Tiarra East scored 15 points and Anissa Rivera added 12 off the bench as Temple beat Drexel 52-43 Saturday afternoon at the Liacouras Center.

The Owls improved to 3-2 and won their Big 5 opener by recovering from a12-point deficit. East shot just 7 of 18 from the floor but dished out a team-high five assists, while sophomore point guard Tristen Taylor chipped in four points and six assists and did not turn the ball over in 32 minutes of play.

When East pieced together a sequence that included a jumper, a steal and then a layup at the 3:01 mark of the third quarter, it gave Temple its first lead since the Owls score the game’s first basket. Rivera scored 10 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter to help put the game away as Temple outscored Drexel (2-2) by 17-8 in the final period. Rivera shot a perfect 5-for-5 in the fourth and also swiped two steals.

The Owls host Princeton Tuesday and then play at La Salle Sunday. If Temple can beat the Explorers next weekend, it will play for the inaugural Big 5 Classic championship Dec. 6 at Villanova’s Finneran Pavilion.