis, Tenn.