Republic climbed out of an 11-point hole in the final three minutes and had a chance to force overtime, but a Treydon Rackley three-pointer at the buzzer spun around the rim and flew off, helping Kickapoo beat the Tigers 64-61 in the 7th place game at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions Saturday.
The Tigers trailed 57-46 when a flurry of offense, including two Ty Stevens three-pointers, cut the lead to 59-57 with 1:31 remaining. Kickapoo stretched the lead back to five points with :18 left, but a Rackley layup made it 62-59. Kickapoo's Jared Ridder made one free throw, but Stevens made two free throws at the other end with :05 remaining to pull the Tigers within 63-61.
Republic fouled Cameron Davis with :03 remaining. He made one of two free throws, giving the Tigers a chance for a game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer, but Rackley's jumper from the top of the key rolled around the rim and flew out.
Fisher says he's proud of the way his team competed after falling behind by double digits.
"We very easily could have put our head down and said, 'Well, we've had a good two days. Let's not worry about this one,'" Fisher says. "But they battled their butts off. We did everything we could to get ourselves back into it, we just rimmed out a shot."
The Tigers finished with three losses at the tournament — but coach Trevyor Fisher says he's pleased with how his team played against some of the top teams in the country. What will he take from the experience?
"The way we competed and battled and weren't scared of the moment or the atmosphere," he says. "We came out and the guys played their butts off, and it was fun to watch."
Rackley led the Tigers with 17 points. Singley had 14, Broc Smith had 12, and Ty Stevens added 10. Mitch Coiner had six points and Devon Ward added two.
Republic falls to 11-5, with all five losses to state-ranked or nationally ranked teams. The Tigers are back on the court at home against McDonald County on January 20.
Crackerjack Shack Player of the Game
For the second time in three nights, Caleb Singley scored in double figures with 14 points–and he pulled down nine rebounds and added two steals, leading the Tigers in both those categories. His 14-point, 9-rebound performance makes him our Player of the Game.
Our Tiger Player of the Game Honor is sponsored by the Crackerjack Shack. When it comes to Screen Printing, Embroidery, and Promotional Products, they’ve got your back! Check out their website for sales and design ideas.
