With a 12-point halftime lead, it looked like Republic had its game at Waynesville under control. But Waynesville outscored Republic 20-12 in the 3rd quarter and eventually pulled within a bucket before Republic pulled away with a big 4th quarter for a 61-44 victory.
Four different Tigers scored in double figures. Treydon Rackley, Devon Ward, and Broc Smith scored 14 points apiece, and Mitch Coiner had 10. Coiner drained two big three-pointers in the 4th quarter to help Republic get separation on the scoreboard from upset-minded Waynesville.
“They were the aggressors in the 2nd half,” says coach Trevyor Fisher. “We played on our heels, didn’t play confidently, and therefore gave them an opportunity to stay in the game and gave them momentum. I thought we played well in about two-minute spurts, but for a prolonged amount of time, we didn’t play well.”
Fisher says the Tigers know, as a well-regarded team in the area, they’ll always “get the other team’s best shot, but we can’t worry about that. We’ve got to worry about our mental and physical preparation. I didn’t think we had very good practices leading into tonight, and I think that showed on the floor. We’ve got to get back to being mentally and physically a lot tougher than what we were.
Caleb Singley had four points for Republic. Ty Stevens had three and Cameron Doke had two to round out the scoring.
Republic improves to 5-1. They’re off until December 26, when they’ll open the Blue & Gold Tournament against Mount Vernon. Republic is the #1 seed in the Blue Division.
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Crackerjack Shack Player of the Game
Devon Ward scored 14 points, including a team-high 10 in the 1st half. He also had a nifty cross-court assist to set up a Ty Stevens three-pointer at a key moment in the 4th quarter. Put it all together, and Devon Ward is our Player of the Game.
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