Leary Paces #23 'Cuse Past Temple, 82-76

Monday, December 16

Syracuse, N.Y.

7 p.m.

Syracuse University

9-1

Temple

5-3

Team	1	2	F
Temple	32	44	76
Syracuse	43	39	82

12/16/2013 9:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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SYRACUSE, N.Y.—Shakeya Leary scored a career-high 24 points to lead the No. 23 Syracuse women's basketball team (9-1) to an 82-76 win over Temple (5-3) on Monday night at the Carrier Dome. Leary also contributed 13 rebounds to earn her fourth double-double of the season and had a season-best six blocks, as Syracuse won its 58th straight non-conference home game.

The Orange returns to the hardwood on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. to take on Niagara in the Dome in its second of three home games this week. The game will be televised live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel.

Brittney Sykes contributed 20 points to the SU total and fellow sophomore Brianna Butler added 13 points and had a career-high five steals. Rachel Coffey scored 11 points, matched her personal best with five steals and had a season-high eight assists against the Owls.

After Temple went on a 23-4 run in the second half run, erasing what was once an 18-point Syracuse lead to take a 57-51 lead with 11:14 remaining, the Orange responded with a 17-2 run over the next 6:41, led by three 3-pointers by Brianna Butler, to go back in front 68-59. Temple was able to pull within two with 2:46 left in the game on a Meghan Roxas 3-pointer but a 9-1 SU spurt put the home team back in front by 10, a lead that it would not relinquish.

"We knew this was going to be a game about toughness," head coach Quentin Hillsman said. "We knew they were going to push us, we knew that we were going to get into a situation where we were going to have to make some plays for ourselves and not look for help with foul calls and things like that."

Feyonda Fitzgerald was the leading point scorer for the Owls, tallying 28 points including 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Temple had four players in double-digit scoring including Natasha Thames, who recorded a double-double off 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Syracuse out-scored Temple 48-30 in the paint and 21-12 off of turnovers.

Syracuse shot 51.6 percent from the field in the first half and ended the game with a 39.2 (26-61) shooting percentage. Temple outshot the Orange in the second half going 15-of-32 (46.9 percent) to Syracuse's 13-of-43 (30.2 percent) and ended the game at 42.6 percent from the field.

The Orange started the game on an 11-0 run and took its largest lead of 18 with 5:29 remaining in the first half but the Owls picked up the tempo to finish out the first 20 minutes, going on an 18-11 run to cut the lead to 43-32. Leary led the way for Syracuse with 18 points, seven rebounds and four blocks before halftime.