Senior Tyler Hayes scored 25 points for Lebanon, as he led the Yellowjackets to a 1st-round upset over Republic in the Blue & Gold Tournament, 53-47.
Republic struggled with its shooting early, and Lebanon used a physical inside game to grab a 14-12 lead after the first quarter. Lebanon controlled the game in the second quarter and built a 5-point lead until the Tigers stole the ball for a fast-break layup at the buzzer, cutting the lead to 28-25 at the break.
In the third quarter, Republic tightened its defense and started hitting some of its shots to fight its way back. The Tigers tied the game at 30-30, and took a two-point lead after three quarters, 34-32. They stretched the lead to 38-34, but that’s as big as it would get.
The Yellowjackets went on a 10-4 run to take control, and hit their free throws down the stretch to take the 6-point win. They move into the 2nd round of the Blue Division bracket, where they’ll play Willow Springs or Skyline.
Ryan Mathis led Republic with 9 points. Brody Thompson and Jake Fletcher had 7 apiece. Cody Geiger added 6.
