Those two liabilities appeared again at the worst possible time on Tuesday night to drive the final stake through the Tem-Cats’ playoff hopes.
Outrebounded throughout, Temple shot 23 percent from the field and allowed a 25-5 second-half run as Killeen Ellison eliminated the Tem-Cats from postseason contention and clinched its first playoff berth since 2001 with a 48-34 victory at Wildcat Gym.
“I laid it out there before the game. They knew what was at stake,” said first-year Temple coach Tamarah Sanders, whose team shot 12-of-52 from the field and was outrebounded 48-35. “Same song: offensive rebounds and shots weren’t falling tonight.”
The Tem-Cats (14-14 overall, 4-8 District 12-5A) will miss the playoffs for the second straight season, thanks largely to the Lady Eagles. Although Ellison (14-13, 6-6) lost to the Tem-Cats 47-45 in overtime at Copperas Cove’s Bush’s Chicken Holiday Classic in December, the Lady Eagles swept the 12-5A series, winning 67-42 before putting Temple’s playoff hopes to rest on Tuesday.
With 39.6 seconds left and the game in hand, the Ellison bench began to celebrate loudly as its playoff goal was becoming reality.
“I could cry,” third-year Lady Eagles coach Sherry McKinnon said. “I’m so proud of the girls that they just stuck with it. It wasn’t only my dream; their dream was coming true and (I’m mostly proud) for my seniors.”
Unable to find any consistent offense, the Tem-Cats seemed to create a little breathing room when Jourdan Truesdale hit two free throws to cap a 6-0 run for a 26-22 lead with 4:11 remaining in the third quarter.
That’s when Ellison went to its post play and turned the game into a rout.
JaLisa Williams had a putback, Jasmine Whetstone rolled in a hook shot in the lane and Williams hit a turnaround jumper on the block. Then Ocleta Young drained a 3-pointer from the corner, Alisha Jones hit a jumper, Williams scored again inside and Alayshia Hunter made a 10-footer to cap a 15-0 run and give the Lady Eagles a 37-26 lead with 6:33 remaining.
“I wanted them to feed it to the post,” McKinnon said. “I knew it would be a mismatch in the post. I felt like we were taller and a little stronger and they started doing that and it opened up the outside.”
Temple’s offense had no answer, going 7 minutes, 42 seconds in between field goals spanning the third and fourth quarters. Shantae Hewins (team-high 10 points) hit a 3 to bring the Tem-Cats within 41-31 with 3:40 left, but Ellison’s Desiree Wylie scored three straight inside baskets to seal the win.
“When your offense isn’t going as well as it should be, somebody has to play defense,” said Sanders, whose team committed only 14 turnovers. “The defense has to step up and that didn’t happen tonight.”
Temple’s Alisha Mosley had nine points and Maya Williams scored seven. The Tem-Cats will host Bryan at 7 p.m. Friday and fans are encouraged to wear pink to honor North Carolina State women’s basketball coach Kay Yow, who died of breast cancer on Jan. 24. Then they’ll finish the season at Harker Heights next Tuesday.
“I don’t know if we stopped believing,” Sanders said. “Sometimes we play not to lose instead of playing to win. In my heart I know we played hard and they wanted this win, but it just didn’t go our way tonight.”
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
