PHILADELPHIA – Behind another big performance from Shey Peddy who scored a game-high 22 points along with grabbing 11 rebounds, the Temple women’s basketball team held on for a 67-64 win against Duquesne at home on Wednesday. The Owls improve to 9-8 overall and 3-1 in the Atlantic 10 while Duquesne now stands at 13-5 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
After a number of close games did not go Temple’s way back in November and December, the Owls are now proving their ability to hold on in the nail-biters. All three of their conference wins have seen the teams separated by just a point in the final minute.
It was the first double-double of the season for Peddy, who is coming off a 21-point performance in a win at Dayton last weekend. She shot 7-of-14 from the field including 3-of-7 from behind the arc, and hit 5-of-6 at the line. BJ Williams scored 14 points and dished a game-high five assists, and Kristen McCarthy scored 11 points while pulling down eight boards.
Victoria Macaulay, who leads the A-10 in conference games with 11.0 rebounds per game, stayed on pace and had another big night on the glass with 11 rebounds.
Jocelyn Floyd led Duquesne with 18 points and four steals. Wumi Agunbiade scored 15 points for the Dukes.
Temple fell into an early 8-2 hole before a quick, 7-0 run got the Owls their first lead. Duquesne regained the lead and controlled the pace for the middle part of the half, going back up by as many as seven with seven minutes remaining.
Trailing 26-20, the Owls caught fire with an 11-0 run that included seven points from Williams who was a perfect 4-of-4 at the line in that stretch. With three and a half minutes to go in the first half Temple took its largest lead of five, 31-26, and by halftime the Owls led 35-29.
Peddy led all players with 13 points at the break on 5-of-7 shooting from the field including 3-of-4 from behind the arc. She also had a game-high five rebounds and game-high three steals.
Temple opened the second half with an 8-2 run capped by a trey from Williams to take an 11-point, 42-31 lead. The lead would prove to be its largest of the game as the Dukes roared back with a 9-0 run of their own to come within two, 42-40 at the 15-minute mark.
Miscommunication on a pass a few minutes later led to a fastbreak layup for Duquesne that pulled the Dukes within one, and they took their first lead of the second half on their next possession.
Both teams struggled offensively in a close game down the stretch, with neither leading by more than three until Tyonna Williams hit 2-of-2 at the line with under three minutes left to give the Owls a 57-53 advantage.
After Duquesne’s Carly Vendemia came back down and answered with a layup, McCarthy hit a three-pointer to put the Owls back up by five. The Dukes once again narrowed the gap to three but a technical foul on their bench sent Peddy to the line where she hit 2-of-2 with 58 seconds on the clock for a five-point advantage.
The Owls then retained possession and got two more free throws from Williams for a solid lead of seven, but it would prove to be only barely enough. Temple gave the Dukes chances at the line in the final minute with fouls committed under the basket, and the free throws along with offensive rebounds after misses led Duquesne all the way within a point.
Ahjah Hall’s layup with 10 seconds left put the margin at 65-64 in favor of Temple, but when Peddy was fouled she came through yet again with 2-of-2 free throws. Alex Gensler put up a strong-looking three-pointer for Duquesne near the buzzer, but it didn’t fall.
The Owls will have the weekend off from conference play, but will face Penn at home in a Big 5 contest at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 in McGonigle Hall.
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