Sophomore guard Tyonna Williams has shown improvement across the board despite the Owls’ five-game losing streak, one small thing that has coach Tonya Cardoza excited.

“She wants it and she’s going out and trying to get better, because she wants to compete against the very best,” Cardoza said after Wednesday’s loss to Georgetown.

Temple is now 5-7, even if Williams has done her best to stop the bleeding.

The first-year starter was barely hanging onto her starting gig for the first few games of the season. The point guard averaged 4.85 assists in the team’s first seven games, but just 7.4 points on 29.6-percent shooting and 1.14 steals while coughing up the ball 4.57 times per contest.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday she vowed to be in the gym non-stop to improve her game, and early signs are positive.

Despite dropping five straight, she’s improved in all categories, with 5.6 assists versus 4.4 turnovers, 10.2 points, 2.4 steals and four rebounds per game.

Cardoza said after the game she wished more of her team was playing with the intensity and desire to be the best the way Williams has shown of late.

-Jake Adams