By Tony Adams, Temple College
While the Temple College Leopards basketball programs came back to campus refreshed from the Christmas break, the coaches and players had opportunities to set the right tone going into North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference play.
Here is a look back on what was an exciting week, and a look ahead in Leopards' athletics:
Men's basketball goes 2-1 in final non-conference week
The Leopards men's basketball team started their three-game week on Tuesday with a New Year Eve afternoon tilt against Coastal Bend College.
Temple weathered a late-game rally by the Cougars and clinched an 89-81 win.
The Leopards led at halftime, 44-36. Both teams scored 45 points in the second half, but TC kept the Cougars at arm's length to secure the win.
TC shot 41.4% from the field, which included 28.1% from behind the arc, and 80% from the foul line. The Leopards outrebounded the Cougars, 54-39.
Josh Telfort and Storm Gilchrist each had double-doubles. Telfort logged 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Gilchrist registered 16 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. Jaymes Brown-Peterson chipped in 14 points, and Ovie Agbigbe was a point shy of a double-double, with nine points and ten rebounds.
As the calendar flipped from 2024 to 2025, the Leopards hit the road again on Thursday as they traveled to Lufkin to take on Angelina College.
The Leopards struggled from the field and the free-throw stripe as they dropped a 64-47 contest to the Roadrunners.
Angelina built a 38-24 advantage by halftime and held the Leopards to 23 points in the second half.
TC shot 30.2% from the floor, which included 12% from beyond the arc, and 40% from the charity stripe.
Telfort led the Leopards with 12 points and six rebounds. Rasuan Collier added nine points, and Gilchrist and Roy Gardner chipped in seven points each.
Temple ended the week by hosting Dallas College – Eastfield at Kirby Johnson Court on Saturday.
The Leopards set the tone fast, built a large lead, and held off the pesky Harvester Bees, 80-57.
TC jumped out to a 10-3 lead four minutes in and pushed the advantage our to 17 points with 8:25 to go in the first half. The Leopards held an eight-point lead at halftime, 36-28.
After making adjustments at halftime, the Leopards roared out of the locker room to take a 68-39 advantage with eight minutes to go. TC coasted to a 23-point win.
The Leopards shot 14-of-23 from the free-throw line and drained nine three-pointers.
Collier had seven of the nine treys to lead the Leopards with 25 points. Gilchrist added 12, and Agbigbe chipped in eight points.
Through 16 games this season, the Leopards (11-5) have averaged 81.8 points per game and allowed 73.6 points per game.
Next up: NTJCAC action
The Leopards begin their 14-game NTJCAC schedule on the road at Ranger College (10-6) at 7 pm on Wednesday and will complete the week at 4 pm on Saturday against Collin County Community College (10-6).
Avenge tour complete: TC women's basketball ends non-conference play with two wins
The Leopards women's basketball team had a unique opportunity to avenge two tough losses: a Nov. 21 loss to Western Texas College in Synder where they put up a season-low 44 points and a Nov. 26 home loss against Blinn College where they had an opportunity to tie go by the wayside in a 78-76 defeat.
TC started the week on Thursday afternoon, as they hosted WTC on Kirby Johnson Court.
The Leopards ripped through the second and third quarters, having outscored the Westerners 42-15 to pave the way for decisive 71-45 win.
Temple led WTC 13-12 at the end of the first period, 33-24 at the half, and 55-31 at the end of the third quarter.
Five Leopards scored in double figures. Jaylice Rosario, who was shut out by the Westerners in the first, led TC in scoring with 17 points in three quarters. Biva Byrd and Imani McCray each had 11 points, and Shay Morgan and Mychie White each contributed ten points.
The Leopards finished the week with a road trip to Brenham to take on the No. 25 Blinn Buccaneers.
Temple took early advantage of Blinn's 24-day break away from competitive action as they jumped in front of the Buccaneers by 18 points to hold them off for a 64-56 win.
The Leopards led 22-12 at the end of the first quarter and 37-26 at halftime.
TC built a 47-29 advantage early in the third period before the Bucs rallied with a 16-4 stretch to pull to within six, 51-45, heading into the fourth quarter. The Leopards outscored the Bucs in the final quarter, 13-11.
In 14 games this season, the Leopards (10-4) have averaged 80.3 points per game and allotted 64.7 points per game.
Next up: NTJCAC action
The Leopards begin their 14-game NTJCAC schedule on the road at Ranger College (2-8) at 5 pm on Wednesday and will complete the week at 2 pm on Saturday against Collin County Community College (9-5).
Leopards Baseball: The countdown is on
The Temple College Leopards baseball team will start its five-week non-conference schedule with a doubleheader against Blinn College in Brenham on Saturday, Jan. 25.
The doubleheader will kick off a 20-game pre-conference schedule, with 12 games at the Danny Scott Athletic Complex.
The home dates are Jan. 31 (Odessa DH), Feb. 1 (Blinn DH), Feb. 5 (Wharton County), Feb. 21 (Alvin DH), Feb. 22 (Angelina DH), Feb. 28 (Midland), and March 1 (Midland, Navarro).
Leopards Softball: Road Warriors
The beginning part of the Temple College Softball schedule will be loaded with solid non-conference competition will see the Leopards on the road for 16 of their first 22 games.
TC Softball's Danny Scott Athletic Complex non-conference dates are Feb. 2 (Clarendon DH), Feb. 6 (Coastal Bend), and Feb. 15 (Galveston).
The schedule covers a series against each team in Region V's Western Junior College Athletic Conference except for El Paso Community College.
More to follow next week with baseball and softball.