Nelson’s 23 Points Propels the Owls Past Bucknell for Richardson’s First Road Win
Written by: Adrian Maghacot
Photo by: Temple Athletics
Temple (2-4) defeated Bucknell (2-5) 77-62 at Sojka Pavilion, earning Diane Richardson’s first road win as the Owls’ head coach.
“They shot the ball as well as anybody did against us in a long time,” Bucknell head coach Trevor Woodruff said. “It’s the first time we’ve given up more than 70 since Ohio State last year, so I think you give them a little more credit.”
With both teams being deadlocked at 29 until six minutes left in the second quarter, the Owls started to gain momentum and edged out a seven point lead into halftime. This was thanks in part to sophomore guard Jasha Clinton, who earned six points, a rebound, and a steal during the quarter.
With 7:42 left in the third quarter, Bucknell freshman point guard Blake Matthews suffered an injury after colliding with Temple sophomore guard Tiarra East. Before she exited the game, Matthews scored three points and had four rebounds. Woodruff did not mention Matthews’ expected return during the postgame press conference.
Without one of their top rebounders, Bucknell struggled throughout the rest of the quarter, and the team trailed for the rest of the second half. By the end of the game, Temple grabbed 32 rebounds while Bucknell had 23.
Temple was not only dominant on the offensive front, but defensively as well. The team grabbed seven steals and five blocks.
“I thought our defense set the tone today,” Richardson said. “We got to continue with our defense and playing team defense together and I believe we can get over this hump.”
Senior guard Aleah Nelson led the Owls in scoring with 23 points, her season high, and was 6-9 from three.
Sophomore forward Caranda Parea was also a vital part of the Owls’ win as she had six rebounds, a season-high, alongside her eight points.
“This coaching really emphasizes on me to rebound, play defense, and be a complete player,” Parea said. “They just keep pushing me to be the best I can be, and I want to play this game as long as I can play it.”
Bucknell sophomore guards Cecelia Collins and Isabella King were the main scorers for the team, each having 16 points. Alongside a productive scoring night, senior forward Emma Shaffer tied her season high in assists with six and grabbed four rebounds.
Temple (2-4) will travel to Virginia and face Old Dominion (3-3) at Chartway Arena on Wednesday, November 30, at 6:30 p.m.
