Temple stayed within striking distance for most of Tuesday night but couldn’t catch Waco as Lady Lions guards Shamiah Taylor and Aaziyah Degrate combined for 40 points in a 47-35 victory over the Tem-Cats at Wildcat Gym.

Temple dipped to 7-9 overall while Waco moved to 6-4.

“They wanted it more,” Temple head coach Azzie Knox said. “We’ve got to understand that defense is our bread and butter. If we’re not playing tough defense and communicating effectively, we’re letting them score. We’ve got to have a sense of urgency.”

Some of that urgency surfaced at times, especially to start the second half.