Monthly Archives: February 2013

Horton no longer with women’s basketball

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Freshman forward Leah Horton has been told she won’t be rejoining the women’s basketball team this season, coach Tonya Cardoza confirmed Wednesday.

Cardoza said Horton’s conditioning and lackadaisical work ethic are the primary reasons why she will no longer be practicing or traveling with the Owls for the foreseeable future.

Horton played in three games this season, a transition year for the Owls in which five other freshmen have seen significant playing time. Horton last played on Dec. 6 against Kent State. She played a career high 18 minutes against Seton Hall on Nov. 14, recording three points and five rebounds.

While she is no longer welcome back this season, Cardoza said she has not ruled out the possibility of Horton returning to the team next fall.

–Tyler Sablich

Pair of gymnasts win ECAC honors

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Men’s gymnastics was honored with two recipients winning this week’s Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference awards.

Senior Alex Tighe was awarded ECAC Co-Gymnast of the Week, sharing the award with Army freshman Jesse Glenn. Freshman Jon Rydzefski was awarded ECAC Rookie of the Week.

Last Friday at the 22nd annual West Point Open, the Owls were guided to victory by the performances of Tighe and Rydzefski. Tighe worked three events to help pace Temple, as they captured the team competition, but the day belonged to Rydzefski. The Leominster, MA., native came in third place in the all-around with a career best score of 81.200.

The duo followed up Friday’s performance with an even better one on Saturday for the individual event finals.

Rydzefski medaled in two of the six events, placing in third on parallel bars scoring a 13.800, and then second on high bars with a score of 13.750. Yet, he was bested by Tighe who won both apparatuses, outscoring all of the competition in both high bar (14.300) and parallel bars (14.300), to win the event titles.

Both of their performances were enough to earn them their respective ECAC weekly honors.

Men’s gymnastics will have the week off, with the exception of Tighe who has been invited to participate in this year’s Winter Cup held in Las Vegas, and a chance to qualify for the USA Championships in Hartford, CT this summer. The competition begins tomorrow at noon.

Tighe invited to Las Vegas

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Temple University will send one gymnast to Las Vegas this Thursday to
compete in the Winter Cup.

The Winter Cup is a field of the best 92 gymnast in the country.
Senior Alex Tighe is the lone recipient from Temple to receive an
invite.

Tighe looks to be able to get past the preliminaries on Thursday, and
make it to the finals on Saturday.

“The goal is to go out, hit my routines, and make the finals,” Tighe said.

The same aspirations were spoken by coach Fred Turoff.

“For the Winter Cup,” Turoff said. “I’d like [Tighe] to improve upon
his finish, and advance to the second day of competition. If he hits
his routines as he did the event finals at the West Point Open, I
think he has a good chance to do that.”

The preliminaries begin this Thursday at noon, and the finals will
begin Saturday starting at 7:30 p.m.

Free throw shooting an asset for women’s basketball

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It doesn’t get talked about nearly enough but free throw shooting is a valuable factor in any team’s success (or lack thereof).

Temple, through all its ups and downs this season, has been fairly consistent in this department.

During the Atlantic 10 Conference season the Owls are shooting 73.2 percent from the stripe, converting 60 of their 82 attempts. That ranks fifth in the conference behind Fordham, Saint Joseph’s, La Salle and St. Bonaventure.

Two Owls also grace the Top 15 in that category. Sophomore guard Tyonna Williams is third in the conference with 91.3 percent on 23 attempts while senior center Victoria Macaulay has converted 81.5 percent of her 27 freebies.

Macaulay’s numbers show just how much she’s improved in that department. Last season she made just 64 percent of her free throws during conference play and 67.7 percent overall.

Williams and Macaulay’s success in that department has been part of the reason their scoring numbers are as high as they are.

But while the duo has combined for 50 freebies this A-10 season, the team only has 82. That’s third lowest in the conference. Temple just doesn’t force teams to foul them.

With that kind of success at the line the team should figure out more ways to get fouled and convert those easy opportunities.

–Jake Adams

Tournament hopes dim with improved conference

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This season with the influx in Atlantic 10 Conference teams in Butler and Virginia Commonwealth University, the conference tournament adds four new teams this season.

In past years the Owls had to be one of the top eight teams in the A-10 to dance in the postseason. This season the Owls have to be 12th or better.

Currently Temple is in ninth as they get set to take on Massachusetts, which is 13th. As the season is shaping up the Owls need to stay to as close to .500 as possible to ensure a middle seed.

With a win, Temple will make sure that four teams have one win or fewer in the conference, providing a comfortable cushion as they try and build a winning streak and head into the postseason with momentum.

If they can’t get a head of steam going at least the Owls have some extra room to play with this season.

-Jake Adams

Phil Martelli praises Khalif Wyatt

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St. Joseph’s University coach Phil Martelli had some kind words for senior guard Khalif Wyatt following the men’s basketball team’s 70-69 loss on Saturday night.

Martelli called Wyatt courageous, and explained the difference between Wyatt and other players as his willingness to take difficult shots.

Here’s a full transcription of what he said:

“The way that Khalif has grown in their program is a testimony to him and a testimony to Dunph and his staff. He just plays like a lot of you guys play. If you play three-on-three, that’s what he’s doing. He plays a three-on-three game as much as he can. He flails around and deserves a lot of credit for the way that he plays the game. There is a certain talent and he has that talent. He scores the basketball. If I’m looking at both of our teams, the difference is they have a guy that can get 30, we don’t have anybody that can do that, because we don’t have a confidence level and we’re not making shots. He’s a shot maker. The shot the other night against Richmond, that’s almost silly. He shot fakes and goes off one foot and makes a three, tied 61-61. Here’s what people don’t understand about that: It’s courage. He has to live with the fact that he could miss that shot. That’s what shot makers do. They are willing to take the consequences of make or miss.”

-Joey Cranney

Track and Field teams head to New York CIty

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The men’s and women’s track and field teams will continue their seasons at the NB Balance Collegiate Invitational in New York City on Friday and Saturday.

Coming off an impressive weekend at Penn State, in which several athletes achieved personal records, the Owls will look to fine-tune their techniques and maintain their focus in New York, the last meet before the Atlantic Ten Conference Championships, which kick off on February 16.

On Friday, the Owls kick off competition with standout sophomore thrower Margo Briton, participating in the shot put at 9:30 a.m. Briton is one of eleven Temple athletes who will partake in events Friday. Six of them are running the 400m dash, including junior sprinting star Ambrosia Iwugo on the women’s side at 11:50 a.m. and senior sprinter Damian Myers on the men’s side at 12:35 p.m. The Owls’ final event will occur at 12:50 p.m. as sophomore jumper Darryl McDuffie competes in the high jump.

Briton opens up for Temple again on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. with the weight throw, while the men’s 4x400m relay will be the closing act at 3:52 p.m. The four relayers are still relatively unaccustomed to running together, so this race will be critical in acting as a final test before the A-10 Championships.

Owls must win out

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With three regular season games remaining, the Owls (15-11) face the simplest yet most daunting of tasks.

They have to win all three.

“These last games are absolutely must-wins,” Roberts said. “Looking back to where we were a year ago and we’re in the same spot. Last year, no one’s heart was into it and this year guys can’t wait to get to the rink every night. We know we’re going to win. The mentality is completely different to where it was in the past. We all feel so good about it. Instead of being desperate and panicking, we’re excited and motivated. “

With more stifling opposition looming in a Feb. 8 bout with top conference rival Rowan University, Temple will first have to take care of Millersville (13-5-1) Friday.

Temple handed the Marauders a 6-2 defeat in the season opener on Sep. 15 on the road. The Owls will need lightning to strike twice if they are to remain in the playoff hunt.

With an 11th place spot in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Southeast Region rankings, the Owls will need to win out in order to salvage a top-ten ranking, as well as their season.

“We need to make a statement at Millersville,” Roberts said. “It needs to be a win and a statement on the scoreboard. We’re going to play every second of the game like it’s overtime no matter what.”

Each of Temple’s final three games will be at home, with a visit from Monmouth University on Feb. 9 being the season finale.

Junior goalie Chris Mullen will start Friday, Roberts confirmed.

Temple’s first test in Millersville is set to start at 9:30 p.m.