Broc Smith scored 27 points and Republic scored the first nine points in the fourth quarter to surge from behind on the way to a 61-58 win at Bolivar.
The Liberators led almost the entire game, thanks to second-chance points and timely outside shooting. It was 16-12 Bolivar after one quarter and 31-25 at halftime. At the end of the third quarter, the Liberators seemingly had firm control of the game, but everything changed in the opening minute of the fourth.
Drew McMillin fired home a three-pointer on Republic’s first possession, sparking a 9-0 run that turned a five-point deficit into a 48-44 lead. Smith, who already had 17 points heading into the final period, scored ten more to finish with a game-high 27. After struggling on the boards all night, Republic’s defense started holding Bolivar to one shot per possession, and that was enough to close the deal.
Coach Tim Brown said his team’s slow start led to some bad decisions on the offensive end, and that contributed to the Tigers’ deficit.
“That’s two games in a row we’ve not come out ready to go. They played harder than us and they were more engaged, and we just had to … get back to the basics and do the things that give our team the best chance to win,” Brown says. “When we got behind early, we kind of panicked and shot it too fast. Once we settled down and got into our offense, we just kept grinding and chipping away, and I thought our guys did a great job.”
In addition to double-figure scoring from Smith and McMillin, the Tigers also got key contributions off the bench to climb out of their early hole.
“I’m particularly proud of Cole Buxton and Jaden Duvall, coming off the bench and giving us a big-time lift in this game tonight and helping us win,” Brown says. Buxton hit a key three-pointer during the Tigers’ comeback, and Duvall helped control Bolivar’s outstanding guards when Republic needed defensive stops in the second half.
A big part of the Tigers’ fourth quarter run was their success on the defensive boards. That was the result of a coaching adjustment after Bolivar capitalized on a big offensive rebounding advantage to build its lead.
“We were having to help a lot because of their guards… so we were out of position on some of those shots. We had the right guy shooting it, but our block-outs were a long ways away,” Brown says. “We finally adjusted to it and were able to secure it.”
Broc Smith’s 15 points in the second half came at just the right time, coinciding with the Tigers’ newfound success on defense.
“I’m really happy for him. That’s the Broc we’re all accustomed to seeing,” Brown says. “He was big-time tonight, on the road in a hostile environment.”
The environment was not as hostile as it might have been, thanks to a big student section that made the trip from Republic. That included a group of Republic baseball players who showed up to cheer on the basketball Tigers.
“Give a shout-out to our baseball program and all our fans who came out. That makes it fun,” Brown says.
Republic improves to 5-2. They’ll be back in action Tuesday at home against Springfield Central.
Scoring
Broc Smith 27, Drew McMillin 11, Tucker Thomas 9, Cole Buxton 5, Race Looney 4, Jaden Duvall 3, Trent Rackley 2