Republic wrapped up its three-game slate at the Nixa Invitational Tournament with a win over Park Hill South, 66-55, in the fifth-place game Saturday. Kaemyn Bekemeier led all scorers with 28 points, and Misora Nambara was also in double figures with 11.
After Republic scored the first nine points of the game and built an 18-point lead midway through the second quarter, the game turned into a series of alternating scoring runs by each team. Every time Park Hill South grabbed the momentum, Republic answered with a scoring surge of its own.
Late in the second quarter, Park Hill South scored eight consecutive points to get Republic’s lead down to ten. But Republic scored eight straight points of its own, pushing the lead back to 18 before a Lady Panther layup ahead of the buzzer made the halftime score 36-20.
Park Hill South opened the second half with another run, out-scoring Republic 10-3 in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The Lady Panthers eventually whittled Republic’s lead down to ten points late in the third quarter, but trailed 46-34 as the fourth quarter began.
A bucket by Misora Nambara and two free throws by Bekemeier built the lead to 16, 50-34, before Park Hill South mounted its final charge. The Lady Panthers outscored Republic 14-6 over the next four minutes to get within eight points, but that was as close as the score would get the rest of the way.
Bekemeier had ten points in the fourth quarter, including eight free throws. Republic made 12 free throws in the final period to ice the game.
The win was the tenth of the season for Republic (10-5), and it gave Republic a 2-1 record during the Nixa Invitational after the Lady Tigers lost the opener in overtime to Cape Girardeau Notre Dame. Republic had played without the Nambara sisters in that game, but they returned for wins against Norfork, Ark., and Park Hill South.
“We bounced back. It helped getting back to our regular rotation,” said coach Kris Flood. “There are things we’re trying to work on and improve, and it’s correctable things. Our turnovers were a lot better the last two nights. We’re not having so many empty possessions.”
Flood also credited the Lady Tigers for a solid rebounding effort against a much bigger Park Hill South lineup.
“I loved our effort on the boards. Our guards were in there sticking their nose in. Hope and Miha were down in there and trying to fight the best they could,” he said. “That was an extremely physical game, and I thought our kids just never got caught up in the emotion of that. They fought through it.”
Republic returns to the floor Tuesday, at Springfield Central. Freshman play will begin at 4:30, with JV and varsity to follow.
Republic Scoring
Kaemyn Bekemeier 28, Misora Nambara 11, Rilynn Finley 9, Hope Schatz 8, Alaina Norman 6, Miha Nambara 2, Eternity Knotts 2
