Seven In A Row

Senior point guard Ashley Morris nailed seven three-pointers and scored 25 of her career-high 32 points in the second half as the Temple women’s basketball team pulled away in the last 10 minutes to score a 66-53 victory over Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon at The Liacouras Center.

It was the seventh straight win for Coach Dawn Staley’s squad, this one against a fellow Atlantic 10 contender. The Owls improved to 14-10, 7-1 in the A-10 – giving them sole possession of first place in league standings. Charlotte dropped to 14-10, 5-3.

For Temple, the victory set up a Saturday showdown at Xavier, which is right behind the Owls with a 6-1 A-10 record. George Washington is also 6-1 in league play.

Leading by two (46-44) with 9:30 to go, the Owls started their late run against the 49ers with a Morris three-pointer. She then hit two free throws, and after Charlotte scored, Morris hit another three-pointer.

In a five-minute span, Temple went on a 17-4 run, blowing open a game that had been close from the opening tip.

In her all-time best performance, Morris hit 10 of 17 field goal attempts, including 7 of 10 threes, and 5 of 6 free throws. She added five assists.

Junior forward Shanea Cotton did the best inside work for the Owls, totaling 16 points and nine rebounds. Frontcourt mate Shenita Landry added seven points and nine rebounds.

The Owls needed some help in the frontcourt as senior center Lady Comfort was limited to 17 minutes by foul trouble. Still, the home team compiled a 42-24 rebounding advantage.

Long win streaks are familiar territory for Staley’s squad. Last year, the Owls had an 11-game win streak and an eight-game win streak. Three years ago, they won 25 in a row.

This particular win streak could carry Temple to its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth, especially if the Owls can beat Xavier on Saturday. Last year, the Musketeers scored a 54-53 victory over the Owls in the A-10 Tournament semifinals. Temple scored a 59-58 victory over Xavier during the regular season.