The Republic Tigers scored the first 19 points of the game and blew out McDonald County in the semifinals of their district tournament, 65-30. McDonald County didn’t score until the final 10 seconds of the 1st quarter.
Kevin Stander scored nine points in the 1st quarter, and Nick Yocum added six, as the two combined for five 3-pointers in the first eight minutes. The Tiger defense forced multiple turnovers, and Republic led 38-14 at halftime. They extended the lead to 54-22 at the end of three quarters.
Stander ended the game with 17 points to lead all scorers. Dylan Fletcher added 14 and Yocum had 10. Ryan Mathis scored nine points, Josh Morrow had six, Brody Thompson had three, and Grant Hancock, Jonathan Combs and Nick Dibben had two apiece.
Charlie Bridenstine scored 11 points to lead the Mustangs. His brother, Michael Bridenstine, had 7.
The Mustangs end their season with a 9-17 record. Republic improves to 17-8. The Tigers move into the district finals, where they’ll play Reeds Spring. The Wolves advanced with a semifinal victory over Cassville.