Coming off a conference-opening 103-88 loss at Weatherford, their first defeat this season, the Leopards simply needed to win Saturday afternoon’s men’s basketball game against Hill at TC Gym.
And in the end, they did.
LaDon Huckaby and C.J. Richards scored 25 points apiece and Temple outscored Hill 9-4 in overtime to stave off the feisty Rebels 97-92 in the Leopards’ Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference home opener.
“The bottom line is that we won, and you have to win on your home court,” said TC coach Kirby Johnson, whose squad won its first 15 games. “Obviously, with an 0-1 record in conference, we needed to win.
“I told the guys before the game, ‘You see what your team is made of coming off a loss more than you do coming off a win.’ We had some adversity and overcame it.”
Chris Ellis scored 13 points, J.B. Conley had nine and Jordan Brown and Ervin Johnson each added eight for Temple, which played without point guard Thomas Anguiano (knee) and wing Jamar Beasley (foot).
Richards, who usually shares minutes with fellow sophomore Anguiano, had 17 assists while playing almost the entire game as TC committed only 10 turnovers.
“C.J.’s been splitting time and today he plays the last 25 minutes, so I have to commend him,” Johnson said.
Slashing point guard DeAndre Mays scored a team-high 22 points for Hill (10-7, 1-1), highlighted by his 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in regulation that created an 88-88 tie and sent the duel to overtime.
Jacob Kelsey had 16 points for the Rebels, Roger Eiland added 14 and Quincy Owens chipped in 11.
A large portion of the first half gave no indication that the game would become a dramatic, back-and-forth battle.
Wes Dipprey’s midair putback basket put TC up 7-5, then Richards, Conley and Huckaby paced an offensive explosion that produced a 31-17 Leopard lead seven minutes before halftime.
However, Hill suddenly reversed the momentum as Mays heated up while TC’s offense bogged down.
Cannon Earp made a 3-pointer and a driving basket to give the Rebels their first lead at 37-35 with 1:07 left before Brown’s 15-foot jumper put TC up 38-37 at the half.
The Leopards got into foul trouble very early in the second half, and Hill used an Owens three-point play and Marchale Robinson’s fast-break layup to seize a 53-47 edge at the 14-minute mark.
Ellis led the Leopards as they chipped away to forge a 58-58 tie, then Huckaby’s 3 off a steal regained the lead for TC at 65-63 with 9:25 left.
The teams proceeded to trade baskets, fouls and missed free throws for the remainder of regulation.
“So many times we had a chance to get a comfortable cushion from the free-throw line,” Johnson said, “but we would make one of two or miss both.”
Conley’s putback put TC up 80-79, and baskets by Ellis and Richards pushed it to 87-81 with 1:03 to play.
But Kelsey quickly buried a 3, then Richards made only one of two free throws with 10.4 seconds left - keeping the lead at three points.
And Hill took advantage. Johnson said TC executed his plan of covering 3-point gunners Kelsey and Earp, but Mays, who hadn’t made a 3-pointer in the game, got the ball and got enough space just to the left of the top of the key to drill the game-tying 3 with 0.4 seconds remaining.
However, the Leopards recovered nicely. Huckaby’s 6-foot banker gave them the lead for good at 91-90 with 3:09 left in OT, then layups by Richards and Ellis made it 95-90.
Temple didn’t make a field goal in the final 1:40, but Hill hit only one more shot, Richards and Ellis each made a free throw and Dipprey delivered a big blocked shot to help the Leopards hold on for their crucial victory.
Temple will host Ranger at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
gwille@temple-telegram.com
