For the second straight game, the Tigers pulled away in the 4th quarter to secure a victory. This time, it was a 56-46 win over Jefferson City Helias in the opening game of the Rogersville Tournament. Republic outscored Helias 17-8 in the 4th quarter.
Tristan Ollar led Republic with 17 points, none bigger than a rim-rattling dunk on an alley-oop from Ty Stevens that turned the momentum back to the Tigers when Helias has grabbed a slight edge in the second half.
Republic trailed 25-23 at halftime and grabbed a 39-38 lead heading into the final quarter. They scored seven straight to start the fourth period and never looked back.
“Good poise by our guys,” says coach Trevyor Fisher. “Good execution down the stretch, closing out against a good team.”
Cameron Doke played a big role in the stretch run, scoring eight of his ten points in the fourth quarter, including seven of eight at the free throw line. But his biggest contribution was shutting down the much bigger Crusaders inside. Helias center Trevor Koelling, a 6’7″ senior, scored just two points. Adam Bax, a 6’6″ senior, managed just nine. Koelling was in foul trouble from the get-go, largely because he couldn’t get a moment’s peace from Doke in the lane.
Against Koelling, tt was the same old story for Doke, who has regularly shut down opponents who are several inches taller than him.
“I played against Juwan Morgan (now at Indiana University) last year, so I knew what I was coming into,” Doke says. “I had to out-scrap the guy. I had to out-tough him and limit his catches as much as possible. He was frustrating me, and I was frustrating him.”
Fisher says it was a typical Doke performance.
“He’s going to give everything he’s got every night. He’s going to be under-sized every night, but he’s going to battle his butt off, be in good position. He’s going to rebound. He stepped up and hit some big free throws down the stretch,” Fisher says.
Ty Stevens and Treydon Rackley had eight points each. Mitch Coiner scored six. Tyler Phillips had four. Caleb Singley scored two, and Devon Ward added one.
Republic is now 13-3. They play again Friday night at Rogersville.
