Temple’s offense was nearly non-existent through three quarters of their game against the University of Texas at San Antonio on Saturday. The Owls only managed to score 20 points in the fourth quarter, which wasn’t enough to overcome a three-point deficit in the final 10 seconds. Temple had two chances to tie the game, but missed four free throws from UTSA, leading to a turnover on the first chance and a missed three-pointer by guard Tristen Taylor at the buzzer. As a result, Temple lost its conference opener with a final score of 50-47.

The Owls (6-7, 0-1 American) struggled offensively, shooting just 28.1% from the field and missing 20 three-point attempts. Taylor led the team with 18 points in her first game back from an ankle injury. Coach Diane Richardson expressed disappointment in her team’s performance, stating that UTSA played hard while Temple didn’t. She emphasized the need for improvement, as the team can’t afford to wait until the fourth quarter to play their best basketball.

Temple will now face Wichita State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The team’s next game is a crucial opportunity to regroup and improve.

Ice-cold offense

After 11 days off, Temple’s offense showed signs of rust. The Owls struggled from the start, missing their first five shots before finally getting a layup from Taylor. However, this small momentum didn’t last long. In the first half, the Owls made only eight baskets, which matched the number of fouls they committed and was just one more than their turnovers. They also missed all 12 three-point attempts.

“We were executing our plays properly, but we just weren’t hitting our shots,” said Drew Alexander, who finished with 11 points. “I think we just need to make our shots.”

The third quarter did not show any improvement either. Temple shot 1-for-11 from the field in the third frame, but made 6 of 8 free throws to keep the game within reach. Although the Owls found some momentum in the fourth quarter, it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.

Temple finished with its lowest field-goal percentage of the season and recorded no bench points.

Taylor returns

Tristen Taylor suffered an ankle injury during the Owls’ 84-64 win over Western Carolina on November 30 and missed the next four games. Without its starting point guard and main facilitator, Temple went 2-2. While the rest of the offense struggled, Taylor didn’t miss a beat. She led the Owls in scoring in the first half with eight points and was aggressive in hunting for shots. Her calming presence kept Temple in the game during the third quarter, while UTSA looked to put the game out of reach.

The Roadrunners pushed their lead to 13 with 7 minutes, 11 seconds left in the third quarter before Taylor took over. She connected on the Owls’ first three-pointer, then made four straight free throws to cut the deficit to six. “The one thing about Tristen is [that] she could have one leg falling off and still give us everything she’s got,” Richardson said. “I don’t know the status of her ankle after this; she played 37 minutes. But you can’t tell with a person like Tristen, who’s a dog.”

Taylor’s 18 points came on 5-for-12 shooting. “I felt good,” Taylor said. “I felt like I worked my way back from my injury, and I was doing the things out there in the game during practice so I felt comfortable and confident today.”

Turner’s shooting struggles

While Taylor was sidelined, guard Kaylah Turner shouldered the offensive load. The junior was named to the American preseason first-team all-conference and showed why while Taylor was injured. Turner averaged 23 points in the four games, capped with a 36-point outburst against Princeton on December 22. Entering Saturday, Turner led the American in points and three-point percentage and was second in field-goal percentage.

However, against the best defense in the conference, Turner lost her shooting touch. The Roadrunners prevented her from getting comfortable on offense, and she shot 3-for-18 from the field, including 1-for-7 from deep to record seven points.

Temple women hope tough early schedule has prepared them to be American Conference contenders.