Women's Basketball: East Carolina at Temple

PHILADELPHIA -- Temple senior Feyonda Fitzgerald became the program's all-time assist leader, as the Owls' women's basketball team won their eighth-straight -- a convincing 78-47 victory over visiting East Carolina. The win ran Temple's record to 12-3 overall, 3-0 in American Athletic Conference play, while East Carolina fell to 10-7, 1-3 in conference play.

Fitzgerald broke a 34-year old record set by Donna Kennedy, who compiled 507 assists from 1979 to 1983. The senior finished with nine helpers on the night with a game-best 22 points.

Temple led for nearly 37 minutes of play, turning on the jets after an early 4-4 tie. The Owls held East Carolina to just 17 first-half points, while Fitzgerald herself tallied 15 in that same span. Temple finished the game shooting 45.1%, while shooting over 50% in the second and third quarters. The Owls also forced 20 Pirates' turnovers and held a 45-38 edge on the glass.

Junior Donnaizha Fountain ended her night with 14 points and seven boards, while classmate Tanaya Atkinson had 13 points and seven rebounds. Junior Alliya Butts had 13 points and three assists, while senior Ruth Sherrill filled out her stat line with six points, six rebounds, and career-highs of three blocks and three steals. Rounding out the Temple box score, senior Monasia Bolduc had five points, while junior Khadijah Berger added five rebounds and three assists.

Temple broke a 4-4 tie early in the first quarter as Fountain surged for five points as part of a 9-0 run that saw Temple go up 13-4. The teams traded baskets over the next two minutes, before Sherrill finished the frame with back-to-back buckets, putting the Owls up 19-8 after one.

Temple shot 52.9% from the field in the second quarter to increase the lead to to 39-17 at the half. Fitzgerald alone outscored East Carolina in the frame, as the guard racked up 11 points on 5-of-6 from the field, while ECU netted just nine second quarter points.

At the break, Fitzgerald led all players with 15 points, while Fountain had 12. Atkinson had six points and seven boards at the half, while Sherrill had six points and six boards. For ECU, Bre McDonald, Kristen Gaffney, and Dominique Claytor all had four points each.

The Owls' offense rolled in the third quarter, as Temple shot 57.9% (11-19). Butts recorded 13 third-quarter points, and Fitzgerald added seven points and five assists in the frame, as the Owls out-scored ECU, 28-13, to increase the lead to 67-30.

Temple's lead grew to 39 points in the fourth quarter before the Owls emptied the bench. ECU went on a 9-1 run late in the frame, but Temple got back-to-back buckets from Bolduc and Takora McIntrye to set the final to 78-47.

Temple is back in action on Saturday, playing at Tulsa at 3:00 p.m. EST.