The Lady Tigers saved their best for last, scoring 18 points in the fourth quarter to pull away from Rogersville in their regular-season finale, 57-43.
Kaemyn Bekemeier scored 18 points to lead Republic in the team’s final tune-up before district play begins next week. Two other players scored in double figures for the Lady Tigers: Jade Kirby had 14 points and Kaitlyn Ragsdale had 10.
Ragsdale and Kirby helped Republic get off to a quick start, combining for 13 of the Lady Tigers’ 16 points in the first period. Republic built a 16-10 lead after the first eight minutes.
The second quarter was the only one in which Rogersville managed to play Republic even. Both teams scored 11 points in the period, and the Lady Tigers took a 27-21 lead into the locker room at halftime. Bekemeier scored eight of those 11, with the other three coming on a trey by Delaney Smith.
Bekemeier stayed hot in the third quarter, adding eight more points, as Republic outscored Rogersville 12-9 to stretch its lead to 39-30.
In the fourth, Savana Powell-Goodman came alive to score all five of her points, including a three-pointer. Kirby capped her night with seven more, and Ragsdale, after being silent in the scoring column in the second and third periods, tacked on four more.
Republic finishes its regular season with a 17-9 record. The Lady Tigers are the #2 seed in Class 5 District 12, to be played next week at Carthage. Republic opens with the host team, Carthage, at 6:00 pm Monday. Willard, the #1 seed, plays Joplin in the second semifinal. The championship game will be played at 6:00 pm on Thursday, March 5.
Individual Scoring: Kaemyn Bekemeier 18, Jade Kirby 14, Kaitlyn Ragsdale 10, Jazzy Kirby 7, Savana Powell-Goodman 5, Delaney Smith 3
