Republic and Central advanced to the championship game with wins on the second day of the tournament. Here are recaps from every game.
Liberty 89, West Memphis Christian 61
Liberty dominated from the start, building a commanding 51-23 halftime lead. Kale Mortimer led Liberty with 19 points, while Howie Chase contributed 18 points. For West Memphis, Kingston Rottinghaus scored 12 points. With the victory, Liberty advanced to the consolation bracket finals where they will play Saturday at 12:30 PM.
Park Hill South 67, Capital City 46
Despite Capital City controlling most of the first quarter, Park Hill South took the lead on a half-court buzzer-beater to end the period up 16-15 and never looked back. Gerard Hinson paced Park Hill South with 20 points, while Cooper Oathoat added 16 points. For Capital City, Francis Samuel scored 16 points and Grady Payton contributed 10 points. Park Hill South advances to face Liberty in the consolation championship game.
Republic 70, Rolla 60
After Rolla jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, Republic responded with eight straight points to tie the game. Republic built a 31-22 halftime advantage and maintained control from there. Brenley Hagewood led Republic with 27 points, while Davin Parks added 12 points. Ethan Brown had a game-high 30 points for Rolla. Republic (2-0) advances to the championship game Saturday at 3:30 PM, while Rolla (2-1) will play in the third-place game at 2:00 PM.
Central 69, Ozark 63 (OT)
In a back-and-forth contest, Ozark overcame an eight-point first-quarter deficit to take a 30-27 halftime lead, holding Central to just nine second-quarter points. The game was tied 59-59 at the end of regulation, but Central outscored Ozark 10-4 in overtime to secure the victory. Bryce Walker led Central with 22 points, followed by Jordan Pittman with 19 and Brody Holland with 12. For Ozark, Kylan Pickren scored 21 points and Hudson Roberts added 18. Central advances to face Republic in Saturday’s championship game at 3:30 PM, while Ozark will play Rolla for third place at 2:00 PM.
