(Guru's Note: This is now updated with new headline to reflect new content. There is a print story in philly.com off the game but because of limited space due to a certain annual football event, a larger enhanced game story appears in the post above. This focuses more on almost everything you need to know about Temple's historic run. As soon as we can get a program to input all 16 Temple boxscores, we will have more readouts.)
By Mel Greenberg
PHILADELPHIA _ It was said here in the advance post that the math would be simple but the competition against La Salle would be more complex because its usually is.
And it was complex, going to the final half-minute before Temple grabbed a 60-55 victory over the Explorers
Thus, we get to the simplicity of the math 16-0, four years, four straight outright Big Five titles. This is a first in the women's competition that began in 1979-80.
Fittingly, the La Salle game was the typical Big Five nail-bitter, following another one that occurred Wednesday when the Owls gained a 70-67 win over St. Joseph's at the Liacouras Center.
Temple also extended its overall record streak to 18 straight that began with a 61-60 overtime win at St. Joseph's on Jan.25th, 2004.
But before moving ahead, there is some housekeeping that needs to be done in terms of previously noting after the St. Joe game that Temple, which had clinched a tie, was the first to be involved with four straight titles, including shared ones.
In fact, at that point they were the second and the best extended run with ties (meaning a loss or two along the way) still belongs to the Hawks.
In researching data on the streak if it came about, through re-checking of the Big Five yearbook, and we're surprised nobody else in town caught this besides it taking us so long, shows St. Joseph's involved in six-straight titles, with a shared-one breaking up the outright strings.
The Hawks went 4-0 in 1989-90 and 1990-91 and then shared a three-way with La Salle and Villanova in 1991-92 at 3-1 before putting an outright trifecta together in 1992-93, 1993-94, and 1994-95.
Jim Foster was the coach in the first one of the sextet before moving on to Vanderbilt. Now at Ohio State, he earned his 650th win on Monday night when the Buckeyes beat Penn State in Columbus.
Incidentally, another local coaching product, George Washington's Joe McKeown from Father Judge, picked up his 500th career win Saturday when the Colonials beat Dquesne.
And Rutgers' C.Vivian Stringer is five away from career victory no. 800 after the No. 4 Scarlet Knights rallied over No. 14 Pittsburgh in the Steel City, Saturday.
Returning to our dialogue and housekeeping, after Foster's departure, Stephanie Gaitley, a Villanova grad who played on those early Wildcats Big Five powerhouses and is now coaching Long Island to all-time success, was involved coaching the Hawks in the next five.
Incidentally, she picked up career win number 399 on Saturday with number 400 potentially set to occur on Monday.
Some key Hawk players in that run were Dale Hodges, a two-time Big Five player of the year; Katie (nee Curry) Gardler, a three-time all-Big Five first team player; a certain current Hawks coach Cindy (nee Anderson) Griffin, who was twice one the all-Big Five second team, and Amy Mallon, a Big Five player of the year who is now an assistant coach at Drexel.
New Zealand's Megan Compain was on the 1994-95 team. She later was named the Big Five player of the year in 1997 and was a WNBA player when the pro league began later that summer.
Now that the Guru called out enough people who could have complained over the four-straight accolade involving a tie, which apparently took a bunch of people in the sports department over Niagara Falls given what he has discovered, let's return to the significance of Saturday's game.
With Temple's win, Villanova clinches second place at 3-1 for the third time in the Owls' four-year run. St. Joe was 3-1 last season. One game is left between La Salle and St. Joe for third place. The Hawks and Explorers are each 1-2. Penn finished at 0-4.
Since the women's City Series began, Temple, off of last season, and St. Joseph's, as has been mentioned, have claimed three straight titles all by 4-0 sweeps. Villanova won the first two and then earned a third in a three-way split at 3-1 with Temple and St. Joseph's in 1981-82.
La Salle, under former coach John Miller, shared titles with Villanova and St. Joseph's in 1986-87 and 1987-88 before taking an outright in 1988-89.
Click the jump link to see notes involving Temple' drive to history .
Here are the Scores To Date in Temple's Drive To Four Straight Outright Titles
Season: 2004-05
D8, 2004, at Liacouras Center, Temple 63, Penn 46.
D21, 2004, at Pavilion, Temple 64, Villanova 57
J17, 2005, at Tom Gola Arena, Temple 67, La Salle 47
F27, 2005, at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, Temple 69, St. Joseph's 46
Season: 2005-06
N22, 2005, at The Palestra, Temple 72, Penn 53
D22, 2005, at Liacouras Center, Temple 52, Villanova 43
J8, 2006, at Tom Gola Arena, Temple 66, La Salle 64, ot
F17, 2006, at Liacouras Center, Temple 59, St. Joseph's 53
Season: 2006-07
D22, 2006, at Pavilion, Temple 68, Villanova 66
D29, 2006, at The Palestra, Temple 68, Penn 49
J28, 2007, at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse: Temple 78, St. Joseph's 71, ot
F12, 2007, at Liacoras Center, Temple 68, La Salle 55
Season: 2007-08 (thru Wednesday)
D21, 2007, at Liacouras Center, Temple 54, Villanova 46
D27, 2007, at Liacouras Center, Temple 65, Penn 40
J30, 2008, at Liacouras Center, Temple 70, St. Joseph's 67
F2, 2008, at Tom Gola Arena, Temple 60, La Salle 55
The 25 Temple Players Who Were On Rosters During the Streak With Numbers of Games Played and Number of Starts.
Lady Comfort, (‘05-‘08, 16 games, 12 starts
Ashley Morris (‘05-‘08, 16 games, 4 starts
Nicole Pittman (‘05-‘08, 10 games
Candice Burrows (‘05-‘08, 6 games
Shenita Landry (‘06-‘08), 12 games
Jasmine Stone (‘07-‘08, 6 games
LaKeisha Eaddy (‘07-‘08, 8 games
Alisha Harris (‘07-‘08), 2 games
Kristie Watkins-Day (‘07-‘08, 5 games
Lindsay Kimmel (‘08, 4 games
Shaqwedia Wallace
Marli Bennett (‘08, 4 games
Shanea Cotton (‘08, 4 games
Dawnnae
Kamesha Hairston (‘05-‘07, 12 games, 12 starts)
Fatima Maddox (‘06-‘07, 7 games, 5 starts)
Candice Dupree (‘05-‘06, 8 games, 8 starts)
Jennifer Owens (‘05-‘06, 8 games, 7 starts)
Khadija
Stephanie Hicks (‘05-‘06, 6 games)
Ari Moore (‘05, 4 games, 4 starts)
Cynthia Jordan (‘05, 4 Games, 4 starts)
Rachel Marcus (‘05, 2 games)
Gwen Browne (‘05, 2 games)
Amanda Pribauer (‘05, 4 games)
Here Are Some Competition Stats Off the Streak (Within the Four Years)
Most Games: Lady Comfort, Ashley Morris (2005-08): 16
Other Temple 4-Year Seniors: Nicole Pittman (10 games), Candice Burrows (6 games).
Kamesha Hairston (2005-07): 12
Shenita Landry (2006-08): 11
Most Starts: Lady Comfort, Kamesha Hairston, 12
Candice Dupree (2005-06): 8
Jennifer Owens (2005-06): 7
Top Performers (Game datets and sites listed above)
Candice Dupree, 29 pts (Temple 66 - La Salle 64, ovt.)
Kamesha Hairston, 26 pts. (Temple 78-St. Joseph's 71, ovt.)
Kamesha Hairston, 25 pts. (Temple 68-Penn 49)
Lady Comfort, 24 pts. -- 12/13 FT-FTA (Temple 70, St. Joseph's 67)
Lady Comfort, 23 pts. (Temple 68, La Salle 55)
Candice Dupree, 23 pts., 15 rebs. (Temple 64, Villanova 57)
Khadija Bowens, 21 pts. (Temple 72, Penn 53)
Cynthia Jordan, 21 pts. (Temple 63, Penn 46)
Candice Dupree, 20 pts., 17 rebs. (Temple 59, St. Joseph's 53)
LaKeisha Eaddy, 20 pts. (Temple 68, Villanova 66)
Kamesha Hairston, 17 pts., 14 rebs. (Temple 68, Villanova 66)
Top Opposition Performers: Crista Ricketts, La Salle, 22 pts. (Temple 59, La Salle 47)
Davineia Payne, La Salle, 21 pts. (Temple 66, La Salle 64, ovt.)
Amy Wold, St. Joseph's, 21 pts. (Temple 70, St. Joseph's 67)
15-game Composite Score: Temple 1,043-Opp 58 (Temple 65--Opp. 53)
Highest Win Score: Temple 78, St. Joseph's 71, ovt.
Lowest Win Score: Temple 52, Villanova 43
Most Points Allowed: Temple 78, St. Joseph's 71, ovt.
Least Points Allowed: Temple 65, Penn 40
Largest Margin of Victory: Temple 65, Penn 40
Narrow Escapes: Temple 66, La Salle 64, ovt.
Temple 68, Villanova, 66
Temple 78, St. Joseph's 71, ovt.
Temple 60, La Salle 55
Rallies From Halftime Deficits:Villanova 32, Temple 23 (Final: Temple 64, Villanova 57)
La Salle 27, Temple 26 (Temple 66, LaSalle 64, ovt.)
Villanova 36, Temple 31 (Temple 68, Villanova 66)
St. Joseph's 38, Temple 32 (Temple 78, St. Joseph's 71, ovt.)
Home-Road Totals: R-9, H-7
R-Villanova (Pavilion - 2); R-Penn (Palestra - 2); R-La Salle (Tom Gola Arena - 3); R-St. Joseph's (Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse - 2)
H - The Liacouras Center (Villanova - 2; Penn - 2; St. Joseph's - 2; La Salle - 1).
*-Not including Saturday's game.
Composite Scores vs. Big Five Teams: Temple 268, Penn 188 (Temple 67, Penn 47)
Temple 238, Villanova 212 (Temple 59, Villanova 53)
Temple 276, St. Joseph's 237 (Temple 69, St. Joseph's 59)
Temple 261, La Salle 221 (Temple 65, La Salle 55)
Denials: Three of the last four seasons, including this one, Villanova, at 3-0, was stopped by Temple to deny outright titles grabbed by the Owls in 2005 and 2006 with Saturday's outcome against La Salle pending.
Noteworthy: Temple has gone to the NCAA's three times in the streak seasons, twice as Atlantic Ten champions, and last season as an at-large. The Owls earned their first national ranking in 2004-05 and stayed in the poll the following season. The 2005 team (28-4) set a Big Five overall record with a 25-game win streak and tied La Salle (28-3, 1989), and the 2003 Villanova team (28-6) for second-best overall season wins behind the Villanova 29-4 contingent in 1981-82.
Temple composite women's staff for streak period:
Head coach: Dawn Staley (4 years, 2005-08)
Asst. coach: Lisa Boyer (4 years, 2005-08)
Asst. coach:Darius Taylor (4 years, 2005-08)
Asst. coach: Fred Chmiel (2 years, 20007-08)
Asst. coach: G.P. Gromacki (2 years, 2005-06)
Ops Director: Mary Wooley (2 years, 2007-08)
Ops Director: Natsha Isaac (2 years, 2005-06)
Women's Media Contact: Aimee Cicero (4 years, 2005-08)
Secretary: Pam Gray (4 years, 2005-08)
Notable Achievements to date (in streak years):
Big Five coach of the year: Dawn Staley (twice: 2005, 2006)
All Big Five: Cynthia Jordan (1st team - 2005), Ari Moore (2nd team - 2005), Kamesha Hairston (2nd team - 2005, 1st team 2006-2007), Candice Dupree (1st team - 2005-2006), Lady Comfort (1st team - 2007), Fatima Maddox (2nd team - 2007), Khadija Bowens (2nd team - 2005).
Most improved player: Hairston (2005), Comfort (2007).
Player of the year: Dupree (2005, 2006), Hairston (2007).
Streak savers:
D21, 2004: Bowens, with eligibility restored, comes off bench to score eight and lead comeback at Villanova, 64-57. Dupree has 23 points and 15 rebounds. Temple makes only three turnovers and has six blocks -- three from Dupree.
J8, 2006: Dupree has 29 points and makes a three-point play with three seconds left in overtime to give the Owls a 66-64 win at La Salle.
D22, 2006: Freshman LaKeisa Eaddy scores 20 points, but Nicole Pittman scores her only tow points of the game with 1.1 seconds left to five Temple a 68-66 win at Villanova. Pittman is one of four players on the roster for the entire streak along with Comfort, Morris, and Burrows. Hairston has 17 points and 14 rebounds in the game.
J28, 2007: St. Joseph's shoots 7-for-14 on three-point attempts, but Temple overcomes bad foul shooting once game goes into overtime and Owls prevail, 78-71. Hairston has 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Comfort has 23 points at Hawks' Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
J30, 2008: Temple squanders 11-point lead Owls held start of the second half as Amy Wold (21 points) helps a three-point shooting attack that overall is 9-for-14,while Temple is 2-7.
But Owls recover in the final half-minute, overcoming a technical foul to Staley and getting the go-ahead score from Comfort, who has 24 points in game for 70-67 win. She shoots 12-for-13 from line and hits a pair in the last 30 seconds, as does Shenita Landry at the Liacouras Center. Hawks miss three-of-four fouls in the final minute and commit two costly turnovers, making Temple 10-1 in last 11 overall games with the Hawks.
F2, 2008: Temple appears to have game won at La Salle to reach perfection again with a 10-0 run late in the game before the Explorers fight back once more. Comfort and Morris, fittingly as the only players to appear in all 16 teams, each hit two foul shots to help preserve a 60-55 win for Big Five title No. 4 in a row and No. 5 overall in Staley's eight seasons.
-- Mel
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