That the Leopards got back on the winning track against Coastal Bend College was the main thing, and the fact that they played so well while doing it was a nice bonus.
Marlon Miller scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the first half, Sully Haywood had 18 of his 21 points before the break and Temple never was seriously challenged as it rolled to a 111-70 victory over the Cougars at TC Gym.
"It had been a while (since the last win)," Johnson said after his team improved to 6-3 following losses of 26 and 31 points to South Plains and Howard, respectively, Nov. 20-21 in Levelland. "Obviously we did not play well in West Texas, but I do not think that was indicative of the team we can have."
Said sophomore point guard Haywood, who helped TC jump out to a 63-36 halftime advantage: "We were looking to get back on the right track. We wanted to play our game tonight."
Although Temple had more athleticism and skill than Beeville-based Coastal Bend (1-8), the Leopards did not have more players. They had only nine available after Johnson suspended freshmen Jordan Hillyer, Alex Lewis, Derrick McDowell and Keenen Owoigbe - all regular contributors - for Monday's game because of disciplinary reasons.
"I was really proud of the nine guys we suited up tonight," Johnson said.
Sophomore wing Miller (Belton) complemented his 22 points with five assists, fellow sophomore Haywood made five of TC's 11 3-point baskets and sophomore forward Rayland Robinson produced 10 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Three Leopard freshmen scored in double figures: Joseph Ekeke with 16 points, Dray Baker (five steals) with 14 and Travis Gipson with 11 in one of the best performances of his young college career.
Coastal Bend's only double-figure scorers were Chris Sutton with 13 points and Trevor King with 11. The Cougars matched Temple's 11 3-pointers but were plagued by turnovers and 14 missed free throws.
gwille@temple-telegram.com
