Junior Brock Yocum scored 24 points, including 12 straight free throws in the 4th quarter, to help Republic knock off Carl Junction 77-68 to advance to the state quarterfinals. Yocum’s three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to end the 3rd quarter was part of a key run that helped the Tigers get separation from the upset-minded Bulldogs.
That run started with :44 seconds left in the quarter, when Cody Geiger stepped in front of a pass and sprinted to the other end for a two-handed jam. Carl Junction coach Kyle Williams was called for a technical foul, and Canyon Smith hit two free throws after a timeout. As time wound down in the quarter, Yocum took a pass in the right corner and drained his trey to give the Tigers their biggest lead at 56-43.
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Carl Junction kept the game close down the stretch, but Yocum’s clutch performance at the free throw line, hitting 12 of 12 in the 4th quarter, sealed the win for Republic.
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The win was a sharp contrast to the first meeting between the two teams, when Republic won by 27 at home. Coach Trevyor Fisher says he knew that wasn’t likely to happen again.
“They’re a tough matchup. We knew the last time we played them, the score wasn’t indicative of how their team was,” says coach Trevyor Fisher. “They’re talented, we just caught them on an off night. They gave us everything we wanted tonight, and we just feel fortunate to get out of here with a win.”
Cody Geiger scored 21 points for Republic. Canyon Smith added 16. Dylan Bekemeier had seven, Dillen Ramsey scored four, Jordan Kerr had three, and Chase Hoffmann scored two.
Carl Junction was led by Matthew Magee with 26 points. Dustin Satterlee scored 19 and Aaron Nelson added 18 in a losing cause for the Bulldogs, who end their season at 19-9.
Republic improves to 24-4, and moves into the quarterfinals. They’ll play last year’s quarterfinal opponent, St. Francis Borgia. Borgia came from behind to beat Marshfield 64-59.
The Tigers’ win clinched a historic season for Republic basketball, as it marks the first time the boys and girls have both advanced to the state quarterfinals. The girls beat Webb City 64-47 to advance, and will meet Marshfield. The girls play at noon and the boys play at 1:45 Saturday in Bolivar, on the campus of Southwest Baptist University.