Kickapoo built an early lead and never trailed in a 63-43 win over Republic Monday night, knocking down 10 three-pointers to hand the Tigers just their fourth loss of the season.
Kickapoo jumped ahead 7-0 before Republic got on the board, with Reese Kimrey’s three-pointer capping the opening run. Republic fought back to within three points at 9-6 after a CJ Uhl basket, but Kickapoo pushed its advantage back to 14-11 by the end of the first quarter.
The Chiefs extended their lead in the second quarter, outscoring Republic 12-6. A three-pointer by Rylee Tan late in the period helped Kickapoo build its largest lead of the first half at 25-15.
Brenley Hagewood tried to keep Republic in the game, scoring 12 of his team-high 26 points in the third quarter. But Kimrey matched that output, scoring 11 points of his own in the period as Kickapoo’s lead grew to 47-32.
The Chiefs’ advantage reached 25 points at 60-35 after Jackson Shorter’s three-pointer in the fourth quarter. Hagewood answered with back-to-back threes to cut into the deficit, but Kirmess’s final three-pointer of the night helped punctuate the win for Kickapoo.
Outside of Hagewood’s five three-pointers, Republic’s offense struggled to find good shots. Uhl and Parks, who usually create offense in the paint, combined for just 13 points. The rest of the Tigers managed just four points between them.
Kimrey led Kickapoo with 20 points, including four three-pointers. Shorter added 17 for the Chiefs. The Chiefs improved to 20-3.
The two teams could meet again in district tournament play in two weeks. Republic (19-4) will play next on Friday night at Carthage.
Score by Quarters
Kickapoo 14-12-21-16-63
Republic 11-6-15-11-43
Kickapoo Scoring
Reese Kimrey 20, Jackson Shorter 17, Brock Thompson 8, Rylee Tann 6, Brayden Rubidoux 5, Levi Phillips 4, Vincent Mhire 3
Republic Scoring
Brenley Hagewood 26, CJ Uhl 7, Davin Parks 6, Keiran Govan 2, Kaden Howard 2
