FINAL SCORE: Temple 53, Vermont 39
PHILADELPHIA – A 20-point third quarter that included a 14-3 run in the period's latter stages proved too much to overcome for the Vermont women's basketball team as the Catamounts fell 53-39 to Temple at McGonigle Hall on Sunday afternoon.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
Season Statistics
Photos
2016-17 Schedule
 
Temple improves to 4-2 with the win, while the Catamounts are 3-5 following the setback.
 
Candice Wright led UVM with 11 points and six rebounds.
 
"I am proud of this team," said head coach Chris Day. "We are not in this for moral victories, but I am proud to be their head coach after the way we played today."
 
A low-scoring first half highlighted the afternoon as UVM snagged an early lead in the opening quarter. Wright tied things up at five-apiece with a 3-pointer midway through the period, followed up less than a minute later by Kristina White to give the Catamounts their first lead. Hayley Robertson added a free throw later on to extend the advantage to 9-5 by quarter's end.
 
The Owls responded, however, stringing together a 9-0 run to begin the second frame. Donnaizha Fountain netted the first five points in the sequence before Shantay Taylor closed it out with a layup and jumper. Lauren Handy and Courtney Wright then brought the Catamounts back within two at 16-14 but Temple controlled for the remainder of the half to go into the locker room with a 23-17 lead.
 
Vermont continued to battle after halftime but could not handle Temple's offensive outpouring in the third quarter. The Catamounts valiant effort to chip away narrowed the deficit to just four after Candice Wright's layup with 5:56 remaining, but Temple proceeded to score 18 of the game's next 25 points en route to a 15-point lead to finish the quarter.
 
UVM did have a strong defensive showing early in the final period, holding the Owls scoreless for nearly seven minutes stretching back to the third quarter and forcing five turnovers before surrendering a point. Alliya Butts sealed the victory with a 3-pointer at the 3:15 mark, padding the Temple lead at 18 and moving the contest out of reach.
 
Fountain and Butts each chipped in 16 points for the Owls while the former also pulled down nine rebounds.
 
UVM now treks back to Burlington to host Brown on Thursday (Dec. 8) for Catamount Classroom presented by VSAC. Tip off in the morning tilt is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at Patrick Gymnasium.