Treydon Rackley scored 26 points and the rest of the Tigers came alive in the 2nd half for a comeback win over Father Tolton Catholic in Columbia Friday, 60-53.
Rackley scored 16 of his 26 points in the 2nd half, but his output in the first two quarters may have been the bigger key—helping the Tigers stay close to the Trailblazers when everyone else’s shots weren’t falling and the defense was struggling to contain Tolton guard Isaiah Wilson.
“He really kept us in it in the 1st half by getting offensive rebounds and getting to the basket,” coach Trevyor Fisher says of Rackley. “[In the} 2nd half, he hit some shots. That’s the way we need him to play the rest of the season.”
Fisher says a week-long layoff between games, along with the three-hour bus ride to Columbia, may have contributed to the slow start.
“We gave them confidence in the first half by giving up 16 points. Wilson hit three tough threes to start the game. That gave them confidence,” Fisher says. “Then we had some breakdowns as well. It all goes back to our defensive effort most of the time. When we play well defensively, our offense gets better. When we don’t play well defensively, we get tentative on offense. We had passes we dropped. We had opportunities to go up strong and didn’t. We missed wide-open shots. It all stems back to our toughness level on defense.”
Republic trailed 16-9 after one quarter and 25-22 at halftime. They built a seven-point lead in the 3rd quarter at one point, before Tolton closed the gap to 42-41 heading into the final period. The Tigers outscored the Trailblazers 18-12 over the final eight minutes to escape with the win.
“I’m proud of how we bounced back in the 2nd half and did a much better job,” Fisher says.
To go along with Rackley’s 26, Republic got 13 points from Ty Stevens, ten from Caleb Singley, seven from Mitch Coiner, and four from Broc Smith.
Isaiah Wilson had 21 to lead Father Tolton. The Trailblazers fall to 11-5. Republic improves to 13-5. The Tigers resume conference play on the road at Neosho next Tuesday.
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Crackerjack Shack Player of the Game
Treydon Rackley exploded for 26 points — 16 of them in the 2nd half — to fuel the Tigers in their big road win. For his effort, he’s our Crackerjack Shack Player of the Game.
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