Owls force 26 turnovers in victory

Suffocating Defense Leads to 70-36 Rout of Miami (OH) in Women’s Basketball’s Season Opener
Owls led by Shey Peddy with 15 points and three steals

PHILADELPHIA – With a suffocating team defensive effort from start to finish, the Temple women’s basketball team cruised to a 70-36 win against Miami (OH) in the season opener for both teams. In front of a Friday-night home crowd of 1,345 at McGonigle Hall, the Owls (1-0) dominated on the glass and forced the RedHawks (0-1) into 26 turnovers.

The stats for Temple were impressive in nearly every category, save for the team’s shooting percentage which the Owls made up for by earning so many extra possessions and second-chance points.

Shey Peddy led Temple with 15 points which included three treys, and also recorded six rebounds and a game-high three steals. Kristen McCarthy and Brittany Lewis scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, and also grabbed six boards apiece.

Coming off the bench for nine points in an impressive debut effort was freshman Tyonna Williams, and sophomore Nikki Works led all players with nine rebounds off the bench.

Peddy and BJ Williams combined for three steals in the first four minutes of the game as the Owls returned to the court for the new season with the same old relentless style of play on the defensive end. The teams were tied at 7-7 but it wasn’t long before the Owls pulled away.

The first half turned out to be a low-scoring affair, but despite a lackluster shooting performance of 30.8 percent from the field (12-of-39), Temple used its extra possessions to lead by as many as 11, 26-15 with 2:18 left in the period.

Miami shot slightly better from the field at 31.6 percent, but took just 19 shots to Temple’s 39 and the Owls went into the break with a 28-17 lead. Both teams made only one three-pointer, and free throws did little to help either squad in the first half.

Temple started the second half on a 5-0 run and the RedHawks never cut the margin to single digits. After a layup by Miami’s Hannah Robertson at 18:30 in the second period put her team within 11, 32-21, Temple dominated the rest of the way.

By the midway point of the second half the Owls had increased their lead to 21, and five minutes later the margin was widened to 30.

Temple’s rebounding effort had been impressive in the first half but became even more so in the second as the Owls finished the game with a 49-32 advantage on the glass, including a 24-7 edge in offensive boards. Temple committed just 13 turnovers to Miami’s 26, and scored 28 points off turnovers to the RedHawks’ 11.

The Owls’ season opener was the only game they will play at home in November, as the team now begins a six-game road swing, starting with a 7:00 p.m. contest at Northeastern on Tuesday, Nov. 15.