SCOUTING THE OWLS Temple enters Saturday’s contest with a 4-10 overall record and a 0-2 mark in The American. The Owls have lost three-consecutive games including a 66-57 defeat at home against Tulane on Jan. 8.
_ _ Temple averages 62.9 points per game while shooting 37.8 percent from the field and 26.8 percent from beyond the 3-point line. Mia Davis leads the Owls in scoring at 18.4 points per game, while Alliya Butts averages 14.5 per night. On the defensive end, Temple allows opponents to average 65.2 points per contest on 39.2 percent and 34.4 percent from the field and beyond the arc, respectively.
_ _ Davis also leads the Owls on the glass, pulling down 8.8 rebounds per night. Davis’ total helps Temple outrebound opponents on average 39.4-38.2.
* Houston won its second-consecutive game against Temple after dropping the first eight all-time matchups in the series. * The Cougars outrebounded the Owls 37-29. The 29 rebounds for Temple are a season-low for a Houston opponent. The Cougars won the offensive rebound battle 14-8, leading to a 17-8 advantage in second-chance points. * The Cougars also held advantages in points off turnovers (19-18), points in the paint (34-28), fast-break points (24-11) and bench points (27-16).
BALANCED SCORING HELPS COOGS TOP TEMPLE AND IMPROVE TO 2-1 IN CONFERENCE PLAY
The Coogs’ bench outscored the Owls’ bench 27-16. Houston also outscored Temple 17-8 in second-chance points and 24-11 in fast break points.
“We talked about the accountability of sticking together and holding your teammates accountable,” Hughey commented. “It’s a sisterhood where you have to pick your teammates up when mistakes happen. I think they did that; and, they were able to fight and get a win over a tough Temple team.”