Republic held Strafford to just 12 points in the second half, fighting off the upset-minded Indians for a 51-34 win in the semifinals of the Bolivar Liberator tournament Friday night. The defense was a key factor in the win, but Brenley Hagewood’s offense also took the spotlight, as the junior guard topped the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Strafford stayed close early on the strength of guard Cody Voysey, who scored seven points in the first quarter and 12 in the first half. While Voysey excelled offensively, the Tigers struggled to score early. Only Aslan Ebisch and Hagewood scored in the first quarter, with six and five points, respectively. The score was tied 11-11 at the end of one period.
CJ Uhl came off the bench in the second quarter to provide a spark for the Tigers. Republic pounded the ball inside to the junior forward, and he took advantage, drawing three fouls and making four of six free throws. He finished the quarter with six points, but his play also led to mounting foul trouble for the Indians. Uhl finished with 13 points, joining Hagewood, who had 21, in double figures.
In the third quarter, Republic shut down Strafford’s entire lineup, except Voysey, who continued to get his points. Voysey scored all six of Strafford’s points in the period, and Republic build a 37-28 lead after three quarters. The Tigers closed the quarter on a 6-0 run.
The fourth quarter was similar. Voysey and Jourden Edelstein each made three-point shots, but that was the extent of Strafford’s offense down the stretch. Rylee Tan scored five points, and Uhl also had five in the fourth quarter to help Republic put the game away.
Hagewood needed seven points entering the game to reach 1,000 for his career. He got the milestone basket when he drove from the three-point arc on the right side, zipped by his defender, elevated, and floated the ball over the front of the rim. It was a very Hagewood-like basket to mark his 1,000th point. (Watch it here.)
“I thought tonight that my team came out really well, got me open, got me the open shots, and (we) just did our thing, and it just helped me work towards that goal I’ve been trying to complete since I started high school,” Hagewood said. “I’m proud to be a Republic Tiger.”
Hagewood stands at 1,014 career points after dropping 21 on Strafford Friday.
Republic spent a lot of time working on its defense during practice this week, and Ebisch said the work has paid off this weekend so far.
“With our season so far, we’ve been lacking on defense, so we really wanted to just turn it up a notch and be more… intentional,” he said. “When we play good defense, it allows our offense to flow really nicely and just get us good shots as well.”
Republic advances to the championship game Saturday at 2:30 pm against Thayer or Helias. Republic Tiger Sports will carry that game live.
Score by Quarters
Strafford 11 11 6 6 – 34
Republic 11 13 13 14 – 51
Individual Scoring
Brenley Hagewood 21, CJ Uhl 13, Rylee Tan 8, Aslan Ebisch 8, James Rexroat 1