Republic’s trio of seniors demonstrated the hard work that’s defined their careers, leading the Lady Tigers to a commanding 56-32 win over Willard on Senior Night Tuesday. Republic’s effort on the boards highlighted the victory, as Republic outrebounded Willard 36-18, approaching the school record of 43 rebounds set in 1989 – one of the program’s longest-standing marks.
Sammi Watson, Lanney Strong, and Kaylee Cornelsen combined for 32 points in their final home appearance. Watson led all scorers with 17 points on three 3-pointers, Strong contributed 12 points, and Cornelsen added 3 points in the fourth quarter.
“That’s something that we’ve spent several years working on,” said coach Tori Mooneyham about the rebounding effort. “If you rebound and control the possessions of the game, it can change a game. And so these kids have really bought into that. My seniors are great leaders with it. They set the example, and the young ones have followed along.”
The rebounding total was especially impressive considering Republic slowed the pace in the fourth quarter.
After leading 14-10 through one quarter, Republic took control with a 19-3 second-quarter surge, building a 33-13 halftime advantage. Paelyn Gilmore sparked the second-quarter run with a 3-pointer, extending the lead to 20-10. Watson followed with another three, and Addie Brown connected from beyond the arc to push the advantage to 30-12. Republic’s lead reached its peak at 51-22 in the fourth quarter.
Since starting the season 0-5, Republic has won 16 of its last 20 games. The Lady Tigers (16-9) will conclude their regular season Thursday at Parkview.
Score by Quarters
Willard 10-3-6-13-32
Republic 14-19-11-12-56
Willard Scoring
Elise Murray 8, Harper Floyd 6, Hadley McNatt 5, Sydney West 5, Kennidy Keller 4, Jaylee Menditto 3, Khloe Jones 1
Republic Scoring
Sammi Watson 17, Lanney Strong 12, Awbree Berning 8, Addie Brown 6, Paelyn Gilmore 5, Cora Cutbirth 5, Kaylee Cornelsen 3
Team Stats
| Team | Rebounds | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|
| Willard Lady Tigers | 18 | 16 |
| Republic Lady Tigers | 36 | 14 |
Final Score
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| Republic Lady Tigers (HOME) | 56 |
| Willard Lady Tigers (AWAY) | 32 |
Republic Lady Tigers Player Statistics
| Player | # | Points | 2PT | 3PT | FT | Fouls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sammi Watson | 13 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Lanney Strong | 14 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Awbree Berning | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Addie Brown | 23 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Paelyn Gilmore | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Cora Cutbirth | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Kaylee Cornelsen | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Willard Lady Tigers Player Statistics
| Player | # | Points | 2PT | 3PT | FT | Fouls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elise Murray | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Harper Floyd | 32 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Sydney West | 52 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Hadley McNatt | 22 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kennidy Keller | 35 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Jaylee Menditto | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Khloe Jones | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Quarter 1 Individual Scoring
Republic Lady Tigers (14 pts)
- Awbree Berning: 4 pts
- Lanney Strong: 3 pts
- Addie Brown: 3 pts
- Sammi Watson: 2 pts
- Paelyn Gilmore: 2 pts
Willard Lady Tigers (10 pts)
- Elise Murray: 3 pts
- Jaylee Menditto: 3 pts
- Harper Floyd: 2 pts
- Kennidy Keller: 2 pts
Quarter 2 Individual Scoring
Republic Lady Tigers (19 pts)
- Sammi Watson: 5 pts
- Lanney Strong: 4 pts
- Cora Cutbirth: 3 pts
- Paelyn Gilmore: 3 pts
- Addie Brown: 3 pts
- Awbree Berning: 1 pt
Willard Lady Tigers (3 pts)
- Harper Floyd: 2 pts
- Kennidy Keller: 1 pt
Quarter 3 Individual Scoring
Republic Lady Tigers (11 pts)
- Sammi Watson: 5 pts
- Lanney Strong: 4 pts
- Cora Cutbirth: 2 pts
Willard Lady Tigers (6 pts)
- Hadley McNatt: 3 pts
- Harper Floyd: 2 pts
- Khloe Jones: 1 pt
Quarter 4 Individual Scoring
Republic Lady Tigers (12 pts)
- Sammi Watson: 5 pts
- Awbree Berning: 3 pts
- Kaylee Cornelsen: 3 pts
- Lanney Strong: 1 pt
Willard Lady Tigers (13 pts)
- Elise Murray: 5 pts
- Sydney West: 5 pts
- Hadley McNatt: 2 pts
- Kennidy Keller: 1 pt
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