Republic scored 11 points in a row coming out of the halftime break and never looked back against Hazelwood West, sprinting to a 62-34 win over the Wildcats at the Route 66 Shootout in Waynesville.
Treydon Rackley scored 15 points — eight of them during the Tigers’ big third quarter, in which they outscored Hazelwood West 30-12. Tristan Ollar added 13 points.
Republic led most of the first half, even before they put the game away with their third-quarter run. They led 14-8 after one quarter and 25-18 at halftime. But coach Trevyor Fisher says they talked about room for improvement during the halftime break.
“We weren’t doing anything wrong, per se,” Fisher says, “but we didn’t play with any life and any energy. We just kind of played at their pace . In the second half, our cuts were sharper, they looked to go in transition, and we just played with a lot more energy.”
Republic out-rebounded Hazelwood West 30-28. It’s the fifth consecutive game that Republic has won the battle on the boards. The Tigers also scored 30 points in the paint, compared to only 14 for the bigger Wildcats.
Republic shot 51% from the floor (22 of 43). They made five of their 13 three-point attempts (39%), and they were 13 of 15 from the free throw line.
“Guys are getting more and more comfortable with each other,” Fisher says. “Hopefully we can put four quarters together and keep getting better.”
Mitch Coiner had eight points for the Tigers. Cameron Doke and Devon Ward each scored six. Ty Stevens and Caleb Singley had five apiece. Broc Smith and Tyler Phillips each had two.
Republic improves to 4-2 this season. They’re off until the start of the Blue & Gold Tournament. The Tigers are seeded fifth in the Blue Division and will play Skyline at 12:30 pm on December 26 at Hammons Student Center.