PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Saniyah Craig posted 17 points and 10 rebounds Sunday to lead Temple to a 65-62 women’s basketball victory over Memphis at Liacouras Center. The Owls, who improved to 12-14, held off a late push from the Tigers behind Craig’s double-double. Daejah Richmond scored a game-high 21 points for Memphis, which fell to 8-19. Savannah Curry added 11 points for Temple in the American Athletic Conference matchup. Memphis’s Kennedi Alexander contributed 14 points. The Tigers have lost five consecutive games. Temple has won two of its last three.

PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — In a game defined by grinding defense and squandered opportunities, the Temple women’s basketball team edged Memphis 65-62 on Sunday at Liacouras Center to snap a two-game skid. The contest, an American Athletic Conference matchup, was a struggle for offensive efficiency throughout. Temple improved to 12-14 overall, while Memphis fell to 8-19. The most critical sequence unfolded in the final 90 seconds with the outcome hanging in the balance. Trailing 61-58, Temple’s Savannah Curry drove and converted a layup while being fouled by Memphis’ Daejah Richmond with 3:21 remaining. Curry completed the three-point play to tie the game, a pivotal momentum shift in a contest where points were at a premium. On the ensuing Memphis possession, Tamya Smith missed a jumper, but Kennedi Alexander secured the offensive rebound. The Tigers worked the ball to Smith again, who scored inside to reclaim a 62-61 lead with 2:40 left. Temple answered decisively. After a missed drive by Kaylah Turner, Saniyah Craig grabbed her fifth offensive rebound of the day. She missed the putback, but Cori Allen’s defensive board for Memphis was immediately negated when Smith turned the ball over on the other end, stolen by Jaleesa Molina. Molina’s driving attempt was blocked by Allen, but Temple retained possession. Following a timeout, the Owls executed perfectly. Turner found Molina for a layup, giving Temple a 63-62 advantage with 1:26 on the clock. Memphis had two chances to retake the lead. Richmond missed a pull-up jumper, and after a Curry defensive rebound, Temple went to its star. Craig received a pass from Curry and finished a layup with 1:03 remaining, extending the Owl lead to 65-62. The Tigers, who shot just 5 of 18 from three-point range and 7 of 15 from the free throw line, had two final possessions to force overtime. Brooklynn Charlo missed a three-pointer with 37 seconds left. After a Temple shot clock violation, Memphis called a full timeout with 4.4 seconds remaining. Cori Allen’s contested three-point attempt at the buzzer missed, sealing the Temple victory. Craig, a 6-foot-1 sophomore from Phoenix, Arizona, was the cornerstone for Temple, posting a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes. She also added three assists and was a constant force on the glass. Curry, a 5-11 guard from Fallston, Maryland, contributed 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists, with her three-point play proving crucial. Memphis was led by a stellar individual effort from Daejah Richmond. The 5-8 guard from Cordova, Tennessee, filled the stat sheet with 21 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks in 37 minutes. Kennedi Alexander added 14 points and five rebounds for the Tigers. The game was a defensive battle from the outset, with both teams forcing turnovers and struggling from the perimeter. Temple finished with 16 steals, leading to 20 Memphis turnovers. The Owls committed 15 turnovers of their own. Neither team shot well, with Temple making 27 of 70 field goals and Memphis 25 of 60. The Owls managed only 2 of 15 from beyond the arc but outscored Memphis 9-7 at the free throw line. Temple’s defense, particularly in the final minutes, secured the win despite an offensive rating of just 80.1 points per 100 possessions. Memphis finished with an offensive rating of 78.4. The victory defied pregame analytics, as Temple was projected with a 90% probability to win by the National Statistical ELO system. Temple next hosts Rice on Wednesday. Memphis returns home to face East Carolina, also on Wednesday.

PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Two American Athletic Conference women’s basketball teams seeking to halt extended slides will meet Sunday when the Temple Owls host the Memphis Tigers at Liacouras Center. Memphis (8-18, 3-10 AAC) enters on a seven-game losing streak, with its last win coming on Jan. 23. The Tigers are coming off a 54-69 road loss at Tulane on Thursday. Guard Tamya Smith led Memphis in that defeat, scoring 20 points. Smith has been a consistent offensive threat during the skid, averaging 13.1 points over the last seven contests. Temple (11-14, 5-8) has lost three of its last four, most recently a 73-79 home loss to East Carolina on Saturday. The Owls’ last outing was a 58-54 road victory at Charlotte on Feb. 17, sparked by a 21-point performance from guard Savannah Curry. Curry has been Temple’s top scorer in conference play, including an 18-point, 8-rebound effort in the loss to ECU. While both teams sit in the bottom half of the league standings, the matchup presents a critical opportunity to gain momentum before their respective conference tournaments. Temple won the season’s first meeting, 74-59, in Memphis on Jan. 3. The Owls will look to leverage their home court, where they are 7-6 this season. Memphis continues a tough road stretch, seeking its first away win since Jan. 7. Following this game, Temple hosts Rice on Wednesday. Memphis travels to face East Carolina on the same night.