BIG SPRING, Texas (Interstat) — A struggling Temple College team seeks its first win of the season Saturday when it visits a surging Howard College (Texas) squad in a men’s junior college basketball matchup at Dorothy Garrett Coliseum.

The Temple Leopards (0-5) enter on the heels of a heartbreaking 82-80 road loss to Western Texas on Friday, their third defeat by eight points or fewer this season. The Howard Hawks (7-2) are riding a five-game winning streak, most recently a dominant 80-52 victory over Mineral Area on Thursday.

Temple’s season has been defined by narrow setbacks. In addition to Friday’s two-point loss, the Leopards fell 87-85 to Navarro and 96-88 to South Plains. Finding consistent scoring beyond guard Roy Gardner has been a challenge. Gardner is coming off a 12-point, five-rebound performance against Western Texas and scored 27 points in the loss to South Plains on Nov. 22.

Howard presents a formidable obstacle. The Hawks’ defense has been stifling during their streak, holding opponents to an average of 61.2 points over the last five games. Forward Dace Pleasant has been a key two-way contributor, posting 12 points and seven rebounds in the win over Mineral Area. He averages 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in games where he plays significant minutes.

The Hawks’ only losses came in their season opener against Northern Oklahoma-Enid and a road game at Lamar, which they later avenged with a 16-point home victory.

Temple will need a complete performance to break into the win column, likely requiring major contributions from Josh Telfort and Ovie Agbigbe, who combined for 24 points in Friday’s loss. Howard will look to leverage its depth and home-court advantage to extend its streak and hand the Leopards another difficult defeat.

Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.