Almost.

Temple compiled a 16-3 run to tie the game on Thomas Anguiano’s 3-point shot with a minute remaining, but C.J. Richards was called for charging, Jordan Glynn’s putback basket with 4.9 seconds left put MCC up and the Leopards didn’t get the ball across midcourt on their final possession as the Highlanders escaped with a 77-75 victory at TC Gym.

Temple (24-3), which lost for the first time in 13 home games this season, had its six-game winning streak in the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference stopped. The Leopards (8-3 NTJCAC) entered the night tied for the league lead with Weatherford, whose Coyotes beat last-place Ranger 79-60 to regain sole possession of first place.

Third-place McLennan (20-7, 7-4) - which handed the Leopards their most recent loss, 101-96 in overtime in Waco - pulled off a rare sweep of Temple and pulled within a game of TC.

Temple coach Kirby Johnson, who disputed several officiating calls or no-calls during the last minute, praised his players for rallying late but admitted that they made too many mistakes before the game’s closing stretch.

“I’m really proud of our guys for coming back like they did,” Johnson said. “We quit turning the ball over late in the game, but we made so many unforced turnovers tonight and we missed some free throws again, and those hurt you.

“I don’t know what our problem was. It seemed that we were not in sync. This game always comes down to the last shot, and we just didn’t make a play.”

Anguiano, Wes Dipprey and Chris Ellis scored 13 points apiece for Temple, J.B. Conley had 12 and LaDon Huckaby added 10. Dipprey also grabbed 10 rebounds.

Freshman forward Glynn scored 12 of his 19 in the second half to lead MCC, which got 12 each from Walt Harris and Flavio Milam.

“It feels really good to get a sweep against our main rival,” Glynn said. “Our coach (Kevin Gill) just told us to rebound and get stops and try to keep scoring.”

Temple never led in the first half but had to consider itself fortunate to go to the locker room with a 33-33 tie.

Glynn paced MCC as it jumped out to an 8-2 lead, but Conley’s powerful dunk off a steal helped TC charge back for a 10-10 game. Quenton Kirby’s scoring sent the Highlanders to a 22-12 advantage 9:34 before halftime, yet Ellis and the Leopards chipped away before Ervin Johnson’s 16-foot jumper made it 29-29 at the 3-minute mark en route to the 33-33 tie at the half.

Temple quickly fell behind by five early after the break but grabbed its first lead as Huckaby and Anguiano hit back-to-back 3s to make it 41-40 with 17:17 remaining.

A 3-pointer by Ellis pushed it to 47-42, but the inside work of Glynn and the sharp shooting of Milam (Killeen Ellison), Catrell Currie and Tray Carmouche - combined with careless TC turnovers - drove a 30-12 outburst by McLennan that had the Highlanders ahead 72-59 with 5:14 left.

Determined to not lose at home and not get swept by their top rival, the Leopards had quite a response.

Dipprey and Richards got inside for consecutive three-point plays, Conley scored off a long outlet pass and Dipprey nailed a 12-foot baseline fallaway to make it 72-69 with 3:15 left.

Carmouche answered a Conley hoop with a clutch 3 for a 75-71 MCC lead at the 2:08 mark, but after a Dipprey free throw TC’s defense got a stop and Anguiano buried a 3 from the left corner a 75-75 game with 57.3 seconds left, sending the large, energetic crowd into a frenzy.

Anguiano was whistled for a hand-check foul with 40 seconds left, but Carmouche missed the first free throw of a 1-and-1 opportunity and TC regained possession.

Richards drove hard and passed to Dipprey for the would-be go-ahead basket, but Richards ran into Glynn and was called for a charge, negating the basket.

Milam’s 15-footer on MCC’s ensuing possession sailed long for an airball, but Glynn soared to snatch the ball and put it in off the glass for a 77-75 Highlander lead with 4.9 seconds left.

After a timeout by each team, TC passed in the backcourt to Anguiano, who had the ball but lost it as he went through two defenders. No foul was called and time ran out, much to Kirby Johnson’s displeasure.

“I’m disappointed the calls didn’t go our way late in the game,” he said. “All we want is consistency.”

The Leopards, whose last home game is next Wednesday against Collin County (7-4 NTJCAC), will return to action Wednesday at Southwestern Christian.

“We have to get over this in a day,” Johnson said. “We can’t let this loss cost us another one. We’ll play hard.”