Republic banked a 60-34 win over Waynesville Friday night, cashing in on a double-double from Cora Cutbirth and three three-pointers from Kaylee Cornelsen. Cutbirth finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Cornelsen scored 11 off the bench. Sammi Watson also scored 11 for Republic.
The game was tied 5-5 early before Republic scored 16 straight points to take control. Republic led 31-10 at halftime and 50-23 after three quarters.
Cornelsen, who moved out of the starting lineup last week, responded by hitting all three of her attempts from beyond the arc.
“I was extremely proud of Kaylee,” coach Tori Mooneyham said. “We made a change in our lineup, and that can be hard on a kid. That just shows what kind of person she is and what kind of player she is. She stayed focused and was a team player, and it didn’t matter if she started or came off the bench, you’re still going to get the best out of her. I was really excited to see her knock those shots down and just be more confident offensively.”
Cutbirth’s double-double performance was a sign of the sophomore’s potential, according to Mooneyham.
“Cora’s just very athletic, and so when she puts her mind to it, you’re going to see that,” Mooneyham said. “I think it’s just a matter of her continuing to build confidence and just getting more comfortable out there.”
The win was Republic’s fourth in five games after starting the season 0-5.
For Waynesville, Riley Grosvenor scored 14 points and Regan Grosvenor added 10.
**Score by Quarters**
Waynesville 5-5-13-11–34
Republic 19-12-19-10–60
**Republic Scoring**
Cora Cutbirth 12, Sammi Watson 11, Kaylee Cornelsen 11, Josie Stalzer 7, Lanney Strong 6, Charlie Hagewood 5, Addie Brown 4, Awbree Berning 2, Annabelle Gerhardt-Hobbs 2
**Waynesville Scoring**
Riley Grosvenor 14, Regan Grosvenor 10, Brooklynn Lercher 7, Ruby Hisatake 2, Taylor Miller 1
