McCarthy Sets Temple Women's Scoring Record

Insert posting early sunday afternoon with delaware records. Elena Delle Donne threatening to join club. She has 22 early in second half.

(Guru's note: Here's the printed DVD extended version of what appeared in print off Saturday's game against Charlotte. A list of all the people at local D-I schools is added after the story. That list will be enhanced in the next several days).

By Mel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA _ A signature performance by Temple sophomore Kristen McCarthy Saturday afternoon  enabled the Owls to stay in the NCAA tourmanent picture with a key 79-68 win over Charlotte in an Atlantic Ten women's basketball game at the Liacouras Center.

McCarthy hit two foul shots with 34 seconds remaining to reached 42 points, topping the Temple single game women's scoring record of 41 set by the legendary Marilyn Stephens against George Mason during the 1983-84 season.

McCarthy, who also had 11 rebounds for the Owls, set the Liacouras floor record with her 39th point a few minutes earlier. That eclipsed the 38 points scored by Natalia Isaac against Massachusetts in the 2000-01 season.

Stephens now coaches the Cheyney women and Isaac is the basketball operations director for the WNBA Washington Mystics.

"She started off making her first three points and you just knew she was going to be in a zone," Temple coach Tonya Cardoza said of McCarthy. "Her teammates did a good job of making sure they found her. You know she is going to give 110 percent. I'm proud of her."

LaKeisha Eaddy was also in double figures for the Owls (19-6, 8-2 A-10), scoring 10 points as Temple, a preseason pick for fifth place, moved into a three-way tie for second place in the conference behind sixth-ranked Xavier (20-3, 10-0).

"It's a good feeling," McCarthy said of the record. "I couldn't have done it without my teammates. They set screens and gave me the ball."

Shannon McCallum scored 26 for the 49ers (16-10, 8-3), who are the defending conference champions.

Charlotte played without three-year starter Erin Floyd, who has the flu.

"We've lost three games in the conference and in two of them we had a player out with the flu," 49ers coach Karen Aston said. "There can be a very fine line between where you should be and where you're at.

"But Kristen was pretty special today," Aston added. "What makes Temple different this season is they shoot the three-pointer really well so they are more difficult to defend."

McCarthy was 15-for-24 from the field, including 3-for-4 on three-point attempts, and 9-for-12 on free throw attempts. She also had two steals and blocked a shot.

Temple next hosts Duquesne (19-6, 8-2), which is also in second place along with Dayton, at noon Wednesday.

McCarthy said she had no idea how many points she had until late in the game.

"My teammate on the bench said, 'Make these two (foul) shots and you'll get 40. And then of course I missed my next free throw."

Incidentally, the best performance by former Temple star Candice Dupree in a single game was 31 points.

Players with 40 or more points in single games at the six local Division I schools.

47 - Gabrela Marginean, Drexel (the five-overtime win over Northeastern) *

44 - Shelly Pennefather, Villanova *

42 - Kristen McCarthy, Temple *

42 - Dale Hodges, St. Joseph's *

42 - Diana Caramanico, Penn *

41 - Marilyn Stephens, Temple

41 - Dale Hodges (2 times), St. Joseph's

41 - Diana Carmanico, Penn

41 - Kirsten Brendel, Penn

41 - Gabriela Marginean, Drexel

40 - Robyn Fortsch, Penn

40 - Lisa Ortlip Cornish, Villanova

39 - Jen Cole, La Salle *

Other D1s of Local Interest

49 - Kelly Mazzante, Penn State *

44 - Sue Wicks, Rutgers*

42 - Jen Bednarek, Penn State

42 - Sue Wicks, Rutgers (2 times)

42 - Alicia Sheeler, Rutgers

40 - Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers

39 - Lori Howard, Elena Delle Donne, Delaware*%

%This may change in the next hour.

- Mel