Women’s Basketball Loses Epic Three Overtime Game in the AAC Quarterfinals

Monday, March 11

Fort Worth, Texas

8 p.m.

Tulane University

12-20,3-15AAC

Temple University

20-11,13-5AAC

OT 1

OT 2

OT 3

Tulane

Temple

Women’s Basketball Loses Epic Three Overtime Game in the AAC Quarterfinals

Mar 12, 2024 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Post-Game Press Conference

Fort Worth, Texas – The No. 14 seed Tulane's women's basketball team (12-20) gave all they had and put up an amazing effort before falling to No. 3 seed Temple (20-11) by a 76-72 score in a three overtimes thriller on Monday evening in the AAC Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals in Fort Worth at Dickies Arena.

Kyren Whittington capped off her amazing tournament by totaling 31 points in shooting 10-for-24 from the field and 10-of-15 from the free throw line. She also had six assists, three rebounds and two steals. Amira Mabry recorded 21 points and 12 rebounds plus a pair of blocks. Kaylah Rainey picked up eight points, four rebounds and three assists. Marta Galic had six points and four rebounds. Irina Parau picked up four points, nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. Chiara Grattini had a basket, two rebounds and an assist. Hannah Pratt totaled eight rebounds, two blocks and an assist.

Temple was led by 22 points from Tiarra East. She also had nine rebounds. She was joined in double figures by Tristen Taylor with 14 points and 12 points from Demi Washington. Rayne Tucker had 14 rebounds.

The game featured 11 lead changes and 12 tied scores. Tulane held the lead for 7:44 of game time, while the Owls held the advantage for 40:09. Tulane shot 35.7 percent from the field (25-for-70), 21.4 percent from three-point range (6-for-28) and 76.2 percent from the free throw line (16-for-21). Tulane controlled scoring in the paint at 32-26 and second chance points at 17-13. In the game, Tulane totaled 50 rebounds, 15 assists, five steals and seven blocks.

Temple shot 33.8 percent from the field (27-for-80), 36.4 percent from three-point range (8-for-22) and 66.7 percent from the line (14-for-21). The Owls totaled 50 rebounds, 14 assists, 13 steals and four blocks. Temple held a 17-13 lead in points off turnovers, 10-5 in fast break points and 18-2 in scoring off the bench.

With just 7.8 seconds remaining in regulation, Whittington knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game up at 53 all. In the first overtime period with the game knotted at 58 all, Whittington hit both of her free throws to briefly give Tulane the lead only to see Temple tie the game on the jumper from East with less than 40 seconds remaining. In the second overtime with Tulane trailing 63-62, Mabry hit a three only to again see Temple rally back this time on a pair of made free throws from East. In the third overtime, Tulane's only lead of the period was the second made free throw from Parau to give Tulane a 69-68 advantage, only to again see Temple rally back and ultimately outscore the Green Wave 8-3 the rest of the way to earn the victory.

Temple took the early lead after the opening quarter, 20-17. The Green Wave were edged out 15-13 in the second quarter to trail 35-30 at the break. The third was a tough defensive quarter for both squads as Tulane held a 10-7 advantage to draw to within a basket at 42-40 with 10 minutes remaining. The game was tied at 53 at the end of regulation, knotted up at 60 after the first overtime and 65 all at the end of the second overtime period before the Owls were able to escape with the 76-72 victory.

The loss ends Tulane's 2023-24 season. The program will next be in action during the Fall of 2024.

Notables:
The triple overtime game was the team's third overtime contest of the season and dropped the program to 0-3 when playing extra sessions…The three-overtime game was the first in the history of the AAC's Women's Basketball Tournament…The three-overtime game was the longest for the program since 2004 when the program fell to Houston by an 83-78 score also in three overtimes… Those are the only three overtime games in the history of the program…The team's 20th loss of the season which is tied with the 1983-84 and 1982-83 teams for the fourth-most in school history…Kyren Whittington led the team in scoring with 31 points…It was her second time scoring 30+ points in a game this season…It was her fifth game scoring 25 or more and the ninth time that she tallied 20 or more…In the three games of the tournament, Whittington averaged 25 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the field…Amira Mabry recorded 21 points and 12 rebounds…It was her third double-double of the season…Mabry scored in double figures in 19 of the last 21 games this year…She averaged 19 points while shooting 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc…Irina Parau finished her career tied for the school's career games played lead with 151 along with Dynah Jones…Chiara Grattini's basket in the first half was Tulane's first and only bench points of the tournament.

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