Nixa ended Republic’s 12-game winning streak Saturday afternoon, defeating the Tigers 53-47 in a bruising, physical matchup.
Republic (12-1) led through most of the first quarter, and the teams traded the lead seven times in the second period before Nixa took a three-point advantage into halftime. The Tigers regained control in the third quarter, building their largest lead at 36-31.
But Nixa (11-1) responded with 10 consecutive points spanning the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth. During that run, Republic lost leading scorer Brenley Hagewood to injury with 7:00 remaining and trailing 37-36. He didn’t return.
In a game that saw Nixa shoot 20 free throws to Republic’s three, the Eagles capitalized on second chances.
“We knew there were gonna be things that we couldn’t control and things we could,” Republic coach Tim Brown said. “There were a lot of things we couldn’t control that happened throughout the game. Big plays that they made and the ebbs and flows of the game.
“Their ability to get to the foul line better than we were able to, and their offensive rebounds ,” Brown said. “We didn’t rebound well off those foul shots. Every offensive rebound they had… they stepped up and made shots.”
Jaise Combs led all scorers with 20 points for Nixa.
Hagewood finished with 13 points for Republic before his injury. Keiran Govan and Davin Parks scored 10 each.
Republic’s win streak ends at 12, leaving them tied for the second-best start in program history with the 1961-62 team. The Tigers are back in action next Tuesday at Lebanon.
Score by Quarters
Nixa 11-16-8-18–53
Republic 11-13-12-11–47
Nixa Scoring
Jaise Combs 20, Ty Kellis 12, Keivon Flint 6, Randy Flint 6, Addam McKnight 5, Bryce Foster 3, Lane Meltabarger 1
Republic Scoring
Brenley Hagewood 13, Keiran Govan 10, Davin Parks 10, C.J. Uhl 8, Brody Blades 6
