The Lady Tigers relied on a suffocating third-quarter defensive effort to break open a tight game and defeat Helias Catholic 52–41 in the first game of the Nixa Invitational on Thursday.
After a back-and-forth first half that saw four ties and six lead changes, Republic held the Lady Crusaders to just three points in the third quarter. That defensive stand fueled a decisive 13–0 run that turned a one-point game into a double-digit lead the Lady Tigers would never relinquish.
“One thing we focused on this game was energy,” Republic coach Tori Mooneyham said. “I feel like that’s something we’ve been missing. We had two great practices this week, and energy was our focus. They really bought into that, and I felt like they brought it tonight.”
Paelyn Gilmore led Republic with 14 points, including two three-pointers, while Awbree Berning added 10 points.
The game was closely contested early. Helias used an 8–0 run in the first quarter to take a 12–8 lead, but Republic responded immediately. The Lady Tigers closed the period on a 7–0 burst, capped by a three-pointer from Gilmore, to lead 15–12.
The teams traded blows throughout the second quarter. Helias briefly regained the lead at 21–18, but late baskets by Gilmore, Berning, and Kinley Kilburn sent Republic into halftime with a narrow 26–22 advantage.
The turning point came early in the second half. Helias scored the first basket of the third quarter—a three-pointer by Isla Alfultis—to cut the deficit to 26–25. Republic did not allow another point for the remainder of the period.
Charlie Hagewood started the surge with a three-pointer, and Addie Brown followed with another triple to extend the lead to 32–25. Berning scored the next five points for Republic, and Gilmore capped the 13–0 run with a bucket inside to make it 39–25 heading into the fourth.
“To see us make a run like that and get that momentum is something we really haven’t seen a lot of so far,” Mooneyham said. “We went cold there for a little bit, but sometimes the game of basketball is about the runs you make, and I felt like that was a big one.”
Helias tried to claw back in the final period, getting to the free-throw line frequently. Jayli Howell and Claire Morris combined for 29 points for the Lady Crusaders, but they couldn’t overcome their third-quarter drought.
The Lady Tigers will play Troy at 5:30 in the second and final game of the Nixa Invitational on Friday. We’ll carry it live on our YouTube channel. Saturday games have been canceled because of approaching winter weather.
Score by Quarters
Republic 15 11 13 13 — 52
Helias 12 10 3 16 — 41
Individual Scoring
Paelyn Gilmore 14, Awbree Berning 10, Addie Brown 8, Kinley Kilburn 6, Cora Cutbirth 5, Josie Stalzer 4, Charlie Hagewood 3, Jordin Quessenberry 2.
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