By Tony Adams, for Temple College
This coming week (Dec. 4-10) the Leopards and Lady Leopards continue their nonconference basketball schedules. The men (7-3) travel to New Mexico and hope to add to their three-game winning streak. The women remain undefeated (10-0) with two games left on the 2023 calendar.
This week’s Temple College Athletics schedule includes:
- On Saturday, the men’s basketball team will take on No. 2 South Plains College at 3 p.m. in Hobbs, NM.
- On Sunday, the men’s basketball team will take on No. 18 New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs.
- The women’s basketball team will not have a game until Monday, Dec. 11 at Jacksonville College.
TC men’s basketball wins three
The Temple College men’s basketball team won all three games last week, with two road victories sandwiched around a home win.
Leopards vs. Dallas College Brookhaven (Nov. 28)
On Nov. 28, the team traveled to the metroplex to take on the Dallas College-Brookhaven Bears.
The Leopards jumped out to a 17-point lead at the half and cruised to a 92-78 win.
Temple got off to a fast start, having grabbed multiple offensive rebounds and creating second-chance points, as they led at halftime, 45-28.
The Bears were unable to close the double-digit gap over the final 20 minutes.
TC shot 50% (35-of-50) from the field, which included 8-of-21 (38.1%) from behind the three-point line. The Leopards went 14-of-22 (63.6%) from the free-throw line.
Caleb Gaston (San Antonio, TX) led all scorers with 23 points and 12 rebounds, fueled by a 9-of-20 performance from the field.
Eino Montin (Jyvaskyla, Finland) added 18 points, which included 3-of-3 from beyond the arc and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe.
Theo Grant (Shertz, TX/Clemens) chipped in 15 points and seven boards.
Camren Roper (Austin, TX/Concordia Lutheran) added eight assists and seven rebounds.
Leopards vs. Dallas College Cedar Valley (Nov. 30)
On Wednesday, Nov. 30, the Leopards hosted Dallas College Cedar Valley at the Danny Scott Athletic Complex.
The Leopards jumped out to a large lead and held off the Suns, 88-77.
TC led at the half 51-32, as they parlayed a solid half of three-point shooting with a consistent performance from the charity stripe.
The Leopards led by as much as 25 points before the Suns made a late push to clip the final margin to 11 points.
TC shot 48.3% (28-of-58) from the field, which included 4-of-8 (50%) from behind the three-point line. The Leopards went 17-of-22 (77.3%) from the free-throw line.
Theo Grant was nearly perfect in a 24-point performance, having shot 8-of-9 from the field, including 2-of-2 from behind the three-point arc and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Syncere Shaw (St. Louis, MO) added 16 points off the bench and Caleb Gaston (San Antonio, TX) scored 15 points for the Leopards. Andrew Iyamah (Dallas, TX) registered a double-double, with 10 points and 16 rebounds.
Leopards vs. San Antonio College (Dec. 2)
On Saturday, Dec. 2, the Leopards traveled south to take on San Antonio College.
TC pulled away in the second half, as the Leopards received 40 points from their reserve players in a 102-72 win over SAC.
The Leopards and SAC played a tight first-half, with TC grabbing a 55-47 advantage at halftime. After halftime adjustments, the Leopards outscored SAC in over the final 20 minutes, 47-25.
TC shot 50.6% (42-of-83) from the field, which included 9-of-25 (36%) from behind the three-point line. The Leopards went 9-of-15 (63.6%) from the free-throw line.
Grant scored 23 points to pace TC. Iyamah registered another double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Gaston and Desmond Green (New Orleans, LA) added 12 points each.
TC women’s basketball routs Western Gulf
On Friday, Dec. 1, the women’s basketball team hosted the Western Gulf Red Gales at the Danny Scott Athletic Complex.
The Temple College defense held Western Gulf to 17 points over the final three quarters as the Leopards scampered past the Red Gales, 90-31.
The Leopards scored the first 14 points and led at the end of the first quarter, 27-14. TC extended their lead to 19 by the end of the first half and took a 41-22 advantage into the locker room.
TC’s suffocating defense quelled the Red Gales, as the Leopards outscored Western Gulf in the second half, 49-9.
The Leopards shot 34.7% (33-of-95), which included 22.6% from behind the three-point line, and 94.4% (17-of-18) from the free-throw line. TC grabbed 71 rebounds, which included an eye-popping 35 offensive boards.
Three Leopards registered double doubles. Kira Bass (Killeen, TX/Ellison) scored 19 points and pulled down 18 rebounds (12 offensive), Wilashia Burleson (Temple, TX/Temple), added 18 points and collected 11 rebounds, and Tia Mitchell (Katy, TX/Cypress Lakes) contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Evelyn Lorenzo (Killeen, TX/Ellison) chipped in 11 points, five steals, and four assists, and Erika Suarez (Pflugerville, TX/Hendrickson) added nine points.
ABOUT TEMPLE COLLEGE
Temple College is “Your Community’s College,” a dynamic and growing community college that equips thousands of Central Texas students with the knowledge and skills for 21st-century success. Temple College, which has campuses in Temple, Hutto and Taylor, offers more than 75 degree and certificate programs to students who seek to earn credits for transfer, graduate with an associate degree or complete a certificate for fast entry into the workforce.
Founded in 1926, Temple College has enjoyed a reputation for academic excellence for 97 years. It is nationally recognized for its exceptional programs, from visual and performing arts to competitive athletics. The College has become one of the state’s premiere institutions for health care providers’ education and training, advanced manufacturing, and workforce development programs. The faculty and staff are committed to providing exceptional quality instruction.