PHILADELPHIA – Villanova (9-2, 3-0 Big 5) sank eight of its first 10 shots from the field and the Temple women’s basketball team was never able to catch up in a 56-47 loss to the Wildcats in a Big 5 game on Thursday afternoon at McGonigle Hall. The Owls (5-6, 0-1 Big 5) were solid at the free throw line but struggled from the field, shooting just 25.5 percent.
Emily Leer scored a career-high 13 points off the bench for Villanova and also led her team with six rebounds. Lauren Burford also scored 13 which included 3-of-3 from behind the arc, and Laura Sweeney added 11.
Kristen McCarthy scored 14 points for Temple while Shey Peddy was close to a double-double with 13 points and a game-high nine boards.
Villanova came roaring out of the gate to shoot 80 percent in the first eight minutes including a span where the Wildcats made five straight. They led by as many as 13, 20-7 with 12 minutes left in the half. After falling in a 9-0 hole the Owls quickly used a 7-0 run to come within two, but hitting just two of its first 14 shots from the field proved very costly.
While the Wildcats’ shooting cooled significantly, they still finished the half shooting 48 percent to Temple’s 21 percent. Villanova still held a double-digit, 31-21 lead until Monaye Merritt hit a buzzer-beater three-pointer for Temple to send the Owls into the break down only seven, 31-24.
The bright spot for Temple in the first half was foul trouble on the Wildcats, sending the Owls to the line for 13 shots of which they made 11. Temple committed just three fouls and Villanova went 2-of-2 at the stripe.
After Temple closed the first half with a trey, the Wildcats opened the second half with one of their own to widen the margin back to double digits. Fouls began to go the opposite way as well, sending Sweeney to the line on two occasions early, where she hit 3-of-4.
The Owls suffered an eight-minute span without a field goal and with just one free throw, but the widest margin of deficit was only 14 due to Villanova’s struggles from the field as well.
Temple’s aggressiveness in the final minutes got the Owls within seven, but they could come no closer as the Wildcats were solid at the free throw line.
The Owls will now take just over a week off for the holiday break before returning to action on Friday, Dec. 30 at home against #9/9 Duke. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in McGonigle Hall.
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