VILLANOVA, Pa. – With a chance at claiming the inaugural Big 5 Classic Championship, Temple had an eight-point lead with just a couple minutes remaining.
It had been a game of runs for the Owls and the cross-town favorites Villanova. Just as the Wildcats looked primed for a comeback, the Owls turned to whom head coach Diane Richardson has described as their game closer in guard Tiarra East.
With five minutes to play, East stepped into a deep three-pointer as the shot clock ran down. Moments later, the senior forward pulled from deep again, lacing it through the nylon and showing all the emotion after giving the Owls a 14-point lead.
Temple held off Villanova for the remainder of the game, with East’s 26 points leading the way in the Owls’ definitive 76-62 win over Villanova on its home court at Finneran Pavilion Friday night.
“I was in the gym after practice every day and [the coaches] were like, ‘T, why are you not shooting the three? You can really shoot it,’” East said. “So I believed in myself, they believed in me, and they told me to let it go.”
East, who claimed the Mel Greenberg MVP award, was helped by guards Tristen Taylor and Tarriyonna Gary, who dropped 15 and 14 points, respectively. Kaylah Turner contributed 10 points as well, with Temple picking up its first win over the Wildcat’s since a 68-62 victory back on Nov. 27, 2021.
The first quarter showcased action in the opening minutes, with Villanova starting the quarter on a 9-0 run, going 4-4 from the field. Temple responded soon after with an 8-0 run, led by six points from East.
The teams exchanged buckets the remainder of the first quarter, with the Wildcats finding the edge with six points from guard Maddie Webber, as they led 19-16. Webber’s four points late in the second quarter gave Villanova a 34-30 lead at halftime.
“We’re down four at half and were doing OK, but I knew we had to step up our defense to turn it around,” Richardson said. “And I think our defense is what really turned it around and gave us the momentum and the confidence to keep pushing.”
A game of runs continued into the second half when Villanova’s Bronagh Power-Cassidy finally gave the Wildcats their first three of the night, but Temple had a response, going on a 9-0 run capped by Taylor pull-up three. Villanova had a brief run of its own, but five points from Gary gave the Owls a five-point lead at the close of quarter.
Temple opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with three consecutive mid-range jumpers from Turner and never looked back. The Owls went 3-for-5 in the fourth quarter from beyond the arc while holding Villanova to just 31% shooting from the field.
Guard Jasmine Bascoe led Villanova with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the loss. Webber finished with 12 points and five rebounds but it wasn’t enough to fend off a determined Temple team that helped take a big step in promoting women’s basketball in Philadelphia.
“I talked about it earlier, about how when I first played in Philly, I didn’t understand the magnitude of the Big 5 because I was a foreigner,” Richardson said. “But just being here these two years, I realized this is a big deal. It’s big for women’s basketball and especially this year where we have so much exposure.”
Temple now has eight days to prepare for one of the best teams in the nation when the Owls host No. 15 West Virginia Dec. 15 at the Liacouras Center at 2 p.m.
Watch Friday night's postgame interviews with Tiarra East and Diane Richardson here.
Front page photo courtesy of Lauren Black, Temple Athletics