After starting slowly for the second night in a row, Republic caught fire, then exploded for two of its biggest quarters in recent memory. The Tigers blitzed Ruskin with 28 points in the second quarter, then topped themselves with 34 points in the third quarter on the way to an 87-51 win in the third-place game of the Rick Taylor Shootout at Blue Valley High School in Overland Park, Kansas. Brenley Hagewood poured in a season-high 32 points, including 21 in the second quarter.
Republic made 13 three-pointers, including four each by Aslan Ebisch and Hagewood, three by Rylee Tan, and two by Jordan Douglas.
Hagewood said the Tigers have begun playing better as a team now that the members of the football team have played a few games.
“I think that we all just gelled a little bit better together. We moved the ball, we got each other open. We made shots whenever we needed to, which made others more open,” he said. “And I think that our football guys are getting more intertwined in our offense and figuring everything out. So our big men are doing a lot right now. The rolls, the cuts, the inside-out looks, all that. The across-the-court passes to the easy open shots, those are phenomenal.”
At the start of the game, Ruskin used its quickness to speed up Republic, forcing four Tiger turnovers in the first period. At one point, the Eagles built a 14-5 lead. But from that point until halftime, the Tigers outscored Ruskin 35-13. Republic led 40-27 at the midway point. Hagewood said he didn’t let the slow start worry him.
“I didn’t have a doubt. I knew that we would figure it out and we would bounce back. We always find a way to bounce back, so I wasn’t worried about it at all.”
Republic built on the halftime momentum to continue pulling away, outscoring the Eagles 47-24 in the second half.
Nine different players scored for Republic. In addition to Hagewood, Tan and Ebisch were also in double figures with 14 points apiece.
Thirty-four points in a quarter is tied for 18th-most by a team on the listings on the MSHSAA website.
Score by Quarters
Ruskin 16 11 17 7 – 51
Republic 12 28 34 13 – 87
Individual Scoring
Hagewood 32, Tan 14, Ebisch 14, CJ Uhl 9, Douglas 6, Owen Fry 4, James Rexroat 4, Kaden Howard 2, Davin Parks 2