Temple Women's Basketball Owls Show Heart in Valentine's Day Loss to East Carolina

Owls fall 79-73 despite late comeback effort against second-place ECU

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Temple Owls women's basketball team played with a lot of heart, but ultimately fell 79-73 to East Carolina on Valentine's Day at The Liacouras Center. Despite the loss, which was their third straight, the Owls showed improvement in their play and nearly completed a late comeback after falling behind by as many as 11 points.

Why it matters

The loss drops Temple to 10-14 overall and 4-8 in American Conference play, but the team's improved effort and competitiveness against a strong East Carolina squad that sits in second place in the conference standings is an encouraging sign for the Owls as they look ahead to a more favorable schedule in the coming weeks.

The details

Temple kept falling behind East Carolina but continued to fight back, cutting a 69-58 deficit down to 75-71 in the final three minutes. The Owls forced 20 turnovers but committed 24 of their own against the ECU squad that forces the most turnovers in the American Conference. Saniyah Craig led Temple with 20 points, while Savannah Curry had 18 and Kaylah Turner added 14. ECU point guard Kennedy Fauntleroy, the team's leading scorer, fouled out with 6:45 remaining, which helped Temple's late comeback effort.

  • The game was played on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2026.
  • Temple trailed 24-21 at the end of the first quarter but tied the game 36-36 by halftime after an 11-0 run to close the second quarter.
  • East Carolina led by as many as 11 points in the second half before Temple made its late comeback attempt in the final three minutes.

The players

Diane Richardson

The head coach of the Temple Owls women's basketball team.

Saniyah Craig

A Temple player who led the team with 20 points in the loss.

Savannah Curry

A Temple player who scored 18 points in the game.

Kaylah Turner

A Temple player who scored 14 points in the loss.

Kennedy Fauntleroy

The leading scorer for East Carolina, who fouled out with 6:45 remaining in the game.

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What they’re saying

“Temple played with a lot of heart, but it wasn't enough as the Owls dropped a 79-73 decision to East Carolina on Valentine's Day at The Liacouras Center.”

— Shawn Pastor, Author (247sports.com)

What’s next

Temple has a big game coming up on Tuesday night at Charlotte, a team they made a historic comeback against just three weeks ago, overcoming a 26-point deficit to win 83-82.

The takeaway

While the Owls came up short against a strong East Carolina team, their improved effort and competitiveness, especially in the late comeback attempt, is an encouraging sign for the team as they look ahead to a more favorable schedule in the coming weeks and try to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.