MURFREESBORO - Tennessee Temple lost to top-ranked and unbeaten Union City 59-55 on Wednesday in the opening round of the TSSAA Class A Tournament at Middle Tennessee State's Murphy Center.
The reigning Class A state champion Crusaders, making their sixth trip to Murfreesboro in the past seven years, finished 23-10 despite a game-high 30 points from Jeremy Sexton.
Union City improved to 35-0.
Temple rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to take a brief lead in the fourth quarter before Union City forged ahead again. The Crusaders trailed by only two points in the waning seconds with the ball, but a turnover ended any chance of an upset.
Temple, with just one returning starter from the previous season, was the only Class A team returning from last year's state tournament field and the only 2007 champion back in any classification.
"Most people expected us to get blown out, but that didn't happen," Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. "I said when after the draw (on Saturday) that I expected this game to go down to the wire, and it did. I couldn't be more proud of our guys.  They really competed; they showed a lot of heart."

Temple's junior varsity team defeated Grace 39-31 on Friday at Vance Gym.
The Crusaders, winners of five of their last six, finished the season 12-6 overall and 5-3 in District 5-A. Nathan Pendergrass led the way with 14 points.

The seventh grade basketball team defeated OLPH in the consolation game of the ISC Tournament. The 8th-grade boys, meanwhile, lost to Grace in the opening round of the tournament.

 Tennessee Temple lost to Grace 35-27 in overtime on Tuesday in the opening round of the ISC Tournament.
 The game was tied 27-27 at the end of regulation. Temple was then outscored 8-0 in overtime.
Darius Akridge had 11 points to lead the Crusaders, who finished 11-3. Two of their three losses were in overtime.