Tem-Cats Cruise Past Lindale, Into Second Round

Chadricka Pickett smothered an offensive rebound and made the putback. Alejah Hill read a pass, swiped it and finished the fast break with a calm layup. Breyaunna Sigler found space on the wing, set her feet and drained a 3-pointer.

In the span of 1 minute during the third quarter of Monday night’s Class 5A bi-district playoff game between Temple and Lindale, the Tem-Cats demonstrated just how far big plays in key moments can take a team. At the time it was to a lasting lead. And now, it’s to the second round for the second straight season.

The seven-point burst boosted the Tem-Cats to their first double-digit cushion of the night, and the margin shrank to only seven on three occasions in an eventual 51-42 victory at Tiger Coliseum.

“I think we had more intensity (in the third quarter) because in the beginning we were up, but we were relaxed and thinking they couldn’t come back on us,” Hill said. “So after the pep talk we had during halftime, it gave us more intensity to play harder.”

Temple (17-12), the third seed out of District 18-5A, advanced to the area round in back-to-back seasons after breaking a streak last year of not getting past the first round since 2012. The Tem-Cats moved on to face the winner of tonight’s contest between No. 9 Tomball Memorial and Bastrop.

Click here to read the entire article in the Temple Daily Telegram by Joshua Weaver