Republic stayed within striking distance for three quarters, but a cold shooting stretch in the fourth allowed Olathe West to pull away for a 54-46 victory in the opening round of the Republic Invitational.
In its first game of the season, Republic struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm outside of Brody Blades and Keiran Govan, who combined for 36 of the team’s 46 points. Olathe West used a balanced attack and a decisive run in the final period to spoil the Tigers’ opener.
“I was disappointed in the lack of organization offensively,” head coach Tim Brown said. “It never felt like we could get five guys in the right spot.”
Olathe West controlled the first quarter, jumping out to a 16-10 lead behind three-pointers from Malachi Buckner and David Harper. Republic tightened its defense in the second quarter, holding the Owls to 10 points. Blades scored four points in the period and Govan added three from the free-throw line as Republic trimmed the deficit to 26-24 at halftime.
The Tigers briefly surged ahead in the third quarter. A three-pointer by Blades gave Republic a 30-29 lead, and the teams traded baskets for the rest of the period. Republic managed to tie the game at 38-38 on a three-pointer by Chase Connell, but Olathe West scored the final two points of the quarter to take a 40-38 lead into the fourth.
The game turned early in the final period. After Blades scored inside to cut the lead to 40-42, the Republic offense stalled. Olathe West rattled off nine unanswered points—highlighted by four points from Beckett Schweer and a three-pointer by Graham Stuck—to build a 51-40 advantage. Republic did not score again until AJ Uhl made a basket late in the game, but the deficit was too large to overcome.
“It looked like our first game tonight,” Brown said. “Hopefully we can get guys in spots tomorrow and be a little more organized so we can get better at the things we practice every day.”
Blades led all scorers with 22 points, including three three-pointers. Govan finished with 14 points, doing much of his damage at the free-throw line.
Olathe West put three players in double figures. Garang Bol scored 11 points, while Buckner and Schweer each added 10.
Republic falls to 0-1. They continue play in the Republic Invitational tomorrow with a 5:30 game against Capital City.
“We’ve been in this same situation before in this tournament where the first game didn’t look the way you wanted it to, and that’s part of playing a first game,” Brown said.
**Score by quarters**
Olathe West 16 10 14 14 — 54
Republic 10 14 14 8 — 46
**Individual scoring**
Brody Blades 22, Keiran Govan 14, Jin Villasica 4, AJ Uhl 2, Chase Connell 3, Braxton Lundberg 1.
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