Down by one with less than 30 seconds left, Consol (18-8 overall, 6-2 District 13-5A) missed two shots before turning the ball over on a traveling call.
With 14 seconds left and the Tem-Cats (16-12, 4-5) in control of the ball, Hardeman stole the ball at halfcourt and drove to the basket before drawing a shooting foul, sending her to the line for the two decisive free throws.
Hardeman had missed her first six shots of the game and had made just 1 of 4 free throws to that point, but she nailed both attempts to give Consol its first lead since early in the third quarter.
With 7 seconds still on the clock, Temple had time for one last shot, but after inbounding the ball, Palmer stripped Temple's Trenotte Smith for her seventh steal of the game to seal the victory.
"All this week, we have been working on mental toughness," Consol head coach Nelda Gilbert said. "[Hardeman] stepped up real well. We worked on shooting that shot when we need it, and it payed off tonight. I told her any points she gets are a plus as long as she plays tough defense."
The game was full of intrigue in the other 31 1/2 minutes, beginning before the first tip. After a Consol cheerleader forgot the words to the national anthem, the referees, coach Gilbert and everyone in the gym pitched in to help her get back on track.
Just like the cheerleader, Consol's offense needed help from all over on a night that the shots weren't falling and starter Sarah Daily was out with the flu, Gilbert said. While the Lady Tigers shot 35 percent from the field through three quarters, Palmer hit two big 3-pointers and had 12 first-half points to keep Consol in the game.
"My girls played hard as a team," Gilbert said. "We told them that any one of the girls could be absent, and we can still win as a team."
The contributions didn't stop with Hardeman and Palmer. The Lady Tigers' Karla Gilbert was held to four points and three rebounds in the first half, so it was up to the team's other forward, Danyetta Williams, to shoulder some of the load.
At the end of the first half, Williams hit an 8-foot jumper as time expired to tie the score at 26. Williams was in foul trouble for most of the second half and finished with six points, one rebound and one steal.
Gilbert did get going in the second half, pulling down nine boards and scoring 12 points in the second half to finish with 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.
Harrassing Consol's 6-foot-3 power forward was Temple's Kaetlyn Murdoch. Both offenses ran through the two posts and Murdoch made her presence felt early, as she made 6 of 7 shots for 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal in the first half alone.
Consol sent a double-team at her in the third quarter, holding her scoreless and rebound-less, but the agile forward added two steals from Gilbert on the defensive end.
Murdoch and Gilbert traded possessions down the stretch in the fourth quarter, but it was Murdoch who blinked first, missing Temple's first free throw of the game with 3 minutes left and opening the door for the Lady Tigers comeback.
Consol remains tied with Bryan for third place in District 13-5A and the Lady Tigers face fourth-place Killeen Shoemaker on the road Friday at 7 p.m.
A&M Consolidated 47, Temple 46
(Numbers indicate field goals, free throws made-attempted, fouls and points)
CONSOL (18-8, 6-2 in 13-5A) -- Kaitlyn Goodman 0 0-0 1 0; Kara Mason 0 0-0 2 0; Consolo Palmer 5 0-1 1 12; Shreeka Hardeman 2 3-6 2 7; Carissa Porch 1 1-2 0 3; 1 1-1 0 3; Karla Gilbert 7 2-6 3 16; Danyetta Williams 3 0-0 4 6; Kat Bartley 0 0-0 1 0. TOTALS: 19 7-16 15 47.
3-pointers: Palmer (2).
TEMPLE (16-12, 4-5) -- Shaquanna Wall 2 0-0 3 5; Alisha Mosley 0 0-0 0 0; Forniqua Johnson 2 2-2 1 6; Shantae Hewins 0 0-0 0 0; Terris Goodwin 1 4-4 3 6; Trenotte Smith 4 4-6 2 12; Kaetlyn Murdoch 7 2-3 3 16; Monica McGill 0 0-0 5 0. TOTALS: 16 12-15 17 46.
3-pointers: Wall.
Temple 9 17 10 10 -- 46
Consol 12 14 7 14 -- 47
Highlights: Gilbert 12 rebounds, 3 blocks; Palmer 7 steals, 4 rebounds, 3 assists.
Team stats: REBOUNDS -- Consol 24, Temple 16; ASSISTS-- Consol 6, Temple 8; BLOCKS-- Consol 3, Temple 3; STEALS--Consol 11, Temple 6; TURNOVERS -- Consol 19, Temple 18.
JV: Consol 51, Temple 38: AMC (15-8, 4-4) -- Mag Knight 18.
Freshman A: Consol 32, Temple 28: AMC A -- Daily 11.
Freshman B: Consol 40, Temple 16: AMC B -- Gonzales 8, Kennady 8.