"Everybody hustled tonight and really finished strong," said Miller. "This is the first game it felt like we got a lead and truly finished it out."
Miller, a sophomore from Calhoun, went 10-of-19 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the non-region win.
The Cats shot 80 percent from the free-throw line, a number they have not come close to from the charity stripe all season long.
"We put up a ton of free throws and shots from the field in practice yesterday," said head coach David Stephenson.
The Bobcat coaching staff has been using the non-region games in November and December to find what combinations work best on the court before NJCAA Region XVII play begins Jan. 5.
Guard Hunter Ivester played an instrumental role, scoring 18 points, pulling down eight boards, and stealing the ball five times.
"Our team played great tonight and really showed a solid effort down the stretch," said Stephenson. "I think we have a very strong top seven or eight on the roster that will cause a lot of chaos come January. With (Fernando) Lemus and (Justin) Dempsey coming back in January, we'll have a solid top nine or ten that will really have a shot at doing some good work in our region."
Lemus is returning after a season-ending knee injury early last year. He returns after rehab with two full years’ of eligibility remaining. Dempsey is a sophomore and will return to the active roster for region play beginning with Southern Crescent Tech on Jan. 5.
Tennessee Temple standout Karlos Rich'ard led the Crusaders with 19 on the night.
"We put up nearly 50 points in the second half and finished with 85 on the scoreboard. We'll win a lot of games if we can keep that pace up," said Stephenson.”
In spite of Tennessee Temple shooting lights out from the 3-point line, going 11-of-21 from long range, the Cats managed to stem the tide by out-rebounding the Crusaders by 10 for the game.
GNTC improved to 5-7 overall with the win.
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