Nov. 16, 2013
 | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.-- After battling back from a Temple (3-0) comeback, Auburn (2-1) could not hold on as the women's basketball team took its first loss of the season Saturday night, 78-74 at Temple. Tyrese Tanner led the Tigers with 19 points and eight rebounds.
"It is a heartbreaking loss," said Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy. "I thought we played hard and kept our composure, despite that run they made after halftime. We kept our poise and got ourselves back in the game, a game we should have won."
Temple scored the first four points of the game, but it was all Auburn after that as the Tigers led by as many as 16 points in the first half with freshmen Katie Frerking and Brandy Montgomery combining for 17 of the Tigers' points. Auburn led 44-32 at the break.
That lead was short-lived as Temple, playing on its home court for the first time this season, came out in a fury led by 3-pointers from Tyonna Williams. She led the Owl comeback and finished the game with 29 points, including 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.
Despite going down as many as seven points in the second half, Auburn battled back. The Tigers were down seven with 3:48 to play, but free throws by Tanner and Meagan Tucker, along with a layup from Brandy Montgomery, gave Auburn a 74-73 lead.
Untimely fouls and missed opportunities in the final minutes spelled trouble for Auburn as Temple capitalized with a 3-pointer and free throws from Williams for the 78-74 win.
Montgomery finished behind Tanner with 15 points while Frerking scored 14. Peyton Davis pulled down seven rebounds with her six points while Tucker dished out eight assists.
Auburn will return to the court at 7 p.m. CT, Tuesday as the Tigers travel to in-state rival Alabama A&M.