Republic and Kickapoo were dead even through the first three minutes of Monday’s game, but that was about as good as the night got for the Lady Tigers. Kickapoo scored the last 11 points of the quarter as part of a 25-2 run, cruising to an 81-53 win in Springfield.
Nine different players scored for the Lady Chiefs, who used their height and athleticism to dominate on the backboards, frequently scoring on second, third, and fourth chances.
“We’ve got to go back and work on getting better at the little things. Plain and simple, we just got outworked tonight. They looked like they were a little more hungry,” said coach Kris Flood. “I’m not saying our kids didn’t play hard, but (Kickapoo) … absolutely killed us in the rebounding.”
Bella Fontleroy fueled Kickapoo’s early run, scoring ten points in the first quarter on her way to a total of 16. Indya Green stepped up in the second and third quarters for the Lady Chiefs, scoring 16 of her game-high 24 during that time. Madie Barrett came off the bench to score 13 in the first half and 15 in the game.
Flood called several time outs in the first half to stop Kickapoo’s momentum, but Kickapoo didn’t let up. When Kaemyn Bekemeier and Rilynn Finley both went to the bench with foul trouble, things only got worse for Republic, which started the game with two starters missing because of quarantines.
“Once we started falling behind, we really got out of whack, maybe trying to do too much,” Flood said. “And they’re really good. They’re balanced, and they create some problems for us. If we see them again down the road, we’re going to have to make sure the little things are done a little better.”
Republic managed just one field goal in the second quarter and trailed 46-23 at halftime. Kaemyn Bekemeier finished with 18 points. Jazzy Kirby had 14 and Rilynn Finley scored ten.
Republic falls to 2-3. Kickapoo is 8-2. The Lady Tigers are off until next Monday, when they open Pink & White play with a game against Aurora at Glendale. Tip off is 6 pm, and we’ll carry the game live.
Republic Scoring
Kaemyn Bekemeier 18, Jazzy Kirby 14, Rilynn Finley 10, Regan Holmes 4, Kaitlyn Ragsdale 4, Eternity Knotts 3