Republic dominated the glass and got a breakout shooting performance from Paelyn Gilmore to open its season with a 69-14 win over Lee’s Summit North at the Stephanie Phillips Classic.
Playing for the first time after weeks of preparation, the Lady Tigers showed no signs of rust. Republic raced to a 19-2 lead after one quarter and held Lee’s Summit North to single digits in every period.
“I was pleased with the way the girls played. You know, we had practiced 27 times and you could tell they were hungry and ready to play,” head coach Tori Mooneyham said. “And I think that showed in their effort and how hard they played.”
Gilmore provided the offensive spark early. She scored 11 points in the first quarter and added seven more in the second, giving her 18 points by halftime. She connected on four three-pointers in the first half alone, helping Republic build a 41-5 advantage at the break.
While Gilmore led the scoring, Republic controlled the game through possession. The Lady Tigers grabbed 35 total rebounds, including 18 on the offensive end.
“We are always going to focus on those little things, and we rebounded well,” Mooneyham said. “That’s 18 more possessions we got and that’s something that we really buy into.”
Gilmore finished with a game-high 25 points and five three-pointers, despite sitting out the fourth quarter. Republic found scoring depth behind her, with Jordin Quessenberry, Addie Brown, and Cora Cutbirth each adding eight points.
“I think that’s the key in every game we play is to take care of yourself, and I felt like we did that,” Mooneyham said.
Republic improves to 1-0. The Lady Tigers continue play in the Stephanie Phillips Classic tomorrow night against Jefferson City at 8:30 p.m. at Kickapoo.
**Score by quarters**
Lee’s Summit North 2 3 5 4 — 14
Republic 19 22 19 9 — 69
**Individual scoring**
Gilmore 25, Quessenberry 8, Brown 8, Cutbirth 8, Steele 6, Berning 4, Kilburn 4, Hagewood 3, Pullan 3.
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