City of Basketball Love

Ty Daubert (@TyDaubert)
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With the game in danger of slipping away for Temple, Tiarra East took control in the fourth quarter on Monday night.

Coming off the bench for the Owls, East was crucial in the game’s closing moments as she put together a final-period breakout to squash a La Salle comeback effort, 70-56, in a Big 5 matchup at the Liacouras Center. The sophomore guard scored 10 of her game-high 25 points in the final 10 minutes, sparking an immediate 15-0 Temple run as the Explorers tied the game in the fourth. 

“I know from previous games, we tend to shy away in the fourth quarter,” East said. “We tend to get lackadaisical. So, I made it an option for me to get the tempo going and keep hustling until the last buzzer.”

After scoring nine points in the fourth to help the Owls pull away from UMBC on Saturday, East put on another fourth-quarter show to complete a second straight victory for Temple (4-5). She also grabbed nine rebounds and recorded four assists and five steals, while Jasha Clinton added 12 points and 11 rebounds and Ines Piper had eight points and nine rebounds as the Owls’ late-game performance finished a high-energy effort that started early.

Temple opened the game with a strong first quarter, running the floor and getting to the rim with ease. The Owls scored 16 points in the paint in the first, led by Clinton’s six, as they jumped out to a 21-10 advantage.

“We knew that our speed was going to be the key,” Temple coach Diane Richardson said. “If we could help them defensively and get stops, we could get out in transition.”

As Temple created easy looks in the beginning part of the game, La Salle (6-4) struggled to get anything going offensively. The Explorers shot 7-for-35 (20%) from the field and 4-of-9 (44%) from the foul line in the first half.

Coming off a win against Lehigh on Saturday, La Salle wasn’t able to execute on offense, leading to ample scoring opportunities for the Owls.

“I just think we weren’t playing with poise,” La Salle coach Mountain MacGillivray said. “We weren’t landing and executing our screening actions very well. … The first half, it was a struggle on both ends, and credit to Temple on that.”

However, trailing 33-21 at the break, the Explorers brought the deficit within five in the third quarter as guard Claire Jacobs scored eight of her team-high 13 points, going 4-for-5 from the free throw line in the period. The Explorers quickly tied in to start the fourth as Charity Shears, who scored 12 points, buried a 3-pointer and Mia Jacobs made a reverse layup.

But East responded for the Owls, driving to the basket on the other end and converting an and-one. Tarriyonna Gary then hit a triple from the left wing, before East battled her way into the paint and scored at the rim two more times in a row. 

Suddenly down 60-50, La Salle called timeout, but didn’t score again until Gary made two free throws and Aleah Nelson put it out of reach with a 3-ball — Temple’s second of the game — to take a 15-point lead with 5:37 to play.

“I thought we defended the 3-point line really, really well,” MacGillivray said, “until we gave up the two 3s when we needed to not give them up. And that’s a really good recipe to lose a game when you tie the game and claw all the way back. … Next thing you know, your deficit’s the same as it was at halftime.”

For the Owls, the ability to regroup after La Salle evened the score and retake full control was the biggest development of the night. A team never wants to blow a lead, of course, but Richardson was more focused on her group’s response to that and what it could mean moving forward.

“We have to stay the course and be resilient,” she said. “And that’s a growth process as well for us.”

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Richardson picks up first Big 5 win

A first-year coach at Temple, Richardson earned the first Big 5 victory over her career as Temple defeated La Salle, a noteworthy milestone as she continues to get accustomed to coaching in Philadelphia for the first time.

“The Big 5 — again, I’m new to the area — it’s huge,” she said. “It’s like playing a postseason tournament. The pressure was on for us to get out there and get a win.”

After dropping back-to-back games against Villanova and St. Joe’s earlier in the season, the Owls were winless in the Big 5 heading into this game. The Explorers didn’t make it easy for Temple, but Richardson’s players came through to put the former Towson coach on the board.

“We knew that we had to be tuned in and we had to be focused for this,” Richardson said. “No. 1, to get a win. But No. 2, to get a Big 5 win.”

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Masciantonio getting back on track for La Salle

Missing its starting point guard for four games to close out the month of November, La Salle is grateful to have Molly Masciantonio back in the fold. 

Dealing with a knee injury, the matchup at Temple was the second game back for the grad student and former Archbishop Carroll standout. She scored three points and recorded six assists.

“I’ll take the six assists to one turnover,” MacGillivray said. “That’s her job, to take care of the ball.”

After a scoreless first game back against Lehigh, Masciantonio went 1-for-7 from the field against the Owls. Her presence alone is a positive for the Explorers, and she should only continue to get closer to form with time.

“Offensively, she’s gotta get it cooking again,” MacGillivray said. “I think she shied away on a couple loose balls, maybe afraid to hit the floor with her knee. But it’s nice to have her back out on the floor.”

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Up next

Temple has its final Big 5 contest of the season coming up on Sunday as the team heads to University City to face Penn (3-5) at the Palestra. La Salle plays again on Wednesday, hosting Monmouth (5-3) at Tom Gola Arena.