Incarnate Word Academy has ten girls basketball state championships, and Thursday night, it played like a team with its eye on an eleventh. The Red Knights dominated Republic from the opening tip in a 65-31 win at Republic to open the Stephanie Phillips Ozark Lady Classic. Sophomore Natalie Potts, a 6’2″ forward, led the Red Knights with 24 points, and eight different players scored, but it was Incarnate Word’s defense that made the difference.
The Red Knights held Republic without a field goal attempt for nearly two minutes to start the game, and without a made field goal for about four minutes, before Savana Powell-Goodman made a three-pointer. Solid Republic defense and cold shooting by Incarnate Word kept the Lady Tigers in the game early, but the Red Knights still led 12-4 at the end of the first quarter.
Republic was playing without injured sophomore Kaemyn Bekemeier. Coach Kris Flood said his team may have taken a while to shake off some nerves at the beginning of the game, and because of that, they failed to take advantage of the openings available to them.
“We had some really good opportunities there in that first half. We just made too many mistakes and turned the ball over,” he said. ” didn’t shoot very well, (but) we just kept giving it back.”
In the second quarter, Republic got its offense in gear, but so did Incarnate Word. Freshman Rilynn Finley came off the bench to score eight points for Republic, and Jazzy Kirby added four points in the period, but the Red Knights began making shots they’d missed earlier in the game, and they outscored Republic 20-12 to take a 32-16 lead into the half.
In the second half, Incarnate Word continued to shoot well while the Lady Tigers reverted to their first-quarter cold snap, allowing the Red Knights to pull away. The lead was 38 points by the end of the period, 58-20. Republic outscored Incarnate Word 11-7 in the fourth quarter.
“A ton of credit to them,” said Flood. “They expose you. They find your weaknesses, and like I was telling the kids after the game, it’s our second game and we’re still feeling things through. Granted, it hurts missing a couple of bodies that I think would help with the rotation, but these kids… that are getting the time now, hopefully down the road, that will help us and just make us deeper.”
Rilynn Finley led Republic with 12 points off the bench, taking the ball into the heart of the Incarnate Word defense and finishing consistently. She was the only Republic player in double figures.
“She definitely has a lot of upside,” Flood said. “She does a lot of good things. She can play multiple spots if needed. She’ll be an asset as the year continues.”
Republic falls to 0-1. The Lady Tigers are back in action tomorrow at 4:30 pm against Jefferson City at Ozark. (Our live broadcast begins with the Absolute Roofing Pregame Show around 4:20.)
Republic scoring: Rilynn Finley 12, Savana Powell-Goodman 8, Jazzy Kirby 7, Eternity Knotts 4
