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Jiselle Thomas shines in Temple debut

11/09/2021, 11:00pm EST
By Joey Piatt

Joey Piatt (@joey_piatt )
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Temple coach Tonya Cardoza’s tenure with the Owls has been characterized by the aggressive defense she employs. The Owls pressure their opponents the length of the court, forcing turnovers and preventing offensive possessions before they can start. 

After Temple women’s basketball’s 2021-2022 season-opener, it looks like Cardoza has found her newest defensive disruptor in graduate transfer Jiselle Thomas

Jiselle Thomas dribbles a basketball

Jiselle Thomas (above) impressed on the offensive and defensive ends in her Temple debut. (Photo: Zamani Feelings)

In Tuesday night’s 73-53 win over Saint Francis, Thomas led the Owls’ efforts to pressure the Red Flash offense. Despite being matched up against two of Saint Francis’ most prominent scorers in redshirt senior Lili Benzel and sophomore Kaitlyn Maxwell, Thomas showcased her basketball IQ and quick hands. Benzel was held to just eight points, and Thomas collected three steals. 

Defense was key in the Temple game plan, and, with Thomas at the center, it figures to be a large part of the team’s identity this season. 

“Defensively, getting in the passing lane, getting steals, I felt like our pressure was really good, and we fed off that pressure,” Cardoza said. “We were getting stops that were really good. The team really gravitated toward each other and really wanted to continue to do that.”

Temple won the turnover battle 28-14, and Thomas’ three steals were tied for the most in the game. Cardoza, however, knows that both Thomas and her team are capable of much more than they showed against Saint Francis. 

“On the defensive end, it was more so her angles,” Cardoza said. “I felt like the intensity was still there, but her footwork needed to be better. I felt like she was allowing, [and] not just her, we were allowing [Benzel and Maxwell] to really get inside of us. Once we started to cut that off, we limited a lot of their dribble penetration.”

Thomas arrived on Broad Street as someone expected to be an instant-starter for a Temple team in need of additional scoring and depth at the guard position. 

Temple has no shortage of offensive playmakers. The Owls are led by guard Mia Davis, who was named 2021-2022 AAC Preseason Player of the Year by the media. Flanking Davis are another two scoring threats: Jasha Clinton was the 2021 Big 5 Rookie of the Year and Alexa Williamson was Second Team All-Big 5 a season ago. 

But in a deep American Athletic Conference home to programs like South Florida, UCF, Houston, and Tulane, having a plethora of different playmakers matters. A season ago, Davis, Clinton, and Williamson accounted for 71 percent of the Owls’ total points. Tonight, Thomas was the team’s leading scorer.

The Temple women's basketball team cheers on the sidelines

The Owls got off to a strong start with a 20-point win in their 2021-22 season opener. (Photo: Zamani Feelings)

Her 20-point effort, which included shooting 2-2 from beyond the arc and 4-4 from the foul line, showcased the value she could add to Temple’s offense this season. 

“Obviously on the offensive end, her effort was great,” Cardoza said. “She’s super aggressive, she’s like an energizer battery that doesn’t stop working.”

Thomas arrived at Temple with a wealth of college basketball experience. The Norwalk, Oh., native started her career at High Point University, where she played her freshman season. Thomas then transferred to Florida International University. After sitting out the 2018-2019 season as a part of transfer rules, Thomas made an immediate impact for the Panthers. She scored 784 points over the course of her two-year stint with FIU, and her 16.9 points per game a season ago helped her earn All-Conference USA honors. 

Now, Thomas figures to make her impact felt in the AAC, the largest of the conferences she’s played in so far. With bigger programs come bigger expectations, but Thomas showed she’s ready to take them head on this season as the Owls look to make a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. 

“I think it was really exciting,” Thomas said. “This was the first time I ever got to play in an area with this many fans, I just had a lot of fun out there with my teammates. It just felt really good to be out there.”

A season ago, Temple was winless in non-conference play. Their lack of depth prevented them from keeping up with the powerhouses of the AAC. Tonight, they started their season 1-0 and showcased a deeper group of players headlined by Thomas.

The Owls will have the chance to add their second victory when they travel to play Florida Gulf Coast on Friday. After that, Temple returns home for a three-game homestand that includes games against St. John’s, Bucknell and Princeton. 

While Davis, Clinton and Williamson will continue their success in Cherry and White, newcomers will be the key in Temple’s push into the upper echelon of the AAC. 

Jiselle Thomas has officially arrived at Temple, she’s here to stay.


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