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Five players score in double digits led by Sara Potts, Jenny Pfeiffer and SeSe Helms? 14 points each
Philadelphia, Pa. ? Temple hit five field goals and eight of 10 free throws in overtime to defeat the Kentucky women?s basketball team 86-82 in overtime on Saturday at The Liacouras Center.
The Wildcats (4-4) had a chance for the win in regulation after Jenny Pfeiffer nailed two of her season-high four three-pointers late in the second half to push the Cats ahead by its largest lead, 67-58. Temple (3-2) charged back but Shambrica Jones hit the first of two foul shots with seven seconds left in regulation to give the Cats a three-point (70-67) lead. After passing through several Temple players, Cynthia Jordan nailed a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
?It?s just disappointing,? UK Coach Mickie DeMoss said. ?I?m proud that we continued to fight but it never should have come to that. We had a chance to win this game and we didn?t get it done.?
TU center Candice Dupree took advantage of UK foul trouble and six Wildcat turnovers in the extra minutes as post players, SeSe Helm and Jones, each played with four fouls. Dupree scored a team-high eight points in OT and finished with 14 points. UK hit only two fields in the extra minutes in OT but were eight of nine from the charity stripe.
NBA standout Richard Hamilton?s younger sister, Christena Hamilton, hit a jumper and nailed two clutch free throws in the final seconds to seal the win. Hamilton led all scorers with 20 points. Jordan followed with 19 while Toni Belafonte added 18 points.
Helm, who did not start the game and broke a 30-game streak of starting assignments, finished with her fourth season and 12th career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Sara Potts and Jenny Pfeiffer also added 14 while Jones and Angela Phillips followed with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Phillips dished out a career-high nine assists and grabbed two steals. Freshman Afton Perry also contributed off the bench, recording career highs in points (7) and rebounds (4) in just nine minutes of action.
A slow start, plagued by turnovers and poor shooting, saw the Cats trail by as many as 16 in the first half. UK clawed back within eight and went to the locker room at the break, trailing 36-26. UK took its first lead with 11 minutes left in regulation, 46-44. After five ties and four lead changes, Temple went on a 7-0 run before tying the game at the buzzer.
UK committed a season-high 22 turnovers but outrebounded the Owls 48-42. UK also outshot the Owls from the field 46.0 to 42.1 percent.
UK is now 1-1 vs. Temple and is 1-2 vs. teams from the Atlantic 10 conference this season. The Cats are now 1-1 in overtime this season after defeating Louisville, 84-80, in extra minutes earlier this season.
The Cats hit the road for their next two games, traveling to Miami in Oxford, Ohio on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. and Bowling Green, Ky., on Monday, Dec. 22 vs. intrastate rival Western Kentucky at 8 p.m. ET.
