Owls Take Down Duquesne Behind Nelson’s 33-Point Performance
Written by: Adrian Maghacot
Photo by: Temple Athletics
Temple (5-6) upset former Atlantic 10 rival Duquesne (8-3) 66-60 at the Liacouras Center.
Senior guard Aleah Nelson was a dominant force for the Owls in this game as she scored 33 points, a season-high.
Nelson also achieved her 1,000th career point during the quarter, which made her the 26th women’s basketball player in program history to accomplish this feat.
“She did really well and I am really proud of her,” Temple head coach Diane Richardson said. “I’ve watched her grow and that was great for me to see. She’s my little bean.”
Temple’s first half was summarized by poor shooting as the team had a field goal percentage of 36.8%,
Nelson, however, shot 8-13 including making five beyond the arc while the rest of the roster did not score more than three points.
The Owls also struggled in the second half as Duquesne almost secured the comeback as they cut the lead down to four.
This was attributed to Temple’s 8-27 shooting and making 60% of their free throws, as well as not scoring a field goal in the last 4:57 of the game.
Despite the win, Temple suffered from foul trouble as they finished with 18, including 11 in the second half, which was the same number that Duquesne had the whole game. Sophomore forward Ines Piper fouled out with two seconds left in the game and sophomore guard Jasha Clinton finished with four fouls.
Richardson’s primary goal over the course of the season was to box out their opponents, which showed as the Owls grabbed 44 rebounds while Duquesne had 10. Two players that were vital in their success was senior forward Denise Solis and sophomore forward Tiarra East, who both grabbed 10.
“I thought we played great defensively today,” Richardson said. “We contested their threes, played team defense, and moved our feet defensively and we turned them over 16 times.”
Nelson led the Owls in scoring with a season-high of 33 points while grabbing three rebounds and dishing three assists. The 33 points is the most points that any Owl scored in a game this season. As previously mentioned, Solis led the Owls in rebounds by grabbing a season-high of 10 and blocked two shots.
“Even when shots were not going in, I was saying in my head that the next shot would go in,” Nelson said. “Coach Richardson said you need to have the will to win and put the team on your back.”
Duquesne junior forward Ayanna Townsend and sophomore guard Naelle Bernard led the team with 29 combined points, but the rest of the team was unable to score in double digits. Sophomore guard Megan McConnell led Duquesne in rebounds with nine, but was held to eight points and six assists.
McConnell is the team’s all-around player as she currently has two triple-doubles this season, making her the only player in the NCAA in both men’s and women’s to have this honor.
Duquesne will return home and face Cornell (6-4) at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Monday, December 19, at 1:00 PM.
The Owls will stay home at the Liacouras Center to face Ole Miss (9-2) on Wednesday, December 21, at 12:00 PM.
