Entering Tuesday’s game against South Florida, Temple coach Diane Richardson and her staff held a meeting with the players to provide some clarity about their roles on the court.
The Owls were reeling from a three-game losing streak and fresh off a lopsided loss to East Carolina on Jan. 17. The meeting proved to be what they needed to get back on track.
Against South Florida, which entered Tuesday second in the American Conference standings, Temple played cohesively, which Richardson hadn’t seen lately. The result: an 86-83 win in which the Owls (8-10, 2-4 American) shot 52.7% from the field and had four players score in double figures.
“I’m really pleased that they stepped up and realized that we have to play together,” Richardson said. “It’s a tough conference. When we play together, it makes a big difference, and as I look at the stats, I think we did pretty well in most of the categories. The biggest one was that we only had 11 turnovers. But, again, that’s confidence in each other and playing together.”
Guard Kaylah Turner was one of the main benefactors of the meeting, rediscovering her role.
The junior shot 29.8% from the field in the Owls’ first five conference games and struggled with inefficiency and taking quick shots. Turner, who was named preseason first-team all-conference, looked like herself on Tuesday.
She shot 7-for-15 from the field and found her spots to knock down jumpers. She also used her speed to get to the basket for easy layups and finished with a game-high 23 points.
“It makes it 100 times easier when my teammates are always telling me, be confident in my shot, continue to drive, even if I miss two layups or miss a three-pointer,” Turner said. “I’ve got coaches who say the same thing.”
With Temple’s leading scorer back in her groove, the rest of the offense fell into place.
Richardson wasn’t happy with Temple’s 5-of-23 shooting from three against Tulane on Jan. 13. She wanted the team to play faster and get more looks near the basket. The Owls fed the ball inside vs. South Florida, which led to a big game from forward Saniyah Craig.
The Jacksonville transfer flourished in the post and scored a season-high 22 points, including 10-for-13 shooting from the free-throw line. Despite having less of an emphasis on three-pointers, Temple still went 8-for-16 from deep, led by forward Jaleesa Molina, who made all four of her attempts and finished with 19 points.
Guard Tristen Taylor also finished with 16 points, meaning 80 of Temple’s 86 points came from four players.
“I think we were more efficient with the things that we did today,” Richardson said. “We were more efficient in ball security. We were more efficient in our shots. I think those made a difference, even though it doesn’t show on the stat sheet. That’s what I told them in the locker room, the things that are not on the stat sheet was the defense, was the intensity, and was the bench. The bench was really into the game, and they were cheering them on.”
With clarity in their roles, the Owls got back to playing their brand of basketball. Richardson’s equal opportunity offense was in full effect, her team was connected and playing together, and it resulted in a statement win.
They will look to carry their newfound momentum into the middle of American play, starting with a home game against Charlotte on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+).
“This is a great win, but we’re nowhere near done,” Turner said. “So we’re going to lock in the next practice, and we’re going to make sure we start the beginning of practice how we started this game, and we’re going to practice the entire way so we transfer it to this weekend.”
Added Taylor: “I think our biggest thing is just don’t be complacent right now.”
