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

Temple guard Kaylah Turner describes her play as “KT ball,” which she says is scoring at all three levels and being a pest on defense.

However, the 5-foot-6 junior is constantly looking to improve, whether it’s becoming a better passer or grabbing more rebounds. Her drive to get better has helped Turner blossom into one of the best players in the American Conference.

The former Alabama A&M transfer and reigning American sixth player of the year leads the conference in scoring with 17.2 points per game. It’s been a difficult stretch for the Owls in conference play, but Turner has led Temple (10-13, 4-7) to three wins in its last seven games. She scored 12 points in Tuesday’s 52-43 loss against Texas San-Antonio.

“We just have to focus on the next game,” Turner said. “We can’t really draw on all the losses.”

Turner had high expectations this season. She was named to the American’s preseason all-conference first team after a standout first season with the Owls, where she averaged 9.9 points on 38.5% shooting off the bench. With the graduation of guards Tiarra East and Tarriyonna Gary, Turner moved to the starting lineup this season.

“First team preseason was cool but I think I should have been preseason player of the year,” Turner said. “So that’s on my mind and that’s what’s motivated me every day to get better because I didn’t get my original goal, so I still have another couple of goals in mind. I’m just never satisfied.”

Moving into the starting lineup paired Turner with point guard Tristen Taylor, who led the American in assist-to-turnover ratio last season. Turner’s scoring prowess and Taylor’s facilitating have made them a formidable backcourt.

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“We play very well together,” Taylor said. “I feel like we’re actually the best backcourt duo in the conference, and I’ll say that. But Kaylah comes in here and works hard every day. She is a great teammate, not just to me, but to everybody. She always brings energy, and I just feel like that flows onto the court when she goes out and plays.”

That energy has helped Turner lead the conference in points per game and to shoot 41.6% on three-pointers, which is second in the conference..

However, when Temple lost four of its first five American contests, Turner was one of the players who couldn’t find her groove during that stretch.

Turner shot below 40% in four of those five games. Before Temple’s game against South Florida on Jan. 20, the team held a meeting to go over everyone’s role on the floor. The Owls beat the Bulls, 86-83, and are 3-3 since the meeting. Turner has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the refreshed role clarity.

She had a 27-point outburst in Temple’s 67-65 overtime win against Tulane on Jan. 31, where she came up with a steal in the final seconds and assisted forward Jaleesa Molina’s game-winning layup.

“We were just super locked in on that play,” Turner said. “I got the steal, but all my teammates were all talking at that time. So that’s why we got that steal and Jaleesa was able to get the bucket.”

Turner also reached a major career milestone against the Green Wave. She eclipsed 1,000 career points after knocking down a three-pointer in the second quarter.

“It definitely means a lot,” Turner said. “I was definitely happy when I got it. Just seeing my success that I had at Alabama A&M, and then having the same thing here is just incredible, seeing my hard work pay off in that aspect.”

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Despite having the best season of her career, Turner sees plenty of spots for improvement. With Temple still in the middle of the American standings with seven games to play, Turner is looking to give the Owls momentum heading into the conference tournament.

“Looking at these games that we won recently, it was with the defense and 50/50 balls, intensity, urgency, all that type of stuff,” Turner said. “So we can make sure we really emphasize the little things. We can sit here and look at scout and run our plays, but what wins games is everything that’s not on the scout. Energy, talking, getting on the floor, that type of stuff. Just being consistent with our spicy defense, like coach always talks about.”