BIG SPRING, Texas (Interstat) -- The Howard College Hawks used a dominant first quarter to set the tone and cruised to a 93-60 victory over the Temple College Leopards in a men’s junior college basketball game Saturday.

The Hawks, improving to 8-2 overall, exploded for 46 points in the opening period while holding Temple to 23, establishing a 23-point lead that would never be seriously challenged. The Leopards fell to 0-6 on the season.

Howard’s offensive efficiency was the story, as it scored 93 points on just 82 possessions for an offensive rating of 113.4. Temple managed only 60 points on 85 possessions, an offensive rating of 70.7. The Hawks’ advantage was built on superior shooting and a massive rebounding edge. Howard shot 49.3% from the floor (34 of 69) and a near-perfect 89.5% (17 of 19) from the free-throw line. Temple struggled, shooting 30% (18 of 60) from the field and 63% (17 of 27) from the line.

The most important part of the game was Howard’s initial blitz. The Hawks opened the game on a 15-3 run, highlighted by an early 3-pointer from Dace Pleasant and fueled by relentless defensive pressure that forced multiple Temple turnovers. The Leopards committed 19 turnovers in the game, with several coming in the chaotic opening minutes that allowed Howard to build its insurmountable lead. Despite also committing 19 turnovers, the Hawks’ early execution and scoring burst rendered Temple’s subsequent efforts moot.

Daniel Culberson led Howard with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes, continuing his strong play after an 11-point performance in the team’s previous game. Terry Copeland added 20 points and eight rebounds, while Dace Pleasant scored 12 points. Victor Yimga Moukouri contributed 11 points and five rebounds off the bench.

For Temple, Josh Telfort recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jaymes Brown-Peterson scored a team-high 16 points.

Howard also controlled the glass decisively, outrebounding Temple 52-27, including a 15-7 edge on the offensive boards that led to numerous second-chance opportunities.

The Hawks entered the game as heavy favorites according to Interstat’s ELO system, which projected an 86.80% probability of a Howard victory, a forecast borne out by the lopsided result.

Howard next travels to face Redlands Community College on Dec. 12. Temple does not play again until hosting Coastal Bend College on Dec. 31.