Playing the #3 team in the nation with the #1 junior recruit in the nation, Republic didn’t back down. The Tigers trailed Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) by only seven points at halftime, 34-27. They cut it to a three-point lead in the 3rd quarter before the Trailblazers went on a 19-2 to pull away for a 72-54 win in the 1st round of the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.
From the opening tip, the Tigers made it clear they would approach the game like all their others: with hard-nosed defense and a precision offense geared around high-percentage shots. Caleb Singley scored the game’s first four points despite giving up eight inches to 6’11” Marvin Bagley III, the top junior in the country according to ESPN.
But the Trailblazers’ size and quickness made their trapping defense too hard for the Tigers to handle, and the Trailblazers eventually stretched their lead to 17 points in the 1st half. Still, the Tigers responded with a run in the final minutes of the 2nd quarter, cutting the lead down to five points before settling for a seven-point halftime deficit.
“I’m very proud of how our kids competed and represented Republic as a whole,” says coach Trevyor Fisher. “We battled our butts off and did everything we could, and maybe gave them a scare in the 2nd half for a little bit. That’s all we were looking for, and hopefully we continue that the next two days.”
Even when the Tigers cut the lead to three points in the 3rd quarter, Fisher says he knew the Trailblazers would turn up the pressure.
“You knew they were going to come at you in a wave, but that doesn’t take away from what our effort was,” he says. “We did all we could, and I’m just extremely proud of them.”
Republic held Bagley to 15 points. His teammate, UCLA commit Cody Riley, scored only 13. The Tigers also played even with the much bigger Trailblazers on the boards; Sierra Canyon only out-rebounded Republic 24-21. The Tigers had more offensive rebounds than the Trailblazers.
Treydon Rackley led Republic with 13 points. Mitch Coiner had 11. Singley and Ty Stevens scored ten apiece. Cameron Doke had eight and Devon Ward added two.
The Tigers fall to 11-3. Sierra Canyon is 13-1. Republic will play at 4:30 Friday against Madison Prep of Louisiana. 
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Crackerjack Shack Player of the Game
From the moment 6’3” Caleb Singley stepped to center court for the opening tip against 6’11” Marvin Bagley, he showed no fear. Singley lost the opening tip, but scored the first four points of the game, stayed in Bagley’s face all night, and exemplified the Tigers’ never-quit attitude. He finished with 10 points, and he was our Player of the Game.
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