When Brenley Hagewood split two Greenwood defenders and pulled up to make a 10-foot jumper in the lane, Republic had finished its climb from a double-digit hole and taken the lead over Greenwood for the first time all night. But that was the high point for the Tigers, as Greenwood steadied itself held on for a 65-62 win in the third-place game at the Blue & Gold Tournament.
Greenwood used a barrage of three-pointers to control the first half, leading 19-11 after one, and 38-28 at halftime. But Republic stayed in the game thanks to its guard tandem of Hagewood and Ahlante Askew, who took turns making plays in the second half. Hagewood scored nine and Askew scored 12 after halftime, helping Republic climb out of the hole it dug early.
Each team made seven three-pointers, but the difference in the game was the free-throw shooting by Greenwood in the final minutes. Tommy Pinegar made six free throws in the fourth quarter and Nick Burri made four more, as Greenwood held off Republic’s final charge.
Pinegar also made a bit of history for the Blue Jays, making his 277th career three-pointer. That’s more than any high school player in Springfield history. He surpassed Anton Brookshire of Kickapoo with a three-pointer in the first quarter.
Hagewood led all scorers with 18 points, and Askew finished with 17. They were the only two Tigers in double figures.
Republic falls to 6-5.
Republic Scoring
Brenley Hagewood 18, Ahlante Askew 17, Devon McMillin 8, Khamari Edwards 4, James Rexroat 4, Gunner Ellison 3, Jordan Douglas 3
