Temple women have turned things around as the American Conference Tournament looms

With four games remaining in the women’s basketball regular season, Temple is not where it envisioned it would be. The Owls were coming off consecutive 20-win seasons and picked to finish fourth in the American Conference this season.

Instead, Temple stands at 12-14 with a 6-8 mark in conference play and finds itself fighting to make the tournament instead of battling for a top seed.

The Owls slid as low as ninth in the standings and were one game away from falling out of the top 10, and only the top 10 teams make the conference tournament. Temple has righted the ship with back-to-back wins against Charlotte and Memphis to move to seventh place but is still looking to improve.

“We have been up and down,” coach Diane Richardson said. “But I think we are playing better together. … Hopefully we are on the upswing. I know it’s going to be a tough hill to climb to get into the conference tournament and even if we are in the conference tournament, it’s going to be five games [in five days].”

Temple’s remaining games offer a unique set of challenges and circumstances. It faces two of the top three teams in the conference in Rice on Wednesday and South Florida next Tuesday. It will face two teams below the Owls in the conference in Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday and Florida Atlantic on March 7.

The Owls almost certainly will have to play five games in five days at the conference tournament in Birmingham. That will present a challenge for Temple since its depth has not progressed to the level Richardson desires.

While the reserves have been improving — Temple had 14 bench points in its 65-62 win against Memphis on Sunday — their lack of production is why the Owls have fallen in the standings, and Richardson knows it will be a factor in March.

“They’re starting to pick things up and not be so hesitant and be more confident in what they’re doing,” Richardson said. “Knowing how they have to help us. They have to. Seeing how we’ve done this season with going up and down, up and down, and not being able to really count on the bench as much. They kind of see that.”

» READ MORE: Temple’s comeback falls short vs. East Carolina for third straight loss

Without a strong bench, Richardson has relied on guards Kaylah Turner and Tristen Taylor and forwards Jaleesa Molina and Saniyah Craig.

Craig has especially improved. She’s been a force in the paint for the Owls, scoring in double figures in the last seven games, and has hit double-digit points in every conference game beside two, while averaging 8 rebounds.

“She’s been more of a leader, so she’s talking more,” Richardson said. “She’s more comfortable and talking, and that in turn has stepped up her game. That confidence is like, ‘OK, let’s go, let’s go.’ If you hear on defense, you can hear her talking the whole time.
And that also helps her teammates, kind of gets a little fire in everybody else.”

Guard Savannah Curry has also increased her production. She missed the first four games of conference play with a facial injury and struggled to find her role upon returning. However, she scored career highs in points (18 and 21) in consecutive games against East Carolina and Charlotte.

Curry’s emergence could be important in taking some of the burden off the Owls’ top four contributors. While Temple is no longer on the verge of missing the conference tournament, it wants to end its regular season on a high note.

» READ MORE: Kaylah Turner went from Temple’s top reserve to leading scorer in the American — and she isn’t satisfied

“We’re looking at one game at a time,” Richardson said. “If we make the tournament, that’ll be great. If we don’t, we’re still working on getting better and us playing together and cohesively. So, right now, we’re concentrating on one game at a time.”