Thomas More women's basketball standout Temple named USBWA's National Player of the Week - NKyTribune

By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

Thomas More College women’s basketball standout Madison Temple has been named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Player of the Week.

Temple, a 6-foot junior guard, collected a pair of double-doubles as Thomas More (24-1 overall) won both of its Presidents’ Athletic Conference games last week and extended its current winning streak to 23. She opened the week with 16 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals in the Saints’ 75-47 win over Saint Vincent on Wednesday.

Thomas More’s Madison Temple has been named Division III National Player of the Week by the USBWA. Temple, a junior guard, has led the Saints to a 24-1 record and 23 straight wins.

Three days later, during a 92-42 victory over Washington & Jefferson, Temple scored 25 points and added 16 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks. For the week, Temple averaged 20.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 steals and one block per game. She shot 55.6 percent (15-for-27) from the field, 57.1 percent (4-for-7) from the foul line and 70 percent (7-for-10) from 3-point range.

For the season, Temple averages 17.2 points, 5.4 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game. She has also made 86.2 percent of her free throws and is 49-for-109 (45 percent) from 3-point range.

Temple, a graduate of Anderson High School in Cincinnati, was also named the PAC Player of the Week. Thomas More, ranked No. 4 nationally in the Division III poll, finished 18-0 in the PAC and has not lost to a conference foe in more than six years.

Thomas More has not lost to a PAC opponent since Jan. 14, 2012, when Saint Vincent pulled out a 68-65 victory in Latrobe, Pa. The Saints have defeated conference foes in 133 consecutive games since that loss in 2012, but the NCAA forced Thomas More to vacate every win during the 2014-15 season due to an eligibility issue, wiping out 20 victories against PAC schools.

Temple and the top-seeded Saints return to the court this Friday when they will host either fourth-seeded Grove City or fifth-seeded Waynesburg in an 8 p.m. semifinal game of the PAC Tournament at the Connor Convocation Center.

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