TTN: First half troublesome for young Owls

http://temple-news.com/sports/2012/12/17/first-half-troublesome-for-young-owls/

(December 17, 2012)
Turnovers and youth among reasons for slow starts.

Maybe it’s a sign of the youth, or maybe it’s a result of all the turnovers, but something has to change for the Owls (5-4) in the first half of games.

By this point coach Tonya Cardoza and company know they have a problem coughing up the ball, especially early in games. It’s also quite obvious how young they are. Both topics have been well covered these first nine games.

But there’s been an interesting result to come of this tough combination. Slow starts.

Through nine games Temple has averaged 57.33 points per game. Of that, 24 come in the first half. In three contests—losses to Nebraska, Rutgers and Auburn on Sunday—the Owls scored 17, 14 and 17 points, respectively. Only twice have they scored at least 30 points in the opening half, against Northeastern and Kent State.

That’s not exactly a winning formula.

“It’s stuff that we’ve talked about, that we’ve noticed, that we have to get out to a better start,” Cardoza said after Sunday’s 71-49 loss to the Tigers (8-2). “A lot of times it’s the turnovers that cause it.”

Comparatively the Owls’ opponents average 28.88 points per first half, and 59.2 overall.

The tortoise-paced first halves means the team tends to play catch up. As the numbers show, Temple averages a first-half deficit of 4.88 points. Yet in just four of those games they’ve trailed. So when Cardoza’s squad falls behind at the break, it tends to be by a pretty decent margin.

Yet the Owls are quite good at coming back, averaging 33.33 points in the second half of games while opponents average 30.33. So when they finally turn things on, they do so better than their opponents do.

Temple has outscored Montana 28-14, Seton Hall 33-20, and Syracuse 49-28 in the second half. In only the Seton Hall game were they leading at intermission. And against Syracuse they needed every single point in that second half to overcome a 14-point deficit, ultimately winning 74-67.

“It’s something that, it has to change,” Cardoza said. “It can’t be that we’re down and now we start to fight […] That mentality has to change.”

“[Once] we realize that we can break the pressure, we can do something, then we get hungry or we get that pressure and sometimes it’s just too late,” Cardoza said.

It was the same thing on Sunday for the Owls, as they quickly fell behind thanks to some poor shooting and early mistakes. They went into the half trailing 17-30. At this point that score isn’t much of a surprise. This time they just couldn’t make up the ground, being outscored 41-32 in the second half.

“I think, to be honest, it’s just the heart and desire and the fight that you have every time that you step out on the court,” Cardoza said. “I know we’re young but that has nothing to do with being tough and being competitive.”

If the coach is calling out the toughness of her squad, a team that has leadership from senior center Victoria Macaulay and redshirt-junior forward Natasha Thames who are battle tested in some big games, that’s not a good sign.

The Owls next game is at Big 5 rival Villanova, who has always given this team trouble. Cardoza doesn’t expect the Wildcats to press nearly as much as Auburn did, but if the team can’t get off to a quicker start then they have much of the season that won’t make much of a difference.

Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520.

TTN The Cherry: Rebounds make for early success

http://thecherry.temple-news.com/2012/12/16/rebounds-make-for-early-success/

(December 16, 2012)

Part of the women's basketball team's success on the defensive end this season can be traced back to one simple thing: rebounds.

Temple is holding opponents to just .340 shooting in their first eight games and 57.8 points per game. Those are respectable numbers for a team that returned just two starters from last season.

The reason behind this has been rebounds. The Owls average 42.6 boards per game while holding opponents to just 35.3. In all but one game, in a loss to Nebraska early in the season, they have won the rebound battle. On the offensive glass they hold just a four-rebound margin, 110-106.

But on the defensive end is where they've had the most success, snagging 231 rebounds against 176 by their opponents. That's a 55-rebound difference, or 6.9 per game.

Senior center Victoria Macaulay is the driving force behind this, averaging 10.1 rebounds per game, with 7.5 of those coming on the defensive end. But the rest of the team has chipped in as well. Five other Owls have at least 20 defensive boards, and three of them average at least four rebounds per game.

Crashing the boards, especially on defense, has limited opponents opportunities and kept their offenses in check. It's a big reason why such as young squad is 5-3 to start the season.

-Jake Adams

TTN The Cherry: Thames, guards remain fluid

http://thecherry.temple-news.com/2012/12/16/thames-guards-remain-fluid/

(December 16, 2012)

The women's basketball team (5-3) is 0-1 this season without redshirt-junior forward Natasha Thames in the lineup.

The unheralded frontcourt partner of senior center Victoria Macaulay missed her first game of the season with a mild concussion, in Temple's 71-62 loss to Kent State on Dec. 6. Freshman forward MeghanRoxas made her first collegiate start of her career.

Roxas scored just four points, shooting 1-for-17 while grabbing four rebounds in 20 minutes of work. She also turned the ball over twice in that time.

Coach Tonya Cardoa also replaced freshman guard Erica Covile with fellow freshman guard May Dayan in the starting lineup. cardoza previously made a switch to Covile after five games to try and get a more physical presence on the court.

Thames is cleared to play Sunday against Auburn (7-2), but the guard situation remains fluid in the early goings of the season.

-Jake Adams

TTN: Switch of guards sparks upset win

http://temple-news.com/sports/2012/12/04/adams-switch-of-guards-sparks-upset-win/

(December 4, 2012)

Tonya Cardoza’s move to start Erica Covile at guard in place of May Dayan has paid off.

The past two games, the Owls have been a completely different team.

Where once was a squad that coughed up the ball more than it found open shots is now a team that is making fewer mistakes and shooting at an impressive rate.

Much of that can be attributed to improved guard play. Heading into Temple’s game at Bowling Green on Nov. 28, coach Tonya Cardoza pulled the plug on her experiment with freshman guard May Dayan.

In five games as the starter at the two position, Dayan had more turnovers (17) than points (15), 10 rebounds and six assists.

All too often sophomore guard Rateska Brown would come off the bench to replace Dayan and make shot after shot. But instead of giving Brown the starting nod the past two games, Cardoza went with freshman guard Erica Covile and her 43.5 percent shooting and 3.6 rebounds per game.

“I just felt that [Covile] would give us another chance at getting some offensive rebounds,” Cardoza said. “She’s a great offensive rebounder.”

With Covile at shooting guard the Owls have racked up 70 and 74 points in their past two games, respectively. They got 70 in a convincing win against Bowling Green when Covile knocked down eight points to go along with six rebounds in 29 minutes of action.

On Sunday, Dec. 2, the Owls upset the undefeated and heavily-favored Syracuse, despite trailing 39–25 at the half. Covile’s stat line was a little less impressive, however, with five points and six boards.

“Right now it’s working out,” Cardoza said. “It’s still early, you never know what can happen, but I like what we look like out there to start. I think we’re bigger.”

“It helps a lot because the other team’s game plan is to trap me or double-team me or whatever,” senior center Victoria Macaulay said of the team’s recent balanced attack.

Yes, it’s still early in the season. There’s a very good chance Cardoza could juggle the guards again later in the season. It’s far from a settled group.

Sophomore guard Tyonna Williams has been the most consistent of the bunch. The starting point guard has averaged 7.4 points and 4.9 assists per game. But she’s given up the ball 32 times. The next closest player in that department is Brown, with 18.

“[Williams is] still young, so these are still games that she’s going to have turnovers,” Cardoza said. “But every single day I want to see improvement.”

Williams had her best performance of the season against the Orange, knocking down 33.3 percent of her shots for 14 points while tallying 11 assists for her first career double-double.

“Every situation is just going to help her, and this is definitely going to help her,” Cardoza said. “This, I think, is going to give her even more passion, and even more fire, that no matter what the situation is she’s going to have this to build on.”

The best of the bunch of late, however, has to be Brown, who was named co-Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week for her performance against Syracuse. As the team’s sixth woman, she’s averaging 11.3 points while snagging four rebounds a game. The past three games she scored 12, 15 and 19 points. She’s easily the team’s best three-point shooter but Cardoza hasn’t given her the starting nod just yet.

“No I’m not content with sitting on the bench at all,” Brown said. “But I’m going to keep trying to get on the floor, but I mean, if that’s what coach wants me to do, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Brown said that more as a competitor who wants to help her team every chance she gets.But she has a point. She wants to be out there as much as possible, even though Cardoza loves her in the role she has right now.

But that’s the way things are going to be for now. Cardoza will plug in people she thinks fit a certain role as long as they stay hot. Whoever has the hot hand and is making the fewest mistakes is going to get the most time.

“We had a lot of turnovers today but the difference in our turnovers today was we had a lot of assists,” Cardoza said. “So now we’re at least making plays for other people, and that’s really good.”

Right now that hot hand appears to belong to Williams and Brown. But with Covile starting the results speak for themselves. Two big wins in one week are hard to ignore.

Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520.

TTN The Cherry: Shuffle of guards, less turnovers

http://thecherry.temple-news.com/2012/12/02/shuffle-of-guards-less-turnovers/

(December 2, 2012)

Lost in Wednesday's win over Bowling Green was coach Tonya Cardoza's decision to start freshman guard Erica Covile over freshman guard May Dayan.

At least for one game the results speak for themselves.

Covile was 4-for-7 on the night, making her first start of the season from the two position. She finished with eight points, six boards, two blocks and a steal in 29 minutes of action.

Dayan was solid off the bench, going two for four for six points and a rebound. But while she dished out two assists she also turned the ball over three times in 17 minutes.

That's the biggest difference on the night, and on the season. Dayan has been far more careless with the ball. Covile had zero turnovers despite playing more minutes.

While she single-handedly didn't make the difference in that department for the Owls, who had a season low 14 giveaways, it is a start.

It'll be interesting to see if Cardoza sticks with Covile for the time being.

-Jake Adams

TTN: Junior offers heritage gift

http://temple-news.com/sports/2012/10/02/junior-offers-heritage-gift/

(October 2, 2012)
Gabriella Matautia celebrates Hawaiian Night with family.

Junior outside hitter Gabriella Matautia hails from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, a volleyball mecca. ( HUA ZONG // TTN )

Senior night is typically the lone night of a student-athlete’s career when the team pays homage to its elders for their four years of effort, when the night is just as much about saying thank you as it is the final score.

At McGonigle Hall on Sept. 28, junior outside hitter Gabriella Matautia, still a year away from donning the Cherry and White for the last time, got her own unique night, Hawaiian Night.

Matautia was able to celebrate her heritage with her father and brother, who added to the theme by bringing Hawaiian leis for the crowd.

“I was looking forward to seeing her play because I haven’t had a chance to make it here the past three years,” Martin Matautia, her father, said. “It came out to be what I was envisioning, just to see how she grew up as a volleyball player.”

Gabriella Matautia, who hails from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, put on a show on Hawaiian Night as Temple hosted heavily favored Atlantic 10 Conference foe Xavier, knocking down 18 kills while recording 12 digs and two aces in the team’s five-set upset victory.

“I’ve been talking to my teammates about how nervous I was,” Gabriella Matautia said. “I didn’t want to let [my family] down.”

Gabriella Matautia spent most of her life on the Hawaiian beaches playing volleyball year round. She grew up with the sport partly because Hawaii is a volleyball mecca, but mostly because her parents met as part of the All-Army volleyball team, where both served in the armed forces. Her mother couldn’t attend Hawaiian Night because of a West Point Academy reunion in New York.

“Hawaii was good because it’s such a big volleyball community,” Gabriella Matautia said, “I just fell in love with the game that brought my parents together.”

After high school, Gabriella Matautia chose Temple because she wanted to see a new part of the world. She didn’t even know Temple existed until former coach Bob Bertucci offered her a scholarship.

“It’s so big here,” Gabriella Matautia said. “I came on my visit and it was just so cool. There’s so much to do around here and it’s so different from home. So I just wanted to get out and check out the world I guess.”

Coach Bakeer Ganes first watched Gabriella Matautia while recruiting as an assistant for West Virginia and knew Temple was interested in her, so he called up Bertucci and offered his thoughts.

“I’m not saying [Bertucci] did that because I said that, but I really thought she was a good player back then, and I’m glad [Bertucci] did offer her a scholarship because I’m really happy to have her on the team,” Ganes said.

However,  the move was tough for her family, Martin Matautia said.

“I was so nervous about having to see your own daughter leave when you’re with her so long in your life,” Martin Matautia said. “I was so sad. It was very tough.”

“She was like another mom,” her brother Austin Matautia, 14, said. “She took care of me when my parents were at work and stuff.”

But Gabriella “Hawaiian Punch” Matautia quickly found a home with Samoan senior libero Chelsea Tupuola, and teamed up with junior outside hitter Elyse Burkert to create a dangerous attack trio for the Owls.

“I can learn from someone so aggressive and so strong,” Burkert said. “It’s good because we’re there for each other. I’m so lucky that we came in together. It’s so good because every year I’ll get to play with her.”

Gabriella Matautia hits primarily from the weak, or opposite, side on offense, whereas Burkert hits from the power side. The pairing allows Ganes to split his top two weapons to create favorable matchups against opposing blocks.

“You really have a lot of pull if you create the right angle,” Ganes said. “[Gabriella Matautia] really has a good approach now, a good angle.”

Burkert said Gabriella Matautia’s power on the weak side helps even more as she’s typically facing the weakest side of a defense’s block. Gabriella Matautia is second on the team with 3.75 kills per set, most of which have come from the weak side.

“She is put in a really good position hitting over there because she’s so powerful and she can hit against outside hitters [who aren’t the best blockers],” Burkert said.

Gabriella Matautia’s presence is an added boost as Burkert and her have one more year together, when they’ll get to share that senior night every college athlete craves. Hawaiian Night may have been just a sampling of what’s to come.

“She is evolving as a player and she’s getting better and better,” Ganes said. “She’s not done yet.”

Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520.

TTN: Basketball under fire

http://temple-news.com/sports/2012/11/27/basketball-under-fire/

(November 27, 2012)
Conflict in Israel affects Owls at home and afar.

While the crisis in Israel is taking place nearly 6,000 miles away, it has changed the day-to-day life of May Dayan, who hails from Ashdod, Israel, and whose family resides there.

“I call them after every class, before every class, 10, 15 times a day just to make sure that everything’s fine and they’re fine,” Dayan, a freshman guard on the women’s basketball team, said after the Owls’ game against Rutgers on Nov. 21.

The Israeli conflict began when Israel retaliated against sporadic attacks from militant groups within Palestine by firing rockets of their own into Gaza on Nov. 14. The two sides exchanged primarily aerial and artillery assaults for eight days until Egypt helped initiate truce talks that have both sides operating under a cease-fire.

While Dayan has been dealing with the experience from home, two former Owls found themselves in the middle of the crossfire.

Former women’s guard Shey Peddy plays for Hapoel Rishon-Lezion in Israel and former men’s guard Ramone Moore had been playing for Israel’s Hapoel Tel-Aviv. Moore was in Rishon, Israel for less than a month before returning to the U.S. during Thanksgiving break to get away from the attacks.

Moore played in one game on Nov. 12 for five minutes and went 0-for-3 shooting on the night. The team’s next game on Nov. 19 was played despite the fighting.

“It was a great experience, it was a great country,” Moore said. “I just thought it was unsafe for me. I tried to stick it out for a little bit.”

For Peddy, in Rishon, Israel, and Dayan, who grew up in Ashdod, Israel, the fighting has been especially stressful, although for different reasons.

Peddy resides roughly 45 minutes from where some of the missiles were fired, she said via email on Friday, Nov. 23. She tweeted about games being canceled and hearing sirens and explosions when the fighting began on Nov. 14.

“I have never been in a situation like this where bomb sirens are going off every day, so I would be lying if I said it was easy,” Peddy said.

Dayan grew up dealing with the sporadic fighting, but she was always with her family, which she said made things easier.

“When I was there and it happened at least I knew what’s going on and what we’re doing,” Dayan said. “But now when I’m away I have no idea what’s going on…it’s hard to be here and not be with them in this situation, but they’re doing fine.”

Dayan said her home city is among those hit hardest, with sirens going off multiple times a day to warn citizens to seek shelter. It’s something she grew accustomed to for most of her life.

“Every time they’re out and the siren goes on and then they need to go to the safe place,” Dayan said. “They’re doing fine…but my sister doesn’t go to school, my mother doesn’t go to work.”

Peddy said Rishon was one of the safer places in Israel. Two rockets struck the fourth-largest city in the nation, and she’s been told that’s the first time they have ever been hit. She said she’s felt safe, even though her family has expressed concern and wants her to return to the U.S.

“I am a family person so I have been in contact with my family every day,” Peddy said. “I know they are still worried about me so I keep them updated with everything that is going on in Israel.”

While Dayan has worried constantly for her family’s safety, Peddy learned how to manage the situation with the help of her team.

“[City officials] keep us updated with all security alerts,” Peddy said. “If anything happens our coaches and teammates make sure that we are OK.”

“Israeli teammates talking about ‘Relax, don’t be afraid of the bombings. It’s normal,’” she tweeted on Nov. 14.

Despite the security measures several players in the Israel D-I league have left to stay with family, Peddy said.

“Some players have been moved out of their city to a safer place, practices have been canceled and games have been postponed,” Peddy said. “Some players have expressed the importance of going home to be with their families and plane tickets have been purchased.”

Coach Tonya Cardoza and the rest of the Owls stay up-to-date with the news as much as possible and make it a point to make sure one of their newest members is OK and coping as best as possible.

“We’re a family so we’re definitely going to look out for [Dayan] and make sure,” Cardoza said. “Obviously she’s not the type of person that’s going to sit here and moan about it or whatever.”

“She’s not going to let anybody know that something’s bothering her unless you’re asking her questions,” Cardoza added. “So she’s not really talking about it, but we’ve made a point to talk to her about it to see how she is doing.”

Dayan didn’t let the stress affect her on the court, maintaining the importance of her other family: her teammates.

“When I play basketball I try to be focused on basketball,” Dayan said.

Peddy, meanwhile, said she was less focused on her career and more worried about keeping safe and adjusting to the unfortunate lifestyle that comes with living in Israel.

“However, I don’t think that I would ever get to a point where I would be completely comfortable with this situation, but I thank everyone for their efforts in trying to keep me safe and also giving me a piece of mind,” Peddy said.

Peddy’s next scheduled game is on Dec. 3. Dayan takes the court again for the Owls tomorrow, Nov. 28, for the first time since the firing ceased. Both players said they hope the truce continues.

Jake Adams can be reached at Jacob.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520.

TTN: Costly Mistakes

http://temple-news.com/sports/2012/11/27/costly-mistakes/

(November 27, 2012)
Defense can only do so much to overcome turnovers.

It’s pretty hard to score when the ball isn’t in your hands. It’s a lot harder to score when you routinely give away your possessions.

The women’s basketball team, a team that in recent years has prided itself on controlling the ball, is now a turnover machine.

In four of their five games this season they’ve coughed up the ball at least 20 times. They only time they didn’t was in the season-opening win against Montana when they turned the ball over 19 times.

“I’m the starting point guard and it falls on me,” sophomore guard Tyonna Williams said after the loss to Rutgers on Nov. 21. “Until I get better it’s going to keep happening […] I’ve got to change the way I’m playing.”

In two of those contests turnovers cost Temple a chance at victory. Against Nebraska (26 turnovers) and Rutgers (24 turnovers) they were blown out thanks to costly first half turnovers that allowed their opponents to jump to big leads early.

“I’m hoping that it burns inside them that they start valuing the basketball because it’s not going to matter who we’re playing against,” coach Tonya Cardoza said. “We can play against a high school team and if we’re turning over the basketball we will lose the basketball game.”

It isn’t just the fact that the team has committed a lot of turnovers. It’s about how they’re making these mistakes.

They’re on a fast break and they overthrow a pass to an open teammate. They’re driving the lane and they kick out, but right to an opponent. They’re attempting long range passes that get tipped or go out-of-bounds. They’re forcing passes inside they have no right attempting.

In other words they’re playing like a team with only one senior.

“It wasn’t trouble,” sophomore guard Rateska Brown said of the Rutgers’ defensive pressure. “Like coach said it was a lot of unforced turnovers. We just threw it out-of-bounds when nobody was even pressing us.”

Granted, these short of hardships are expected on a very young team in the first few games of the season. But you’d expect the turnover rate to drop slightly after five games, not rise all the way to 29 when the team defeated Northeastern.

There’s two pretty simple solutions to this, though. The guards, especially, have to make smarter decisions and not try and force these miracle plays and win the game in one shot. Take what the defense gives you and keep it simple.

Also, when in their half-court offense they need to work the ball around more. Too many times Williams or freshman guard May Dayan may be sitting there dribbling around, making one or two passes. Where are the quick, around-the-arch, passes that spread out the defense?

While this problem limits the scoring capabilities of the offense, it also has an adverse affect on the defense. If there was a time-of-possession clock like in football Temple would be losing that battle by a wide margin.

Opponents have taken 304 shots compared to the Owls’ 253. In five games they have been out-shot by an average of 10.2 attempts.

Now the defense has been playing very well for its youth, allowing just 31.9 percent shooting. Temple has only been outscored by seven points this season, with much of the credit going to the defense being able to keep games closer than they deserve to be at times.

“The thing is, most of the time we’re playing pretty good defense and we’re getting really good stops, but you’re not going to shut a team out,” Cardoza said. “But if we’re getting stops and now we’re going down to the other end and turning the basketball over it defeats the purpose.”

So yes, the defense has held its own thus far. But they can’t make every stop and when the Owls have the seemingly inevitable turnover streak in the first half there’s not much the defense can do to slow down all those easy buckets.

They can overcome this for now against teams like Northeastern and Montana, but there’s no way non-conference foes like Syracuse and Villanova will grant them the same flexibility. And when the Atlantic 10 Conference season rolls around there’s no chance.

“I know the days off that I have I’m going to be in the gym,” Williams said about the week off until their next game. “I’m hoping my teammates will be in the gym. We got to find it inside of ourselves. We’ve got to want to get better, everybody.

They have to fix this now, or it’s going to be a long season.

Jake Adams can be reached at jake.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520

TTN: Turnovers cost women’s basketball against Rutgers

http://temple-news.com/sports/2012/11/22/turnovers-cost-womens-basketball-against-rutgers/

(November 22, 2012)
Owls can’t overcome first-half woes in 66-50 loss to Scarlet Knights.

It took five turnovers in a three-minute span in the first half to change the course of the women’s basketball game against Rutgers (2-1) Wednesday at McGonigle Hall.

With 15 minutes, 30 seconds left in the half senior center Victoria Macaulay turned the ball over, leading to an easy jumper by Rutgers’ sophomore guard Shakena Richardson.

During the next three minutes, freshman guard May Dayan turned the ball over twice, sophomore guard Tyonna Williams coughed it up once and Macaulay gave it away once more. In that time the score swung from 5-2 in favor of the Owls (3-2) to 9-5 for the Scarlet Knights. Temple couldn’t recover, and lost 66-50.

“We talked about the keys to the game and one of the most important things was making sure that we took care of the ball,” coach Tonya Cardoza said. “And obviously we didn’t do that.”

Temple committed a whopping 24 turnovers, but that isn’t even their season high. Against Northeastern on Nov. 17, the Owls gave away 29 freebies.

“To be honest it’s not one person, it’s everyone,” Cardoza said. “We’re all turning it over.”

Temple’s 5-2 lead was their largest of the game, and when senior forward Chelsey Lee made the and-1 Rutgers never looked back. In a 12-minute span the Owls knocked down one basket, a layup by Williams.

Meanwhile the Scarlet Knights built their lead up to 18. The teams went into the locker rooms at half with Temple trailing 31-14 in arguably the worst half of their season. Rutgers converted 14 of the Owls’ turnovers in the first half into 20 points.

“Like coach said it was a lot of unforced turnovers,” sophomore guard Rateska Brown said. “We just threw it out-of-bounds when nobody was even pressing us.”

Brown was one of the few bright spots in the loss, knocking down 12 points and grabbing five boards off the bench. Williams, despite her seven turnovers, managed to shoot 6-for-13 for 15 points and dish out four assists.

But Macaulay was largely quiet for the second time this season. She shot 25 percent from the field, tallying six points and pulling in six rebounds. Her two teammates in the post, redshirt-junior forward Natasha Thames and freshman forward Sally Kabengano, combined for eight points and 14 boards.

“If [Macaulay’s not scoring the basketball it’s going to be hard for us to win basketball games,” Cardoza said. “I thought that she started forcing things and she probably got frustrated with herself and frustrated that we were down, and usually when that happens you’re taking yourself out of the basketball game.”

The second half proved much better for Temple, outscoring their New Jersey rival 36-35, but the damage was done far too early. The closest they would get in the second half was 14.

The Owls now have a week to figure out how to stop giving up the ball so frequently before they face Bowling Green on Nov. 28. It’s their first of seven road contests over the next eight games.

Once they have their Thanksgiving meals the team plans to be back in the gym trying to correct their mistakes.

“Get in the gym,” Williams said. “You get better. This is upsetting.”

Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520.

TTN The Cherry: Turnovers, defense, characterize season

http://thecherry.temple-news.com/2012/11/17/turnovers-defense-characterize-season/

(November 17, 2012)

Women's Basketball- Barely a weak into the season there are two very important things to notice about this Owls team.

First, they turn the ball over a lot. Second, they know how to play defense.

This comes as a bit of a surprise because typically teams that commit a lot of errors have trouble holding the team off the scoreboard.

If you dismiss the team's loss to Nebraska, 64-39, the Owls have held their other two opponents, both wins, to an average of 39.5 points. Temple turned the ball over 19 times against Montana and had 26 giveaways against Seton Hall.

This season they've allowed just .277 shooting, including .200 from three-point land. Typically an excess of turnovers--the Owls three opponents have committed just 42 turnovers to their 67--leads to easy buckets for the opposing team.

Not the case thus far for Temple, but that trend will have to change if they hope to keep winning.

-Jake Adams

TTN: Volleyball upsets Duquesne, advances to semifinals

http://temple-news.com/sports/2012/11/17/volleyball-upsets-duquesne-advances-to-semifinals/

(November 17, 2012)
The Owls upset Duquesne in five sets to advance to the A-10 semifinals.

When the season began they were supposed to finished second to last.

Now, the volleyball team is one win away from reaching the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament finals.

Temple (19-10, 8-6 in the A-10) stunned fourth-seeded Duquesne (22-11, 9-5 in the A-10) in the opening round of the tournament in five sets by scores of 19-25, 25-10, 25-19, 17-25, 15-10 in Pittsburgh, Pa., Friday night.

The Dukes were favored to win after sweeping the Owls earlier this season.

However, Temple stayed close in the early parts of the first set but Duquesne was able to pull ahead thanks to multiple blocks and clutch hitting. The Owls only committed two hitting errors after tying the score 7-7 but weren’t able to get a footing.

Due to three errors by the Dukes and three kills by senior outside hitter Jingyu Zhang the Owls stormed out to a 7-0 lead in the second set. Duquesne never mounted a serious comeback after that, only managing to draw within seven points.

After tying the third set at 3-3 Temple went on a 7-2 run and once again never looked back. Zhang knocked down five kills in the set, the same as she did in the second set.

Despite the momentum shift the Dukes took a commanding 6-1 lead to open up the fourth set. The team that was able to jump out early seemed to control the fate of a set.

The Owls were able to climb back to take a 10-9 lead but Duquesne pulled out of reach with a 15-5 run. Three quick attack errors by the Owls after taking the lead doomed the squad and led to an even set score at 2-2.

In the deciding set, Temple was able to jump to a 6-2 lead thanks in part two kills and an ace by junior outside hitter Gabriella Matautia. Duquesne closed to within one on a 3-0 run of their own but two errors by the Dukes pushed the momentum back in the Owls favor with the score at 10-7.

A few points later and the Owls closed out the match thanks to back-to-back kills by Matautia and junior outside hitter Elyse Burkert.

While the stats don’t show it — they hit .168 on the night — the Owls got exactly the production they needed by a trio of hitters in Zhang (17 kills, .368 hitting percentage) and Matautia (17 kills and 13 digs) and Burkert (19 kills and nine digs).

Senior libero Chelsea Tupuola, playing in her first A-10 Tournament since her freshman year, recorded a match high 33 digs one day after being named the A-10 Libero of the Year.

Temple has less than 24 hours to prepare for their semi-final match against top seed Dayton, to take place Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Flyers dismantled the Owls in McGonigle earlier this season 3-0 a day after Temple upset Xavier, who will take on Virginia Commonwealth University in the other semi-final match.

If Temple pulls off another upset they will play in the finals on Sunday, which will air on the CBS Sports Network at noon.

Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520.

TTN The Cherry: Two Owls earn volleyball honors

http://thecherry.temple-news.com/2012/11/15/two-owls-earn-volleyball-honors/

(November 15, 2012)

Two Owls received Atlantic 10 Conference awards following a season which saw the team climb from the bottom of the conference to the fifth seed in the playoffs.

The Samoan duo of senior libero Chelsea Tupuola and junior outside hitter Gabriella Matautia were named the A-10 Libero of the Year and First Team All-Conference, respecitively.

Tupuola also was named to the A-10 Second Team.

Matautia was second in the conference with the 4.05 kills per set this season while leading the A-10 with .39 aces per set. Tupuola, who coach Bakeer Ganes has repeatedly claimed is the most important player on his team, lead the conference with 5.3 digs per set. She currently sits in seventh in school history with 1,385 digs.

Both players have been instrumental to the Owls resurrection this season, who stand at 8-6 in the conference heading into their first round match against fourth-seed Duquesne.

-Jake Adams

TTN The Cherry: Three-point shooting key in tonight's match-up

http://thecherry.temple-news.com/?s=Three-point+shooting+key+in+tonight%27s+match-up&submit=Search

(November 14, 2012)

The women's basketball team's loss to Nebraska on Sunday, Nov. 11, ended a big run for the Owls. Prior to the contest Temple had made at least one trey in 100 consecutive games.

While in previous seasons the Owls thrived off three-point shooting, connecting on 31.8 percent from down town last season, this year's squad isn't built for long distance shooting.

The team right now has been out shot 52-17 from beyond the arc. Temple has connected on just four of those 17 attempts, shooting 23.5 percent. And only two players are responsible for those connections, sophomore guard Rateska Brown (2-for-5) and freshman guard May Dayan (2-for-4).

In two games Seton Hall, who the Owls host on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Liacouras Center, Temple has allowed their opponents to shoot 10-for-34 from down town.

While Temple relies heavily on getting the ball to senior center Victoria Macaulay, the Owls may need to find a way to open up their long-range attack to hand the Pirates their first loss of the season.

-Jake Adams

TTN: Owls earn fifth seed in playoffs

http://temple-news.com/sports/2012/11/13/owls-earn-fifth-seed-in-playoffs/

(November 13, 2012)
The volleyball team plays Duquesne Friday in the A-10 playoffs.

The Owls face off against Duquesne on Friday, Nov. 16. The Dukes defeated the Owls in straight sets in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Oct. 12. | HUA ZONG / TTN

Maybe it was better it ended this way.

It took the Owls until the final game to clinch, but following a straight-set sweep of La Salle (4–26, 0–14 Atlantic 10 Conference) on Senior Night, Temple (18–10, 8–6 A-10) is heading back to the A-10 tournament for the first time since 2009.

Senior libero Chelsea Tupuola said she relished the opportunity to clinch at home in the final game.

“Going out we all knew this was a do-or-die kind of game,” Tupuola said. “It was definitely a huge goal for us that we had to come out and come out with fire.”

Temple needed a win to lock up the fifth seed in the tournament. The volleyball team is guaranteed at least one more game this season when the Owls travel to Pittsburgh, Pa., to take on fourth-seeded Duquesne (22–10, 9–5 A-10) on Friday, Nov. 16.

“I don’t think we’re going to do anything drastically different,” coach Bakeer Ganes said about preparing for his first postseason match as coach. “We lost at their place earlier in the season, so this is a great opportunity for us to go out there and see what we can do.”

The Owls were swept by the Dukes in the teams’ first meeting this season. Junior outside hitters Elyse Burkert and Gabriella Matautia combined for 22 kills while Tupuola recorded 18 digs, but Temple struggled due to a height disadvantage. Dukes’ junior outside hitter Allison Foschia and sophomore middle hitter Arielle Love, both at least six feet tall, combined for 30 kills for Duquesne.

“We’re going to do the same thing we’re supposed to do to get ready for Duquesne, and we’re going to go out there and see what happens,” Ganes said. “Everybody needs to understand we’re the underdog. We truly are the underdog.”

It’s a role the team has had in almost every match it has played this season, and it could be that much more noticeable on Friday, Nov. 16, with two Owls on the roster have any postseason experience.

Tupuola and fellow senior, outside hitter Caitlin McMillen, were part of the last Temple squad to make an appearance in the A-10 Tournament. Senior outside hitter Jingyu Zhang transferred to Temple and was not a member of that team.

“Our freshman year when we went to A-10’s, our first match and our only match was Dayton, and we all left it out on the floor. It did not matter what point it was,” Tupuola said.

For Tupuola, it’s exciting just to be back in her senior year.

“It’s an awesome experience,” Tupuola said. “Knowing that we’re going there this year, finishing our senior season off like that, it’s going to be awesome. And I know it’s going to be a great experience for all these girls that haven’t been there yet.”

The Owls said they know they have an uphill battle. If they’re able to get past the first match, it doesn’t get any easier.

“We’ve got to make sure that we go in focused and out to win, not going to not lose,” Matautia said. “As long as we play as a team, and at our best potential, we can beat all those teams. I fully believe that, even though everyone else is like, ‘No way.’”

Temple’s victory guaranteed them the fifth seed ahead of Butler, George Washington, Fordham and Rhode Island, all of which were fighting for one of the last two available spots in the tournament. Despite being ahead one game heading into the final weekend, the Colonials fell 3–1 to Duquesne, which allowed Butler to step into the final spot due to a head-to-head tiebreaker with George Washington.

The Bulldogs (17–11, 7–7 A-10) will take on fellow A-10 newcomer Virginia Commonwealth University (24–5, 10–4 A-10), the third seed. Dayton (23–4, 14–0 A-10) and Xavier (19–10, 11–3 A-10) clinched the top two seeds and have a first-round bye.

For the seniors, now is the time to play their best volleyball of the season if they don’t want to be a one-and-down team.

“It’s probably very cliché, but play every game like it’s your last one,” Tupuola said.

Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520.

TTN: Basketball Preview: Macaulay poised to break out

http://temple-news.com/sports/2012/11/13/basketball-preview-macaulay-poised-to-break-out/

(November 13, 2012)
Victoria Macaulay leads the Owls in her senior year.

Victoria Macaulay set a career high 16 rebounds and scored 21 points in a win on Nov. 9. | LUIS FERNANDO RODRIGUEZ / TTN

Senior center Victoria Macaulay doesn’t want one play to haunt her career.

With seconds remaining in the Atlantic 10 Conference semi-finals against Dayton in March, down by one, Macaualay grabbed an offensive board under the basket, dodged defenders and put up a layup that fell just short.

She was inches from sending Temple to the finals.

“That shot really affected me,” Macaulay said. “Never again will I [take] a reverse layup, same side.”

In what turned out to be her breakout season, Macaulay became a weapon for the Owls behind standout guards Shey Peddy, Kristen McCarthy and BJ Williams, all of whom have graduated.

Macaulay is the focal point now. Redshirt-junior forward Natasha Thames is the lone returning starter, but missed all but eight games last season with a knee injury. There’s almost no depth, after forwards Nikki Works and Brittany Lewis transferred and have been replaced by three freshmen forwards.

“[Macaulay’s] not going to be able to have [players] like [McCarthy and Peddy] to bail her out or carry the burden, it’s going to be on her,” coach Tonya Cardoza said.

“This is our year,” Thames said. “We’ve been together for four years and now this is the year for us to play together, so I think we’re really looking for each other on the court.”

For most of last season, none of this could be said about Macaulay, a 6-foot-4-inch Staten Island, N.Y., native. For two years she had underperformed and lost significant playing time to recently graduated center Joelle Connelly.

She had all the tools to be the best center in the conference, but none of the drive, Cardoza said.

“Her first two years we were screaming at her about getting in the weight room and getting stronger,” Cardoza said.

“Me and [Macaulay] could always score, we just didn’t have the mentality that we have to score because we had so many other scorers on the team so we just kind of sat back and let them do everything,” Thames said.

Macaulay averaged 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during the team’s non-conference schedule last season despite being the most talented big on the court most of the time. Then, with the start of the A-10 season, Macaulay exploded onto the scene.

She averaged six points and 11 rebounds in the first four A-10 games, but kick-started a campaign that earned her the Big 5 Most Improved Player with 20 points and eight boards against Penn on Jan. 21. For the team’s final 16 games, including five postseason match-ups, she averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and recorded her first two double-doubles.

“Somewhere around January, her whole approach to basketball changed,” Cardoza said. “I think she knows there’s a future for her beyond college and I think she understands that now.”

“I think she saw what [Peddy and McCarthy] were experiencing during their senior year where people were talking about them going and playing overseas, and I think that that’s something she wants,” Cardoza added.

Cardoza said Macaulay’s late-season surge meant there was no room for disappointment. Her star center has proven what she’s capable of and now the coach believes averaging a double-double this season isn’t out of the question.

Macaulay’s goals are to win an A-10 Championship, be named to the A-10 All-Defensive Team and improve her leadership skills, she said.

“Every single night, most of the time, I’m trying to be in the gym shooting, working on my post game, working on a variety of things like my [ball]-handling just so I can have that wide spread of skills to execute when it comes to game time,” Macaulay said.

It’s not going to be easy. Teams are going to focus on shutting down Macaulay while attacking the guards to force them into mistakes, freshman guard Tyonna Williams said.

“Eventually teams are going to start double-teaming her, triple-teaming her, keeping the ball out of her hands and then that’s for us, as guards, to step up and make shots and make plays,” Williams said.

Cardoza is most worried about keeping Macaulay’s head calm during trying times. So far, Cardoza hasn’t had to refocus Macaulay in practice, she said.

“We haven’t had to remind her about [the missed layup against Dayton], but I know that I always have that in my back pocket if I need to,” Cardoza said.

If Macaulay has her way, that subject won’t be brought up the rest of the season. She’ll be rewriting that script.

Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520.

TTN: Macaulay will make or break season

http://temple-news.com/sports/2012/11/13/macaulay-will-make-or-break-season/

(November 13, 2012)
The success of women’s basketball depends on the team’s starting center.

Skip the Nebraska game on Sunday, Nov. 11, for a moment and look no further than the Owls’ (1–1) season opener against Montana on Friday, Nov. 9, to see how this team will run the rest of the season.

In a nutshell, the first half is what the team will be in several games — sloppy, wide-eyed and a bit in over their heads — and the second half is what they will be when senior center Victoria Macaulay takes over — focused, athletic, and tough defensively.

It’s going to be the theme for the entire season, but Macaulay is the heart and soul of this team. There wasn’t a more noticeable player on the court in McGonigle Hall.

“Obviously she’s our go-to player, she’s our leader, I thought she played an outstanding game, dominated the backboards,” coach Tonya Cardoza said.

Montana did a good job in the first half keeping her outside the paint forcing her to take several jumpers. It was the Lady Griz’ plan, and the likely plan of many teams the rest of the season, to keep as many bodies inside to force her to make a play away from the net. But teams tend to forget that Macaulay’s mid-range jumper is better than some perimeter players.

When Temple fell behind by 10 just six minutes into the game, it was up to Macaulay to lead them back. Points and rebounds weren’t going to cut it. She had to make the kinds of plays that nobody notices on the stat sheet. Without it they never would have come back and won 55–41, holding the Grizzlies to 14 points in the second half.

“This gave me more confidence in myself and more confidence in my team,” Macaulay said.

“Tonight it showed that we’re warriors, we’re strong, we can fight through it and we have a lot of heart,” sophomore guard Rateska Brown said.

Macaulay finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds. It was her third double-double of her career, and easily the most dominant she’s been in her career. But when she wasn’t putting something up on the box score she was hustling up and down the court making her presence felt.

She consistently clogged the lanes and forced several bad shots and kick outs, all while fouling just once.

Cardoza had her biggest girl out in space on offense at times, and flying into the paint at others. Macaulay drew so many fouls herself that she took 13 of the team’s 25 free throw attempts.

But it didn’t come without a price. Macaulay fell hard nearly as many times as she took a shot. At first they were simple bumps, when in the first game of the season the pain disappears in a few minutes.

But each fall looked like it was taking its toll, as she got up slowly more often as the game progressed. As the focal point on offense this is going to be a common theme. She doesn’t have some of the bulk that other centers do either, so it will be interesting to see if she has to miss time due to injury.

“I’m a warrior,” Macaulay said. “Any bruises or bones that are hurt, I’m still going to fight through it.”

As for that Nebraska game, in which Temple fell 64–39 to a heavily favored Cornhuskers squad? Macaulay took just eight shots, scoring six points while grabbing five boards. She only played 28 minutes, however as Cardoza tried to give her a breather whenever possible in a game where the team never really had a chance.

Blowouts are exactly what can happen when Macaulay isn’t on, or when a team has the capability of shutting her down. At the same time, that 28–14 second half against Montana is proof positive of just what kind of impact she can have when she brings her “A” game.

Cardoza said before the season that she expects Macaulay to average a double-double this season. Well right now she’s got one in two games and is averaging 13.5 points and 10.5 rebounds.

The Owls better hope those numbers hold at the very least.

Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520.

TTN The Cherry: Women's basketball season begins at McGonigle

http://thecherry.temple-news.com/2012/11/09/womens-basketball-season-begins-at-mcgonigle/

(November 9, 2012)

The women's basketball team kicks off the 2012-13 season in the friendly confines of McGonigle Hall when the Owls host Montana on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The Grizzlies finished 16-14 last season, and 9-7 in the Big Sky Conference. The Owls 23-10 and 13-1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference before falling in the conference semifinals to eventual champion Dayton.

Temple returns standout senior center Victoria Macaulay and redshirt junior forward Natasha Thames. The rest of the team, however, is sophomores and freshmen.

The projected starting lineup for Friday's game is sophomore Tyonna Williams at the point, freshman May Dayan at shooting guard, freshman forward Sally Kabengana at the three, and Thames and Macaulay.

Cardoza likely likely won't decide for sure until Friday shoot-around.

-Jake Adams

TTN: Volleyball sweeps La Salle, earns playoff spot

http://temple-news.com/sports/2012/11/09/volleyball-sweeps-la-salle-earns-playoff-spot/

(November 9, 2012)
Owls beat La Salle in three sets to secure fifth seed in A-10 playoffs.

Three sets was all the Owls (18-0, 8-6 in the Atlantic 10 Conference) needed to dispose of La Salle for the third time this season and send themselves to the A-10 Tournament for the first time since 2009.

Temple faced a must-win against the Explorers. If they lost they would have needed Butler and Rhode Island to lose.

Instead, on Senior Night, the team locked themselves into the fifth seed where they will likely take on fourth-seeded Duquesne in the opening round of the tournament.

“It was great,” senior libero Chelsea Tupuola said. “Going out we all knew this was a do or die kind of game. It was definitely a huge goal for us that we had to come out and come out with fire.

“Even though it wasn’t our best, or cleanest game, we did what we had to do,” junior outside hitter Gabriella Matautia said.

Before the match the team honored their seniors, including outside hitters Jingyu Zhang and Caitlin McMillen and Tupuola. Tupuola finished the night with a match high 19 digs.

“It was awesome because I actually had a lot of my immediate family here,” Tupuola said. “It was overwhelming at first.”

“I was definitely crying all day today,” Tupuola added. “It was great sharing the night with [Zhang and McMillen].”

The Owls took the first set 25-16 after pulling away near the end. La Salle led early in the second set before Temple was able to tie it up. The teams traded points before the home team squeaked by 25-23.

Temple took control early in the final set and never looked back, cruising to a 25-14 victory as the crowd erupted.

“Tonight’s game was not an easy match,” coach Bakeer Ganes said. “For the first time in the season we actually had more to lose than we did to gain. That’s actually not an easy position to be in if you’re not used to it.”

Junior outside hitter Elyse Burkert led the match with 16 kills and added 12 digs for another double-double. Matautia followed suit, with 12 kills and 11 digs of her own.

Temple awaits Duquesne in the opening round of the A-10 Tournament. They lost to the Dukes earlier in the year, so the team knows they are the underdog once again.

Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520.

TTN The Cherry: Volleyball hosts La Salle with playoffs on the line

http://thecherry.temple-news.com/2012/11/09/volleyball-hosts-la-salle-with-playoffs-on-the-line/

(November 9, 2012)

Sitting at 7-6 in the Atlantic 10 Conference the Owls host La Salle (4-25, 0-13 in the A-10) at 5 p.m. at McGonigle Hall with their postseason fate in their own hands.

Temple hosts the Explorers Friday in the regular season finale, looking to make the conference tournament for the first time in three years. A win and they're in.

But if Temple loses that's when things get complicated.

Dayton, Xavier, Virginia Commonwealth University and Duquesne are already in the tournament. If the season ended now Temple and George Washington would be in as well. Rhode Island and Butler are fighting for those sports as well, at 6-7 each.

The Owls are 1-1 over URI and lost to Butler on Sunday. They also lost to George Washington, meaning the Owls must Owls must hope all three teams lose if they lose to ensure they make the tournament.

The tricky part is if Temple, Butler and George Washington lose and Rhode Island wins. Because the Owls and Rams are 1-1 against each other this season they move to the second tiebreaker, which is head-to-head set record. Temple won the first meeting 3-0 and lost the second 3-2, giving them a 5-3 advantage in the edge in the tiebreaker.

Temple's match against La Salle is the only A-10 game on Friday. If they lose they will have a long weekend waiting to find out their fate.

Rhode Island heads to Fordham on Saturday to take on the Rams at 4 p.m. George Washington travels to Duquesne on Saturday at 4 p.m. as well. The Colonials faced the Dukes once before this season, winning 3-1 at home on Oct. 5. Butler hosts Saint Louis at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs lost their first matchup of the season in St. Louis 3-1.

Obviously none of that matters if the Owls take care of business on Friday, if they aren't able to they will likely spend Saturday watching nervously.

This is the third matchup between Temple and La Salle this season. Temple swept La Salle in straight sets in the finale of the Big 5 Tournament in September. Junior outside hitter Elyse Burkert led the match with 12 kills.

In the A-10 season rematch the Owls swept them again, this time off the combination of junior outside hitter Gabriella Matautia's 15 kills and Burkert's 11.

-Jake Adams