Owls win third straight in 72-59 rout of Wichita State

Temple has only eight active players on its current roster.

Apparently, it’s all the Owls need.

Since the release of four players last week due to disciplinary issues, Temple has won three straight, the latest a 72-59 defeat of Wichita State inside the Liacouras Center on Wednesday night. It now moves Temple (10-11, 4-4 American) to sixth place in the American Athletic Conference. With eight players active on the roster, the Owls had a few players pick up more minutes, including guard Makalya Waleed and forward Denise Solis.

“They want to win,” said Temple head coach Diane Richardson. “They want to win and they are willing to do everything ... And I like that and they’re coachable. So when we need to make changes, they are with it.”

» READ MORE: The players dismissed from the Temple women’s basketball program

In the third quarter, Temple controlled the pace of the game by taking a 14-point lead with 4 minutes and 56 seconds remaining.

In the final 10 minutes, Wichita State’s comeback attempt fell short.

Temple forward Caranda Perea led the Owls with a career-high 17 points. The second-year contributor went 3 of 4 from three-point range. Additionally, guard Aleah Nelson scored 15 points.

Wichita State (13-9, 3-6) forward Trajata Colbert went 8 of 19 for a game-high 25 points.

Temple was efficient from the floor against Wichita State. Throughout the game, the Owls consistently made open jump shots and three-pointers.

Temple went 26 of 56, including 8 of 19 from three-point range. Additionally, the Owls made plays on defense, as they forced 16 turnovers and scored 16 points off those turnovers.

Overall, the Owls held the Shockers to 28% from the floor, including 18% from three-point range.

Temple’s forwards made significant contributions on both sides of the ball. In the second quarter, Ines Piper blocked a shot. On the following possession, Perea made a three-pointer to give the Owls a seven-point lead.

There’s still work to be done by the Owls to improve, however, as Wichita State outrebounded Temple, 50-36.

“Wichita State does a great job with their bigs, and [they are] just a magnet to offensive rebounds,” Richardson said. " And [Colbert] did a great job. We knew coming in we had to box them out. We tried as much as we could, but that is their MO. That’s what they do, and they do that well.”

Temple went on an 8-0 first-quarter run that was sparked by Waleed’s steal and score. At the end of this run, the Owls led by nine points with 3:11 remaining.

In the fourth quarter, the Shockers went on a 9-0 run to close the lead to nine points. Wichita State took advantage of Temple’s tired defense by making some easy buckets. However, the Shockers’ momentum would end when guard Tarriyonna Gary made a three-pointer to give Temple a 12-point lead. Temple would finish the game on a 6-0 run.

Temple travels to Houston (8-13, 5-3) on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+).