Learning makes up a significant part of what teams like to refer to as the process, and it’s not just the players who are absorbing the information. One thing Temple head coach Michael Thomas apparently now knows about Jaylon Hall that he didn’t prior to Friday night is that the sophomore can dunk.

Hall scored 11 of his game-high 21 points in the fourth, including a crowed-pleasing slam that capped a key 11-2 spurt, and the Wildcats jumped into the District 12-6A win column by beating Killeen 51-45 at Wildcat Gym.

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HARKER HEIGHTS — Sierra Brooks made her first field goal with 5 minutes left in the third quarter — and it wasn’t her last.

Senior Nyteria Colbert scored 10 fourth-quarter points before fouling out, including six in a key 2-minute stretch that helped Temple regain a much-needed double-digit lead against comeback-minded Killeen Shoemaker, and the Tem-Cats held on for a hard-fought 45-42 victory Friday night at Wildcat Gym.

Ten months ago, the Temple Wildcats were in the midst of a playoff chase and seemed primed to qualify for the postseason for the first time since making the leap to Class 6A. Temple had two games remaining on its District 12-6A schedule, and the odds of the Wildcats reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2016 seemed high.

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While the outcome was a little closer than most inside of Wildcat Gym on Wednesday afternoon would have predicted, Temple still accomplished two goals during its non-district contest against TAPPS-member Austin St. Michael’s Catholic.

TJ Johnson and his Belton teammates are trying to erase the perception other District 12-6A teams have of the Tigers.

“We’re considered the softest team in the district,” Johnson said. “We don’t want that anymore.”

As such, the usually stoic 6-foot-6 forward was full of emotion Tuesday afternoon while scoring 27 points to lead the Tigers to a 53-31 win over the Temple Wildcats at Wildcat Gym.

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