Howard Pushes Through A 17-Point Deficit to Clutch Win over Temple

Saadia Doyle

WASHINGTON, D.C. (www.howard-bison.com) – With a 17-point deficit on their shoulders, the Howard University women's basketball team ignited a 23-5 run over 11 minutes of action to secure a 61-58 victory over the Lady Owls of Temple University on Friday, Jan. 4 in Burr Gymnasium on the HU campus in Washington, D.C.

Lady Bison senior Saadia Doyle, who was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Pre-Season Player of the Year in November, seized an season-best 32 points, while pulling down nine rebounds and going 11-12 from the charity stripe, 10-of-19 from the field and 1-of-1 from behind the arc. Fellow classmates Cheyenne Curley-Payne and Kara Smith, who consistently play apart in the offense mix, supplemented the winning effort; Curley-Payne snatched a team-high 10 points and grabbed four steals, as Smith finished with 11 points on the night.

The collective effort consisted of a 41 percent outing from the field, a 36 percent effort from the long range and an 80 percent finish from the free-throw line, which is the best free-throw performance on the season.

Friday's comeback effort advances Howard to 6-6 overall, 4-0 at home and 5-6 in non-conference competition.

The first half of play gave little detail towards the final result, as Howard and Temple remained within an 8-point proximity and varied between six ties and 10 lead changes. In fact, it wasn't until the final second of the first half that Temple reached above a 5-point lead, attained by Tyonna Williams with a three-point basket.

By the half, the HU scoring phenomenon Doyle scored 13 of the team's total 28 points, while Temple boasted two student-athletes in double figures; Temple's Natasha Thames led with 13 and a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, followed by Williams with 10 points.

The Lady Owls return to the court after the halftime intermission still feeling the effects of Williams' final second long-range success. Temple commenced a 15-4 run to reach its 17-point margin lead at the 13:28.

In spite of the double-figure, the Howard defense and offense complimented one another for a 22-5 run to tie the contest at 56 points and piece and leave Temple scoreless from the field for 10 minutes and 11 seconds of action by the 3:17 mark.

Howard took the lead at the 2:28 on a pair from the free throw by Doyle and closed out the contest 61-58 despite going 4-of-3 from the free throw in last minutes of the game.

Temple drops to 5-8 on the season, while extending its losing streak to six consecutive losses.

The remainder of January consists of MEAC play, with Howard taking on Coppin State University on Monday, Jan. 7 at 6:00 p.m. in Baltimore, Md. Howard then returns home to host Hampton University on Saturday, Jan. 12 at 2:00 p.m. and Norfolk State* on Monday, Jan. 14 at 5:30 p.m. The mighty blue and white then heads to North Carolina to take on North Carolina A&T State University on Saturday, Jan. 19 and North Carolina Central University on Monday, Jan. 21. On Thursday, Jan. 24, HU interrupts conference play to face New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, N.J., before concluding the month in Hampton, Va., for the second matchup against Hampton University on Monday, Jan. 28.

For more information on Howard University women's basketball, visit the official athletics website at www.howard-bison.com.

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By Ariel V. Germain, Assistant Sports Information Director
HOWARD UNIVERSITY
HOWARD-BISON.COM