The Lady Tigers went cold in the third quarter, losing the lead and eventually the game to Kickapoo, 52-42, in a battle of state-ranked teams at Republic Thursday. Kickapoo held Republic to 12 points in the second half – six points each of the last two quarters – to pull away.
In the first half, Republic ran its offense, got good shots, and mostly limited Kickapoo to one shot per possession. That combination helped the Lady Tigers build a 17-14 lead at the end of the first quarter and take a 30-28 lead into the half.
But Kickapoo’s perimeter defense increased its pressure after the break, and Republic’s young back court had trouble handling the Lady Chiefs’ size and quickness. The Lady Tigers wasted multiple possessions without getting a shot, and at the other end, Kickapoo dominated on the glass. Kickapoo finished with 13 offensive rebounds, led by Bella Fontleroy, who scored a game-high 21 points.
“Turnovers just really hurt us, and we missed some opportunities. We had good looks at the basket and just couldn’t shoot it very well tonight,” said coach Kris Flood. “We could never get any momentum going in that second half, and (Kickapoo) got more aggressive.”
With 4:37 left in the third quarter, Republic led 34-32. But Kya Johnson made two free throws to tie the game, and after Republic turned the ball over at the other end of the floor, Kaya Goldsby’s baseline driving layup gave Kickapoo a lead it would never relinquish.
“I thought some inexperience might have come out in a game like that,” Flood said of his young lineup, “but that’s the way it’s going to be all year, so they better get used to it. We need to get some things figured out, but it’s way early. We’re five games in, and there’s a ton of time to figure it out.”
Before the game, Republic recognized Kaemyn Bekemeier for going past the 1,000-point mark for her career in a game against Springfield Central last week.
Kickapoo won the freshman game and Republic won the JV game, with Alex Price scoring the final five points to help the Lady Tigers come from behind.
With the loss, Republic falls to 3-2 at the varsity level. The Lady Tigers host state-ranked Miller next Monday in their final game before Christmas.
Scoring
Kaemyn Bekemeier 15, Misora Nambara 6, Rilynn Finley 6, Miha Nambara 5, Lauren Chastain 4, Alaina Norman 4, Hope Schatz 2