LINCOLN, Neb. – Despite holding strong defensively for much of the second half, the first-half deficit was too big to overcome for Temple women’s basketball as the Owls dropped a 64-39 decision to #18/19 Nebraska (2-0) on Sunday afternoon at the Devaney Center. Freshman Erica Covile led Temple (1-1) with 10 points, while the Cornhuskers’ Jordan Hooper recorded a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Rateska Brown and Sally Kabengano scored eight points apiece for Temple, with Kabengano adding a team-high nine rebounds.
“I’m hoping that it’s a wake-up call,” said head coach Tonya Cardoza, “because it’s things that we talk about in practice every single day- valuing the basketball and boxing out. This was a sure sign that if you don’t do those things, you could get embarrassed. We talked about maybe not being the most talented team out on the floor, but we can do the little things and make sure we out-work people. I thought they out-worked us in so many areas.
“It didn’t (surpise me) because again, we’re dealing with six freshmen and two sophomores. Last year when the sophomores didn’t do it right, they were sitting on the bench. Now you’re asking your younger guys who probably don’t know any better, because they’re coming from high school where they could do whatever they wanted to do. It was good for us, a wake-up call, because I can always use this in practice- “remember Nebraska.” I know our kids are hanging their heads because no one wants to lose a basketball game, but I think it might have opened their eyes to know that if they don’t do those things, this can happen.”
Temple had made a three-pointer in 100 straight games dating back to the first game of the 2009-10 season, but the streak ended at Nebraska as the Owls were scoreless from behind the arc.
After getting into an early 6-0 hole the Owls scored two quick buckets to make it 6-4. From there, offense was hard to find for Temple until the closing minutes of the half.
The Owls played aggressively on defense while struggling at the other end, but were whistled for seven fouls in the first 10 minutes of the game alone. Nebraska limited the damage by making just 4-of-8 at the line, but made up for it with six three-pointers in the first half.
Temple trailed by as many as 23 with 3:08 remaining, but a 6-0 run made things a little better for the Owls before the break. The run nearly closed out the half, but Nebraska’s Jordan Hooper hit a buzzer-beating jumper to give her team a 36-17 lead at the break. Hooper led all players in the first half with nine points.
Brown came off the bench to lead Temple with six points in the first half, while Victoria Macaulay scored four.
Kabengano got three points to start a 5-0 Temple run at the beginning of the second half, but Nebraska soon got those points back. That trend continued, with the Owls holding their own offensively but having trouble narrowing the gap.
With 8:28 left, Brown was called for a charge and fouled out of the game as Temple’s leading scorer at the time with eight points. Covile soon matched her after a steal led to a layup with 7:32 remaining. Two minutes passed with no change in the score until Covile put in another layup after an offensive rebound, getting the margin back to 20, 54-34 with 5:38 on the clock.
The buckets by Covile were scored during nearly a seven-minute stretch in which the Owls held the Huskers scoreless, but Temple was able to come within no fewer than 19 points.
The Owls now return home for their next three contests. First up is a game against Seton Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Liacouras Center.
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