Dec. 10, 2009
Final Stats
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - There wasn't a whole lot of love to be found for Ohio women's basketball in the City of Brotherly Love as the Bobcats fell 65-43 to a strong Temple team Thursday night in McGonigle Hall. Sophomore Da'Keisha Mann tied her career best with a game-high 16 points to lead Ohio on the evening.
An NCAA Tournament from a season ago, Temple showed why as it pressured the Green and White into 31 turnovers, which resulted in 33 Owl points. Temple shot 42 percent from the field, while the `Cats finished at a 36 percent clip. Ohio battled strong on the boards, outrebounding the Owls 34-32, including 15 on the offensive glass, and holding Temple nine rebounds below its season average.
Mann's (Columbus, Ohio) 16 points led the way for the `Cats, while Carolyn Barnett (North Chicago, Ill.) chipped in a season-best seven points, all off the bench in the second half. Maxine Ohakim (Westerville, Ohio) tied her career-high seven rebounds to go with six points of her own off the bench, while Kamille Buckner (Chicago, Ill.) led the Green and White with eight rebounds and two blocks. Mann tallied three steals to lead Ohio defensively and also tied a career-best three assists, equaling Ashley Fowler (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Jennifer Bushby (Gahanna, Ohio) for team-high honors.
A pair of Mann treys helped Ohio get off to a good start as the `Cats led 8-7 with 14:27 left in the first half. The action remained tight over the next couple minutes with Ohio holding a 12-11 lead. The Owls came back with a 6-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 17-14 lead with 7:55 left in the half.
The action got intense and physical over the next couple minutes, but neither side would give an inch as Temple managed to cling to a tight 19-18 lead with 3:57 left before the half. The Owls took advantage of a huge 10-2 run to finish the half and take a 29-20 lead into the lockerroom.
Turnovers hurt the `Cats in the first stanza as Temple pressured them into 16 turnovers that resulted in 15 Owl points. The Green and White did a good job on the glass, outrebounding Temple 18-25 in the frame. Ohakim paced Ohio with six boards, while Buckner collected five caroms herself. Mann led the team with 10 points in the half, while Ohakim chipped in four off the bench. The `Cats finished the stanza shooting 35 percent
Temple kept its hot play from the end of the first half going in the early part of the second and went ahead 33-20, before Ohio cut the lead to 37-26 after a bucket inside from Barnett. Turnovers came back to plague the `Cats as the Owls took advantage of miscues to take a 42-26 lead with 11:43 left. Ohio continued to battle over the next few minutes, but unfortunately for the `Cats, Temple continued its strong play and led 52-34 with 7:24 left.
Ohio struggled to get back into the game as the Owls kept their momentum going, eventually building a 27-point lead. The `Cats fought back with a small run in the waning two minutes of the contest, fueled by Barnett, but Temple still took the win.
Kristen McCarthy led three Owl players in double figures with 15 points. Marli Bennett and Natasha Thames each chipped in 10.
Ohio will return to the court Sunday when it wraps up its Pennsylvania competition with Duquesne. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. in the Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh.
