Temple used relentless defense and outstanding all-around effort by Alisha Mosley to shake off defending Class 2A champion and No. 6 Tuscola Jim Ned 60-51 Tuesday, then Destiny Bell had a late steal and two game-winning free throws as the Tem-Cats gritted out a 47-45 overtime win against District 12-5A foe Killeen Ellison to reach the title game of Copperas Cove’s Bush’s Chicken Holiday Classic.
“Words can’t say how proud I am of these girls,” first-year Temple coach Tamarah Sanders said.
The Tem-Cats (11-8) will face host Copperas Cove (13-5), another 12-5A foe, in the championship game at 3 p.m. today.
Meanwhile, Belton (10-9) remains stuck in its Jekyll & Hyde identity crisis. The Lady Tigers made 10 of their first 19 shots and held a 27-21 lead before converting just five of their final 39 in a 69-47 loss to Whitehouse. Belton will face Killeen at 9 a.m. and Jim Ned at noon in a pair of consolation games.
Temple 60, Jim Ned 51
With the Tem-Cats trailing 43-41, Shantae Hewins (16 points, 10 rebounds) fed Bell, who completed a three-point play to give Temple a 44-43 lead with 5:19 remaining in the fourth. On the ensuing play, freshman Loryn Goodwin stole the ball and fed Hewins for a basket, and later Mosley added a layup for a 48-43 lead.
Hewins added two more steals for layups and Maya Williams added a jumper for a 54-49 lead with 1:23 to go. Then Mosley took a charge and made two free throws, Williams scored off a Hewins feed and Goodwin stole the inbound pass and laid it in to seal the win.
Mosley scored a season-high 17 points - seven in the fourth quarter - and made several key hustle plays to help the Tem-Cats force 43 turnovers against a guard-oriented team.
“She never stopped hustling and her energy really made the difference,” Sanders said.
Temple 47, Ellison 45 (OT)
With the game tied at 45, the Lady Eagles had possession with 15.9 seconds left in overtime. Ellison hurried the ball up the court and Jalisa Williams received a pass down low, but Bell stole the ball and was fouled with 11.9 to go. The senior calmly stepped to the line and sank both free throws, her only two points of the game, for a 47-45 lead.
When Bell was asked if she was nervous on her attempts, she replied, “A little bit, but I had confidence I was going to make them.”
Then Jasmine Washington dribbled up the floor and looked for Williams in heavy traffic for the tying score, but the pass sailed out of bounds. Goodwin was fouled and missed her free throw, but Alisha Jones’ heavily contested halfcourt fling was off and Temple survived.
Ellison’s Jaricka Thomas missed a 10-footer for the win to end regulation, sending the game into overtime at 39.
Hewins had 11 points, seven rebounds and six steals. Floor leader Goodwin added another 11, controlling the pace of the game down the stretch while making key momentum-changing baskets, including the tying score early in overtime.
“She was getting frustrated but then she just settled down and took control,” Sanders said.
An inability to execute late in games plagued Temple all of last season and earlier this season, but three straight close wins in two days might have changed the Tem-Cats fortune.
“We have gone through a lot so far this season with losing people to injury problems and everything else,” Bell said. “For us to bond together how we’ve been playing in this tournament, we’ve come a long, long way.”
Whitehouse 69, Belton 47
The Lady Tigers’ offense was clicking after Hailey Rosebrock (team-high 13 points) completed a three-point play to start the second quarter, and eventually her two free throws gave Belton a 27-23 lead. Then the roof caved in.
From that point until midway through the third quarter, the Lady Wildcats outscored Belton 33-7 to grab a 56-34 lead and cruise to victory.
“They calmed down offensively and started handling the pressure,” Lady Tigers coach Randy Bell said, “and we quit executing offensively.”
After Rosebrock’s jumper, Belton made only one of its final 13 shots in the quarter, then went 2-of-8 in the third and 2-of-18 in the fourth.
“Unless we start to execute things offensively, we’re not going to beat good teams,” Bell said. “Until we learn to have an idea and a concept of what we’re trying to do offensively, we’re going to struggle.”
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
