KILLEEN, TX – In a gritty District 12-6A showdown on Friday evening, the Temple Tem-Cats struggled to find their offensive rhythm, ultimately falling to Killeen High School with a final score of 42-28.
From the opening tip, points were hard to come by for both squads. Killeen managed to carve out a steady lead early, outscoring Temple 10-5 in the first quarter and adding another 13 points in the second. Despite the uphill climb, the Tem-Cats went into the locker room at halftime trailing 23-13, looking for a spark to ignite a comeback.
Defensive Grit and Second-Half Hustle
The third quarter saw Temple’s defense tighten up significantly. The Tem-Cats matched Killeen bucket-for-bucket, with both teams putting up 9 points in the frame. Temple’s presence in the paint was felt throughout the night, anchored by Jesses Johnson and Ja’Tiyah Brown, who both hauled down 6 rebounds and contributed key blocks and steals to keep the game within reach.
However, the offensive breakthrough Temple needed never quite materialized in the final period. Killeen’s defense held the Tem-Cats to just 6 points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Stat Leaders
Mariah Dixon led the scoring effort for Temple with 9 points and added 2 steals to her stat line. Tierney Perkins provided a versatile spark across the board, finishing with 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a block.
Other notable contributions included:
Ja’Tiyah Brown: 4 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
Aaliyah Paul: 3 points, 3 rebounds
Ja’Marea Wilson: 3 points, 2 assists, 2 steals
Kendall Tate: 2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals
While the Tem-Cats showed tenacity on the boards—with Maciah Morgan and Ka’Myhria Freeman combining for 6 rebounds—the shooting woes proved too much to overcome against a disciplined Killeen defense.
Looking Ahead
The Tem-Cats won't have much time to dwell on the loss as they prepare for their final outing of the year. Temple will return to the friendly confines of Wildcat Gym for the season finale on February 10. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM, where the team will look to close out their District 12-6A campaign on a high note in front of the home crowd.
