City of Basketball Love

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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Diane Richardson enters her second season at the helm of the Temple women’s basketball program in 2023-24. She still had some roster reconstructing to do but a core led by second team All-AAC guard Aleah Nelson (14.4 ppg, 4.4 apg) and sophomore guard Tiarra East (12.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg) looks to make a jump in Year 2 after an an 11-18 (6-10 AAC) campaign in 2022-23.

Richardson’s squad started out 5-8 before conference play last season and the Owls’ non-conference slate 2023-24, announced on Friday, features a number of challenges again with teams from the Big East, Big 10, Pac-12 and SEC all on the calendar.

The Owls open their season Nov. 6 against Delaware State at the Liacouras Center, which is also the same day the men’s team opens against Maryland-Eastern Shore. They follow with a home game against Georgetown who the Owls took down 78-61 last season — one of seven non-conference rematches from 2022-23. Richardson’s squad also took down Nov. 11 opponent Bucknell, 77-62, last season and host the Bison after traveling to Lewisburg last season.

A third straight rematch sends the Owls to Oxford, Miss. on Nov. 15 to take on an Ole Miss team that thumped them 75-55 at the Liacouras Center. Leading scorer Angel Baker graduated, but the Rebels return four players who started 20-or-more games from last season’s Sweet 16 squad.

Big 5 play begins for Temple after that Nov. 19 at Villanova — another Sweet 16 team from a season ago. The Owls went 1-3 in Big 5 play last season, including a 74-71 loss to the Wildcats. They also host St. Joe’s, who they lost to 75-66 last season, on Nov. 22 to conclude their November slate.

Temple returns to action Dec. 1 and 2 in Temple, Ariz. for the Briann January Classic, named after the former Arizona State star and WNBA standout. The Owls open against host Arizona State before playing either Pacific or Xaiver the next day.

They return home Dec. 10 to host Penn, a rematch of another tight Big 5 game last season — a 62-61 Owls lost. The homestand continues Dec. 14 against Delaware before concluding Big 5 action Dec. 17 against La Salle, who Temple knocked off 70-56 last season. The last non-conference contest is a Dec. 21 home game against Northwestern. Wildcats grad transfer Maggie Pina and senior Paige Mott both played high school ball in the area at Academy of Notre and Abington Friends, respectively.

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2023-24 Temple WBB Non-Conference Schedule
All game times TBD unless noted; bold games are home. Last year’s record in parenthesis

* = Big 5 Contest; #= Briann January Classic (Tempe, Ariz.)

Mon., Nov. 6 vs. Delaware St. (7-19, 5-9 MEAC)
Thurs., Nov. 9 vs. Georgetown (14-17, 6-14 Big East)
Sat., Nov. 11 vs. Bucknell (13-17, 9-9 Patriot)
Wed., Nov. 15 @ Ole Miss (25-9, 11-5 SEC)
*Sun., Nov. 19 @ Villanova (30-7, 17-3 Big East)
*Wed., Nov. 22 vs. St. Joe’s (20-11, 9-7 A-10)

#Fri., Dec. 1 vs. Arizona State (8-20, 1-17 Pac-12)
#Sat., Dec. 2 vs. Pacific/Xavier
*Sun., Dec. 10 vs. Penn (17-12, 9-5 Ivy)
Thurs., Dec. 14 vs. Delaware (16-14, 9-9 CAA)
*Sun., Dec. 17 @ La Salle (17-14, 8-7 A-10)
Thurs., Dec. 21 vs. Northwestern (9-21, 2-16 Big 10)