The Tem-Cats used a late 14-3 run to overtake Victoria Memorial 59-52, then the Lady Tigers jumped out to a comfortable halftime lead and cruised to a 63-46 victory over Austin Anderson on Monday at Copperas Cove’s Bush’s Chicken Holiday Classic.
Temple (9-8) plays Tuscola Jim Ned at 10:30 a.m. today and Belton (10-8) battles Whitehouse at noon. If either team wins, it will play a second later in the day, but a loss by either team would push it to a consolation game Wednesday.
Temple 59, Memorial 52
The Tem-Cats ended their four-game losing skid by executing down the stretch and converting free throws, two areas that had plagued them of late.
Temple trailed 49-45 in the fourth when Alisha Mosley (10 points) hit a jumper and senior Shantae Hewins (game-high 17 points, nine rebounds, three steals) converted a three-point play for a 50-49 lead with 2:36 left.
Coming out of the timeout, the Vipers were whistled for a technical foul for having six players on the court. Hewins hit a free throw for a 51-49 lead and the defense forced turnovers on the next two possessions. Maya Williams scored with 1:12 left to extend the lead to four.
Then after Mosley outhustled a defender for a rebound, Destiny Bell converted the Tem-Cats’ second putback attempt for a 55-49 margin.
Memorial’s Amy Torres hit a free throw and scored off an inbound pass to trim the lead to 55-52, but Hewins salted the game away with two free throws and Mosley added another pair with six seconds left.
“Today’s game showed how much they’re growing,” Temple coach Tamarah Sanders said. “They’re realizing they can play and down the stretch it showed.”
Prior to Monday’s win, the Tem-Cats were 28-of-65 from the free-throw line in the last three games, all losses. They finished 15-for-19 from the stripe and outrebounded the Vipers 46-35.
“That (College Station A&M) Consolidated game opened up their eyes,” Sanders said about Temple’s 68-50 home loss to the District 12-5A favorite on Dec. 19. “The first game against (Killeen) Shoemaker (a 43-41 loss), they realized if they’re going to win it, they’re going to have to go get it themselves.”
Belton 63, Anderson 46
With the game tied at 10, Belton scored the next 14 points and used a 27-11 run to end the first half en route to an easy victory.
Meghan Braeuer hit a 3-pointer and Kimesha Scott had consecutive steals for layups to end the first quarter up 17-10.
Brystal Holcombe scored inside and hit two free throws and Scott knocked down a 3 for a 24-10 lead. The Lady Tigers’ full-court trap forced five turnovers on Anderson’s first eight possessions of the game and 27 overall.
“I think we were fresh off the holidays,” Belton coach Randy Bell said. “Our feet were moving a little bit better and I’m not sure they (Anderson) were used to that kind of press. But the more we got tired, the less effective it got.”
Of the Lady Trojans’ 27 turnovers, only 10 came in the second half. The Lady Tigers fell into a second-half lull and allowed Anderson to pull within 45-33 at the end of the third, but the result was never in doubt.
Aynsley Young, Hailey Rosebrock and Emily Bartek each had 11 points for Belton.
“When you’re up, you should come out with a lot of extra energy and try and put a game away,” Bell said. “And that’s something they haven’t been able to do and it’s hurting them.
“It was pretty sloppy. We’re definitely not in shape, but coming off the holidays to get a win, let’s go to work."
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
