Republic scored 16 consecutive points in the middle of the second half to pull away from Columbia Father Tolton for a 55-42 victory at home Friday night.
For the second game in a row, Broc Smith scored 25 points. Tucker Thomas added 14 for the Tigers, who improved to 14-4.
Republic outscored the Trailblazers 20-10 in the first quarter, but Father Tolton switched up its defense in the second quarter to climb back into the game. The Tigers managed only five points in eight minutes, and their lead was only five at halftime, 25-20.
“We got a little tentative. It took us a while to figure out where the soft spots were in the zone,” says coach Trevyor Fisher. “We got on our heels, had some turnovers, missed some shots, and it just kind of snowballed from there.
“But give our guys credit to come back, and when things weren’t going well, to stay with it and have a good fourth quarter to finish the game.
Thomas scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half.
“He played really well for us,” says Fisher. “Any time you have a zone that’s going to trap out on the perimeter, you’ve got to be able to have guys finish at the basket. And he was able to find those little seams and holes in the zone and finish the ball, which gave us some breathing room … to extend that lead.”
Republic built a 10-point lead twice, once at the end of the first quarter, then again midway through the third quarter, when they led 30-20. Father Tolton cut the lead to 32-31 late in the third, and had more than one opportunity to take the lead, but couldn’t convert. That’s when Republic reeled off 16 straight points to extend the lead to 48-31. The Trailblazers never got closer than 13 points the rest of the way.
The Tigers go back into conference play next week, starting with a home game against Neosho on Tuesday.
Individual Scoring
Broc Smith 25, Tucker Thomas 14, Drew McMillin 6, Hunter Creek 4, Trent Rackley 3, Jaden Duvall 2, Race Looney 1
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