Over the course of their last three wins, the Temple College women's basketball team has had interesting starts that led to big wins.

On Saturday in Ranger, it was another opportunity to test their will against the Ranger College Rangers.

The Leopards overcame an early 7-0 deficit in the first 4:03, methodically climbed to the lead early in the second quarter, and never looked back as they secured their fourth consecutive win in seven days with a 48-37 victory over the Rangers.

With the win, the Leopards a one-half game ahead of Hill College for fourth place.

Ranger got early buckets from Dawn Roberson and Shamariah Gibbs, as they led 7-0 2:55 into the contest.

Temple (15-8 overall, 5-4 NTJCAC) got their first basket with 5:57 to go in the initial period, as Antronea Jackson hit a long jumper. Jackson followed with the three-pointer from the top of the key to cut the deficit to two.

Following two successful free-throws by Akyla Fields, Chyna Nixon answered with two charity-stripe conversions of her own with 42 seconds in the quarter. The Leopards trailed after the first ten minutes, 9-7.

Temple kept Ranger off the scoreboard for the first 5:26 of the second period, as their defense forced multiple turnovers. Korina Garcia hit a free-throw and Nixon hit a turnaround jumper to give the Leopards their first lead of the game, 10-9, with 5:07 left in the first half.

Jackson's three-pointer was answered by buckets from Fields and Favour Emeka to tie the game 13-13.

Daija Mitchell and Garcia scored the last five points of the half, as the Leopards led the Rangers 18-13.

Temple started the second half on an 8-2 run, as Jackson and Gabby Edo hit field goals to put the Leopards up by nine points, 26-17.

The Leopards continued their suffocating pressure and up-tempo offense through the latter part of the quarter, finishing up the period at a 9-6 clip, and taking a 35-23 advantage into fourth quarter.

Temple opened their lead to 15 points, 40-25, with 7:42 to go before Ranger made a late push that brought them back to within nine points, but no closer.

The Leopards hit six three-pointers and went 7-of-10 from the free-throw line.

Jackson led Temple with 17 points, which included five three-pointers. Garcia added nine.

The Leopards will face Collin County Community College on Wednesday at Kirby Johnson Court.