Republic relied on defensive toughness and a balanced rotation to secure a fifth-place finish at the Republic Invitational Saturday. The Tigers held off a late Ozark rally to win 53-48, improving to 2-1 on the season behind 18 points from Keiran Govan.
Playing their third game in three days, the Tigers overcame a slow start and a physical matchup to grind out the win.
“To win this game… in a tournament like this when you’re not playing in the championship game… It’s gonna come down to toughness,” said coach Tim Brown. “We talk about Repmo Grind all the time, and it was on full display today.”
Ozark controlled the opening minutes, using a 6-0 run to build an early 8-3 advantage. Republic responded from the perimeter. Jin Villasica hit two three-pointers in the first quarter, and Trenten Coleman added another deep ball to give Republic a 14-12 lead at the end of the period.
Republic carried that momentum into the second quarter, completing a 7-0 run to stretch the lead to 18-12. The Tiger defense clamped down, holding Ozark to just seven points in the second quarter. A three-pointer by Slater Howard helped Republic take a 29-19 lead into halftime.
Ozark chipped away at the lead throughout the second half. Kylan Pickren, who led Ozark with 18 points, helped the visitors cut the deficit to 41-38 early in the fourth quarter.
Republic managed to push the lead back to eight points, but Ozark made one final push. A bucket by Hendrix Haymes brought Ozark within 51-48 inside the final minute. Howard responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory.
Seven different players scored for Republic, and Brown credited the team’s depth for handling the fatigue of a three-day tournament.
“We had nine guys that had to play and help us win, and all nine guys made plays to help us win,” Brown said. “I’m just happy for them, because it’s hard to do that… on the third day when you don’t have the rush of playing in the finals.”
Govan finished with 18 points to lead Republic. Howard added nine points and Coleman scored eight.
Republic is now 2-1. The Tigers play at Branson on Tuesday.
—
Score by quarters
Ozark 12 7 14 15 — 48
Republic 14 15 12 12 — 53
Individual scoring
Govan 18, Howard 9, Coleman 8, Blades 6, Villasica 6, Connell 3, Uhl 3.
Get every story delivered.
Tiger Wire — Republic sports news, free every morning.