After a turnover-plagued beginning, the Lady Tigers took care of the ball in the fourth quarter and pulled away from state-ranked Carl Junction on the road Friday, winning 52-43. Republic got important contributions up and down the lineup to win its first Central Ozark Conference game of the year.
On a night when so many players filled played their roles well, one key contributor was stepping into a brand new role. Coach Tori Mooneyham handled the sideline duties in the absence of Kris Flood, who was out with illness. The two have coached together for 23 seasons, but Mooneyham, usually the junior varsity coach, had never needed to step in for Flood before Friday. The win gives her a 1-0 career varsity record.
“It’s always fun coaching a game like that. If you ask any coach, they’d rather coach a game like that than a turbo-clock,” Mooneyham said. “But they definitely made it interesting.”
Republic scored the first 11 points of the game, thanks partly to hot outside shooting. Miha Nambara, Misora Nambara, and Kaemyn Bekemeier all hit three-pointers in the first quarter to help the Lady Tigers grab control. But Carl Junction cut the lead to 14-8 by the end of the first quarter, then briefly grabbed the lead in the final minute of the first half.
With Carl Junction leading 24-23, Eternity Knotts, playing in her first game of the season, made a 5-footer that sneaked over the front iron just ahead of the buzzer, helping Republic regain the lead at halftime, 25-24.
The teams stayed close in the third quarter, with Republic taking a 37-35 lead into the final eight minutes. The Bulldogs remained close thanks to the play of junior Destiny Buerge. She scored 23 points through the first three quarters, and she finished with 29.
But in the fourth quarter, Republic played better defense and became more efficient on offense. Buerge still managed six points in the fourth quarter, but Carl Junction managed just one other bucket during the period.
Three-point plays by Bekemeier and Hope Schatz, a three-point shot by Rilynn Finley, and solid free throw shooting by Miha and Misora Nambara helped the Lady Tigers win going away.
“I think we picked up our intensity on defense. We got them a little frustrated and made them work a little harder to get a shot,” Mooneyham said.
Six different players scored for Republic, and Molly Blades, Eternity Knotts, Alaina Norman, and Alex Price all contributed minutes when several Republic starters got in foul trouble. The contribution of role players helped put Republic over the top Friday.
“That’s important to any game. It doesn’t matter if you’re in there a second or five minutes or ten minutes, you’ve got to be ready to go,” Mooneyham said. “I’m not gonna lie, I kind of started getting nervous when Kaemyn picked up three (fouls), and Hope, and Rilynn. You kind of start sweating it, but it worked out and the kids pulled it off and played hard.”
Kaemyn Bekemeier led the team with 15 points. Miha Nambara had her best offensive game of the season, making four three-pointers and finishing with 14 points.
The win improves Republic’s record to 8-4 overall, and 1-0 in the Central Ozark Conference. Carl Junction falls to 11-4 (1-1).
The Lady Tigers play again Monday at Neosho in a game that was postponed earlier this week.
Republic Scoring
Kaemyn Bekemeier 15, Miha Nambara 14, Hope Schatz 9, Misora Nambara 7, Rilynn Finley 5, Eternity Knotts 2