After working herself open and catching an Allyssa King pass in the left corner, the Hughesville senior knew the odds favored her taking a shot. The Spartans led Loyalsock by three as the two-minute approached and were working for a good shot.

Turns out they produced the shot of their year up to this point. And Temple made the shot of her life.

Temple confidently let it fly and hit nothing but net, her clutch 3-pointer giving Hughesville a six-point lead. The seismic momentum shift doomed Loyalsock’s repeat title hopes and Hughesville captured the District 4 Class AAA championship, winning, 45-38.

“When it was swung to me, I looked around and there wasn’t anyone in front of me, I was like, ‘All right, sure, I’ll take this shot,'” Temple said. “Normally, the 3-point shot is not my strong suit but I figured I might as well. If you’re open, take it. You can’t make it if you don’t shoot it. You have a zero % chance of scoring if you don’t take a shot, so I might as well try.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Alaina Dadzie (30) shoots around Hughesville's Kylie Temple (3) in the third quarter.

While Temple’s huge shot did not push Hughesville’s winning odds to 100 % , it can pretty close. Loyalsock had cut Hughesville’s 11-point lead to two twice and was still within three following a Jaekairah Harden free throw. But Temple’s trey felt like a dagger stuck into Loyalsock’s heart while providing a shot of adrenaline into Hughesville’s.

The Spartans rode the wave, did not allow another field goal and earned a second district title in three years, while exacting a measure of revenge after Loyalsock had won last year’s crown. Hughesville’s goal now is to try and build on that performance when it plays Columbia Friday night at Williamsport in the state tournament.

“It was phenomenal. The bench was hyped, everyone was hyped out on the floor,” center Anna Easton said following a super defensive performance. “It was like a big swing of momentum. It really helped us. It brought our spirits up.”

“Kylie hitting that 3-pointer was amazing,” Kendall Hamm said after shining off the bench and scoring seven points. “The energy I felt in the gym, it just gave everyone chills.”

Even before her game-changing 3-pointer, Temple had played a super game. She finished with 13 points, three rebounds and a steal and played her usual relentless defense as Hughesville rallied from a six-point second quarter deficit.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Jaekairah Harden (22) drives the ball down court ahead of Hughesville's Kylie Temple (3) and Kendall Hamm (12) in the third quarter.

And while many may view Temple as a defensive ace, she also has displayed some offensive chops this season. Hughesville coach Dustin King said early in the season that Temple was one of the team’s best shooters. He looked like a prophet in the second half when Temple went 3 of 3 from the field and two of three at the foul line.

So, as Hughesville worked the ball around while leading, 39-36 it was not about finding a shot, but locating the right one. Temple believed she did and turned belief into results. On a team where any player is capable of taking a starring role, Temple took her turn. Considering this was Hughesville’s second district championship ever, she made one of the biggest shots in program history.

“Kylie is one of those tough-nosed kids. She’s all right with not being in the spot light as they all are,” King said. “What a job she did. She played the best game of her career.”

Hughesville is a versatile squad and Temple exemplifies that. She can play either guard position or drop into the post. A tremendous athlete who won a 300 hurdles state championship last spring, while helping anchor an excellent soccer team this past fall, Temple both embraces and excels at whatever role comes her way.

Against Loyalsock, that meant playing both guard positions at times. She handled each well and was a big reason Hughesville put together an excellent offensive game which included just four turnovers over the final three quarters.

Temple scored nine second-half points and drained a key free throw with :38.6 seconds remaining which put Hughesville ahead, 43-38.

And yet, if one wants to get to the core of what makes Temple such a strong player, it came after she missed her lone second-half shot. Temple missed the second of those two foul shots, but hustled after the rebound and secured it. That determination led to Maddie Smith earning two free throws and she drained both to make it a three-score game with 30.7 seconds left.

“Kylie has been phenomenal doing whatever is asked,” King said. “She stepped up huge.”

Doing so helped Temple not only earn another gold medal but share a special family moment. She is playing with her sister Jadyn, a freshman, for the first and only time this season. What a day; what a moment the family shared Saturday.

Temple as well as her teammates understand that the most important shot going forward is the next one. Still, herlate district final 3-pointer is one she, her friends, the program and community will not soon forget.

“We’re all of the same mindset, the same level,” Temple said. “I just feel so calm and so collected and so safe knowing that I’m on the court with four girls at all times who want it as badly as I do. It’s such a great moment and experience.”