TEMPLE, TX — In a game defined by shifting momentum and a gritty defensive struggle, the Temple Tem-Cats freshman basketball team dropped a narrow 43-39 decision to the Midway Pantherettes on Friday evening at Wildcat Gym.

The contest was a true "tale of two halves," with Temple controlling the early tempo before a difficult third-quarter stretch proved to be the difference-maker.
Back-and-Forth Action
The opening frame saw both teams trading blows, ending in a 10-10 deadlock. Temple’s defense tightened in the second quarter, holding Midway to just seven points and allowing the Tem-Cats to take a slim 18-17 lead into the locker room at halftime.

However, the momentum swung sharply in the third quarter. Midway’s offense found its rhythm while Temple struggled to find the bottom of the net, as the Pantherettes outscored the Tem-Cats 17-3 in the period.

The Late Surge

Refusing to go quietly, the Tem-Cats mounted a furious comeback attempt in the final eight minutes. Led by the scoring duo of Sha'Kyhria Freeman and Hayden Williams, Temple erupted for 18 points in the fourth quarter. Despite the late-game heroics and closing the gap to within four, time simply ran out on the home comeback.

Top Performers

Sha'Kyhria Freeman led all Temple scorers with a dominant 15 points. She was joined in double figures by Hayden Williams, who contributed 10 points in the effort. Other scorers for the Tem-Cats included:

Kyleigh Juarez: 4 points
Cristina Garza: 3 points
Bailey Culbreath: 3 points
Catherine Dunklin: 2 points
Te'Zariah Sauls-Hopkins: 2 points

Looking Ahead

Despite the loss, the Tem-Cats maintain an impressive 17-5 overall record with a solid 6-3 mark in District 12-6A play.

The Temple freshmen will look to bounce back quickly as they hit the road next week. They are scheduled to face Harker Heights on Tuesday, February 3, with tipoff set for 5:00 PM.