The Republic Lady Tigers scored seven straight points when it counted most, and beat West Plains 54-49 to win 3rd place in the Pink & White Tournament. The Lady Tigers trailed 46-44 with less than four minutes left in the game when they went on their mini-run to grab the victory. Sarah Kruel had a key offensive rebound and putback during that stretch. She finished with a team-high 16 points for Republic.
Alexis Edwards and Kyra Ramsey scored 9 points apiece. Brooke Dutton added 7, Payton Rayl 6, Alex Botkin 4, and Alice Heinzler 3.
Republic used a balanced attack to jump out to a 12-point lead in the 1st quarter. They led 33-26 at halftime, with six players contributing to the scoring.
West Plains outscored Republic 13-4 during the opening minutes of the 3rd quarter to take their first lead, 39-37, with 2 1/2 minutes left in the period.
The game stayed close, with the teams trading buckets until the deciding run by Republic midway through the final period.
