by Don Mooney 3-12-2024
Temple bench erupts with triple overtime victory over feisty Tulane 76-72. photo by Calvin Hickerson
Fort Worth, TEX—No. 3 seed Temple (20-11) and No. 14 seed Tulane’s women’s basketball team (12-20) provided an epic battle in the quarterfinal AAC tournament with a three overtime thriller Monday evening classic. In the end Temple moves on by a score of 76-72 in Fort Worth at Dickies Arena.
Temple leading scorer Tiarra East eyes basket enroute to 22 and nine rebound performance. photo by Calvin Hickerson
Temple, led by 22 points and nine rebound performance from junior guard Tiarra East was joined in double figures by Tristen Taylor with 14 points and 12 points from Demi Washington. Rayne Tucker had 14 rebounds. Temple shot 33.8 percent from the field (27-for-80), 36.4 percent from three-point range (8-for-22) and 66.7 percent from the line (14-for-21). The Owls totaled 50 rebounds, 14 assists, 13 steals and four blocks. Temple held a 17-13 lead in points off turnovers, 10-5 in fast break points and 18-2 in scoring off the bench.
Brilliant effort by Tulane redshirt junior lead all scorers with 31 points, 6 assists and three steals. photo by Calvin Hickerson
The game started off with an exchange of long-range shots, as Tulane’s Kyren Whittington and Aleah Nelson both hit three-pointers to bring the score to 3-3 out of the gates. The Owls went on a 9-0 run and built a 12-7 lead by the first media timeout at 4:25. The Owls’ momentum extended into a 10-0 run, putting the cherry & white up 35-30 with just over a minute remaining. That score would hold into halftime.
photo by Calvin Hickerson
A 4-0 run by the Green Wave pulled Tulane back within four points with 4:37 remaining in the quarter. (40-36, TU). This was Temple’s lowest scoring third quarter of the season with just seven points. It also tied for the fewest given up by the Owls with 10 for Tulane.
Down the stretch, Temple held Tulane without a field goal for over four minutes of game time. Likewise, Temple was held scoreless for over three and a half minutes down the stretch. A three-pointer by Tulane put Temple behind 51-50 with 1:08 remaining. A free-throw by Nelson tied the game at 51-51, before a defensive stop gave the Owls the ball with 25 seconds remaining. A pair of free-throws by Tiara East put Temple up 53-51 with 15 seconds remaining in regulation. With 7.8 second to go, the Green Wave knotted the score at 53-53 with two free-throws. Temple was unable to score on two attempts on the final possession of regulation, sending the game to overtime
photo by Calvin Hickerson
Overtime 60-60: A 4-0 run by Temple to start overtime gave Temple a 4-point lead before Tulane scored its first basket — a three-pointer (TEM 57-56). A free-throw by Washington and an interior basket by Tulane evened the score at 58-58 with 1:17 remaining in the overtime period. Temple had a possession after a timeout with 0:04 remaining but failed to score, sending the game into double-overtime tied 60-60.
photos by Calvin Hickerson
Double Overtime 65-65: Temple started off the quarter with a jumper by East and free-throw by Washington to take a slim 63-60 advantage with 3:02 remaining. With 1:56 remaining, Kyren Wittington cut Temple’s lead to 63-62. With 0:07 East sank two free throws to tie the score 65-65.
Triple Overtime: Temple 76, Tulane 72: After Tulane scored the opening jumper, a three-pointer by Taylor put the Owls up 68-67 with 4:15 to go. East put the Owls on top, 70-69, with a close-range jumper with 2:18 remaining. With 34.6 seconds remaining, Taylor found Tucker on an inbound to put the Owls up 72-69. Tulane cut the lead to 72-71, before East went to the free-throw line and put Temple up 74-71 with 22.5 seconds remaining. After the Green Wave split a pair of free-throws, Taylor went to the line for the Owls. She nailed both to put Temple up by four with 10 seconds remaining. Temple blanked Tulane in the final possession, holding on to win by four points in the longest women’s basketball game in AAC tournament history.
photo by Calvin Hickerson
Up NEXT: The Owls will play against Rice in the AAC Semifinal round tomorrow night, March 12. The game will tip off at 9 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN+