Republic scored 11 of the first 13 points of the night and never let Hillcrest challenge in a 69-28 win in Springfield Tuesday. Drew McMillin had 23 points – 12 of them in the first quarter – to lead the Tigers.
The Republic defense took the sting out of the Hornets offense. Hillcrest, which relies on outside shooting for much of its production, managed to hit five treys, but that was about all it could muster. When the Hornets stepped inside the arc, they struggled, making just one two-point field goal in the first half and just five all night.
The Tigers had build a 23-8 lead by the time the first quarter ended, the the margin ballooned to 33-14 by halftime. A 25-12 third quarter put the Tigers on top 58-26 and allowed for a continuously running clock for the entire fourth quarter. Republic’s defense allowed 14 points in each half.
Ahlante Askew (11) and Will Fronabarger (10) joined Drew McMillin double-figure scoring. Fronabarger has 22 points off the bench in the last two games.
Republic is 6-0. The Tigers travel to Bolivar for a potential Blue & Gold semifinal against the Liberators. Republic is the #2 seed in the Gold Division and Bolivar is the #3, so those teams could meet again in two weeks, if they each play up to their seeding.
Last year, Bolivar whipped the Tigers in Republic before Republic returned the favor, beating the Liberators in their own tournament later in the season.
Republic Scoring
Drew McMillin 23, Ahlante Askew 11, Will Fronabarger 10, Avery Moody 8, Devon McMillin 8, Oliver Welch 4, Tyson Young 3, Dalton Parks 2
