In November, Republic coach Tim Brown had penciled in a tentative starting lineup of Brenley Hagewood, Ahlante Askew, Will Fronabarger, Avery Moody, and Devon McMillin. On January 18, Brown’s envisioned starting lineup finally materialized.
Because of injuries and illnesses, Tuesday’s game at Sedalia Smith-Cotton was the first time this season that all five started the same game. The result was a 76-44 road win over Sedalia Smith-Cotton.
Devon McMillin scored a career-high 24 points and Alante Askew chipped in 17 as the Tigers picked up their second straight turbo-clock win. Republic dominated the second half, outscoring Smith-Cotton 44-16 after halftime.
In fact, Republic controlled most of the game, with the exception of a letdown in the second quarter. After jumping to a 22-9 lead in the first period, Republic outscored Smith-Cotton by only a point (20-19) in the second. Smith-Cotton made five three-point shots in that period to keep the game relatively close.
But after halftime, Republic blew the game open, outscoring Smith-Cotton 21-6 in the third period.
McMillin continued his mid-season success, topping 20 points in a game for the second time in January. The majority of his points come on short-range shots as he dribble-drives or cuts to the basket without the ball and counts on his teammates to find him open.
“Last year… my role on the team was just screen and slip for Drew (McMillin) and Ahlante. Since Drew graduated, Ahlante’s been the only one in that role,” McMillin said. “So I pretty much, in the offense, just headhunt ‘Te, and every time I set him a screen, I slip, and he’s got an eye for that kind of thing. We’ve done it so much, he’s real good at hitting me on the back side every time I cut.”
Askew finished with 17, and he’s Republic’s leading scorer, but he gets more satisfaction out of finding open teammates. His favorite play to make is “a no-look pass. I like passing. It’s my thing growing up. That’s what I like to do and that’s what I’ve been good at.”
The win gives Republic a 10-6 record and four consecutive wins in four games against Smith-Cotton.
Republic Scoring
Devon McMillin 24, Ahlante Askew 17, Avery Moody 11, Brenley Hagewood 9, Isaiah Nabors 6, Gunner Ellison 3, Gavyn Beckner 2
(@BrianEversonSD contributed to this report.)
