Women’s Basketball Holds Off Penn in Big 5 Action, 62-55

PHILADELPHIA – In a tight game at The Palestra in the final minutes, the Temple women's basketball team was able to hold off Penn (6-9, 1-3 Big 5) by a score of 62-55 for its sixth straight win. The Owls (13-6, 2-0 Big 5) were led by Shey Peddy with 20 points as they remain undefeated in Big 5 play this season.

Qwedia Wallace scored 14 points for the Owls and now stands just 21 points away from 1,000 career points. Peddy hit 4-of-8 from behind the arc in her 20-point effort, and she tied for team-high rebounds with eight. Peddy also led all players with six assists.

Alyssa Baron scored a game-high 23 points for Penn on 8-of-14 shooting, and led her team with five assists.

The shots wouldn't fall for Temple early on as the Owls started 2-of-15 from the field, but they picked up the pace to finish the half shooting 10-for-17.

Penn was able to build a seven-point, 11-4 lead during Temple's drought, but Peddy followed a 3-of-3 effort at the free throw line with her first trey of the game to get the Owls back within a point at 11-10. Wallace then hit a jumper to give Temple its first lead.

The Quakers led again by four, 16-12 before Temple began to take control, and Peddy finished with 14 first-half points as the Owls took a nine-point, 31-22 lead into the break.

The momentum did not carry over for Temple after halftime as the shooting woes returned, and while the Owls started the second half shooting 1-for-13 from the field, the Quakers were able to mount a comeback.

Just after the 14-minute mark, Penn tied the score at 36-36. With Temple holding a one-point, 41-40 lead, both teams were scoreless for nearly a three-minute stretch.

Kristen McCarthy scored her first four points of the game to start what would become an 11-1 run for the Owls, which gave them a 52-41 lead at five minutes remaining in the game.

Baron hit consecutive buckets to get the Quakers within five, 53-48, and after the Owls increased the margin back to eight, Penn rallied again.

Erin Power hit both ends of a 1-and-1 with one minute remaining to put the Quakers within four, 59-55. Despite hitting just three of their final eight free throws, Temple was able to hold off Penn as the Quakers were scoreless in the final minute.

Temple out-rebounded Penn 45-31 including a 23-6 edge on the offensive glass, helping give the Owls 12 second-chance points to the Quakers' four.

Temple will go on the road for its next contest, an A-10 match-up at UMass on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 7:00 p.m.