Temple looked to rebound from a poor shooting performance in a 22-point loss to No. 15 West Virginia last weekend as the Owls traveled to the West Coast for the Raising the Bar Invitational to close out nonconference play.

The Owls got a great start to the weekend Saturday, bouncing back and shooting a season-high 50% from three en route to defeating Xavier 66-51 at Haas Pavilion. Temple (6-4) now advances to the championship game Sunday night against No. 24 Cal.

Tiarra East, who scored 20 points with the help of 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, eclipsed the 1,000 career point plateau for her collegiate career. Guard Tarriyonna Gary chipped in with 18 points, hitting three shots from deep. Gary is now just 13 points from hitting 1,000 points in her tenure.

Forward Amaya Oliver had a big performance less than 10 miles from her hometown, scoring 12 points and grabbing a season-high 14 rebounds for her first double-double in Cherry and White. Anissa Rivera had a dominant performance on the defensive end with four blocks and three steals.

Three players hit double figures for Xavier, led by guard Daniela Lopez, who finished with 12 points and a perfect 4-for-4 from three. Teammates Petra Oborilova and Aizhanique Mayo scored 11 each, both shooting 4 of 9 from the field. It wasn’t enough, however, as the Owls handed the Musketeers their fifth straight loss.

Temple now turns its attention to Cal, which defeated Fordham 69-53 to advance to play Temple. The Golden Bears come into the matchup with a 12-1 record on the season and a six-game win streak.

Sunday’s game will tip-off at 8 p.m. EST.

Front page photo courtesy of Tim McCall