Republic lost an 11 point lead, but a defensive switch in the fourth quarter helped them recapture the momentum on the way to a 44-39 road win at Nixa Monday night. Kaemyn Bekemeier, Jade Kirby, and Jazzy Kirby all scored in double figures in the win, which improved Republic’s record to 15-8 overall and 5-2 in the COC.
Nixa used a 19-8 run in the second half to even the score at 31 apiece after trailing by double digits early in the third quarter. But Republic coach Kris Flood switched to a zone defense to control Nixa’s dribble penetration, and Republic reeled off eight straight points from that point to retake control.
“We had trouble containing that penetration, so I was like, ‘Heck, I’m gonna throw a little zone at them,'” Flood said. “It saved us for a little while. They went a little bit cold from the perimeter and we were getting the rebounds off of it. We hit some shots and had some really good possessions. Seemed like we got maybe four of five stops there.”
Bekemeier had a big fourth quarter, scoring eight of her team-high 14 points in the final period. Six of those eight points came at the free throw line. Savana Powell-Goodman also stepped up in the fourth quarter, scoring all six of her points during that period.
Before that, the Kirby sisters had kept Republic in the game. They combined for 15 of the Lady Tigers’ 20 points in the first half, and at the end of the third quarter, they had a combined 23 of Republic’s 29 points.
Neither team started quickly, and the score was tied 8-8 after one period. But in the second quarter, Republic found its groove offensively and locked Nixa down defensively. Republic outscored the Lady Eagles 12-4 to take a 20-12 lead at halftime. Jazzy Kirby made two three-pointers in the period, including one from 25 feet that sparked the Lady Tigers.
In the third quarter, Nixa fought back. After Republic scored the first three points of the second half to take an 11-point lead at 23-12, Nixa outscored Republic 18-6 over the next six minutes to pull within a point at 29-28 before Republic’s zone defense made the difference.
Republic scoring: Kaemyn Bekemeier 14, Jade Kirby 12, Jazzy Kirby 12, Savana Powell-Goodman 6