Temple shows resilience in unprecedented season

Women’s Basketball finished their season 11-18 after multiple depatures and injuries.

BY LIAM GIANNELLI For The Temple News

Temple Women’s Basketball (11-18, 6-10 American Athletic Conference) did not have the season it was looking for. The Owls went on two and three-game losing streaks and a six-game drought this season, ultimately resulting in a first-round conference tournament exit.

With a new coach, injuries, an unapproved transfer and unexpected departures in the middle of the season, Temple is ready to move on.

“It was definitely a learning process,” said head coach Diane Richardson. “We had a lot of ups and downs, and quite frankly, I’m glad it’s over. I’m planning on next season already.”

When Temple hired former Towson coach Diane Richardson last April, she did brought three former players with her: guards Aleah Nelson and Tarriyon- na Gary and forward Rayne Tucker.

Nelson and Gary fit right in as Temple’s constant mainstays in the rotation. Nelson, a first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association player in 2022, made third-team All-AAC this year.

In her first season at Temple, Nelson was the Owls’ offensive focal point and served as the team’s top vocal leader.

Nelson earned second-team AllAAC honors, leading the team in points per game with 15.4 and assists averaging 4.4 assists per game. The guard also encouraged her team to finish strong regardless of the score in contests this past season.

Tucker was ineligible to play this season as her transfer wasn’t approved by the NCAA.

The Owls were also without the services of 2022 first-team All-Northeast Conference guard Kendall Currence this year as she tore her ACL in the preseason.

With those two already down for the count, Temple’s four additional departures left the Owls with just eight available players for their final 10 games.

Guards Kourtney Wilson and Jalynn Holmes left the program prior to the Owls’ Jan. 25 win at Tulane, and guards Jasha Clinton and Aniya Gourdine were suspended.

Two days later, Clinton and Gourdine were dismissed from the program.

“We were prepared for the typical transition year,” Richardson said. “But to lose players was a little bit different … Those eight players stepped up and did more than we asked them to do.”

The team adapted well at first, winning three-straight games against Tulane, Central Florida and Wichita State. However, fatigue eventually got the best of Temple, leading to the team’s sixgame losing streak in February.

During the winless streak, sophomore forward Caranda Perea acknowledged Richardson’s sentiments on how the team could clean up its mistakes.

“I think Coach said it best, just being focused,” Perea said. “Doing the little things that we need to do like talking, rebounding, playing defense, because you can’t control if the shots are going to fall. You control your effort every night and I feel like that’s something that we need to do better.”

Richardson’s first season as the Owls’ head coach battle-tested her team. The Owls played the 65th-toughest schedule in the country and faced six teams each from the NCAA Tournament and NIT fields.

Richardson wants to continue beginning seasons against tougher opponents as Temple will play at least four teams from the 2023 NCAA Tournament field in Villanova, Mississippi, East Carolina and South Florida. Richardson also announced non-conference matchups with Arizona State and Northwestern.

“We’ll play some teams out there to kind of get us tough again,” Richardson said. “This year, we’ll have more personnel to be able to finish it out.” liam.giannelli@temple.edu

@liamgiannelli30

Continued From 24 Gymnastics

“If you took a picture of Brooke during any one of her events, it could be a poster,” Nilson said. “Perfect hands, perfect feet; the very definition of our sport. When I saw her gymnastics, I knew she could help me change the reputation of this program.”

In 2018, Donabedian traveled to Philadelphia with her family to have lunch with Nilson at the now-closed Draught Horse Pub and Grill. Although Nilson was a few minutes late, Donabedian was sold on his goals for the program; she committed later that year.

Donabedian saw that Nilson wanted his program to have a type of flair and camaraderie, two things she was capable of bringing.

“[Nilson] talks about how competitive he is all the time,” Donabedian said. “It really shows his motivation and drive. He wants and needs to build Temple gymnastics. There was a fire in his voice, and I loved it.”

During her official visit to Temple the following summer, Donabedian met Renee Schugman, another incoming freshman and her future roommate. Schugman was also a recruit whose artistry earned her a spot in the program.

Similar to Nilson, Schugman knew immediately that Donabedian would be a key part of the team as soon as they practiced together.

“She’s always very confident,” Schugman said. “But when she’s performing, it’s like you’re watching a show. Everything she does is so perfect and precise. It’s so impressive.”

Three years later, Donabedian became an important part of the team. She qualified for NCAA Regionals last season, earned her second-straight first- team all-EAGL nomination on the floor, and was also named second-team all-EAGL on the beam this season.

She leads the Owls with seven event wins this season with five on the floor and two on the beam. On March 5, she tied her own school record for an individual score on the floor, receiving a 9.950.

Her leadership has impacted the team as well. Despite an up-and-down season, Temple’s scores have increased throughout the year, including a 196.375 March 5 against Fisk, Ursinus and Southern Connecticut State. This was the program’s third-highest score in school history and it was possible in large part to the tight-knit program being united under one vision.

“The conversations we had are starting to come to fruition,” Nilson said. “[Donabedian] is having the success she deserves in college. She’s doing exactly what we wanted, and it’s working.”

As Temple prepared for the EAGL Conference Tournament, which began on March 18, Donabedian’s success served as validation for Nilson’s revitalized vision for the program. Though Nilson admits the team is a few missing parts away from his dream for the squad, Donabedian remains optimistic.

Now, Donabedian is on the way to Pittsburgh from March 30 through April 2 as a floor exercise competitor at the NCAA Regionals. She views her team’s success as a sign of the future, and, hopefully, a return to contention both in the EAGL and nationally.

“We had great performances,” Donabedian said. “We broke records last year, and we’re still breaking records this year. I think that will be a trend for years to come.”