It was a game that had a little bit of everything — seven lead changes, 11 ties, a pair of late-game mental lapses, and a big play in overtime that made the difference. Republic beat Hillcrest 60-56 in overtime Wednesday night at home.
Awbree Berning made the biggest play of the night in the extra period. With Republic leading 58-56, Berning stepped in front of a pass and took it to the basket, hitting a layup to make it 60-56, where it ended.
“In games like that, you kind of sit back and wait for that big play and hope that you’re going to get it,” Mooneyham said. “And that was it.”
Republic struggled from long range all night, going 3-of-22 from beyond the arc. Hillcrest went 9-of-25. Camryn Summers opened the game with one, hit another to start the third quarter, and finished 2-for-2. Lillie Moore knocked down a pair, including one from half court at the buzzer in the third. Serenity Johnson hit two at key moments, including one to open the fourth that cut it to 42-40.
“Hats off to Hillcrest — they shot lights out,” Mooneyham said. “I was having flashbacks of the West Plains game. It didn’t matter what they threw up, it went in.”
But Republic got to the free-throw line and converted. The Lady Tigers went 21-of-27 from the stripe. Hillcrest shot only three free throws.
“We’ve had many nights where we don’t hit those outside shots. You’ve got to find it somewhere else,” Mooneyham said.
Cora Cutbirth led Republic with 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting and 8-of-9 from the line. Awbree Berning had 11.
Moore led Hillcrest with 15 on 6-of-11 shooting. Sa’Niya Johnson scored 11 and Serenity Johnson had 10.
Hillcrest coach Justin Gerald, familiar with Paelyn Gilmore’s game from coaching her in the off-season, focused his defensive efforts on stopping her, and it worked, holding her to three points. Hillcrest face-guarded Gilmore the entire game, switching out of his team’s usual zone defense, which the Lady Tigers and coach Tori Mooneyham had expected.
“I told the girls in the locker room that I probably had a bad game. We didn’t prepare for that like we should have,” Republic coach Tori Mooneyham said. Mooneyham praised Gilmore’s composure despite the limited touches. “That’s hard, to be face-guarded an entire game. She kept her composure, and I’m really proud of her for that.”
Gilmore eventually found her way into the game, scoring 9 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.
After Hillcrest had gradually chipped away at a nine-point Republic lead in the third quarter, the fourth quarter was wild. Moore scored four straight, including a three that gave Hillcrest its first lead since the opening quarter at 45-44. Khloe Jones hit a three to put the Hornets up 48-46. Republic clawed back at the line, with Berning and Hagewood each hitting free throws to tie it and Cutbirth converting one more for a 50-48 lead.
Then came the sequence that sent it to overtime. A Hillcrest defender lost track of the score, fouling Gilmore away from the basket with five seconds left and the score tied. Gilmore hit both free throws for a 52-50 lead. Republic returned the favor on the inbound. Republic had a foul to give and didn’t use it, allowing Sa’Niya Johnson to go coast to coast and lay it in at the buzzer.
Playing their fifth game in ten days, the Lady Tigers improved to 18-3 with the win. Hillcrest fell to 12-8. Republic plays again Thursday night at Joplin.
Score by Quarters
Hillcrest 12 8 17 15 4 — 56
Republic 13 15 12 12 8 — 60
Scoring Summary
Cora Cutbirth 16, Paelyn Gilmore 12, Awbree Berning 11, Charlie Hagewood 8, Addie Brown 7, Kinley Kilburn 6.
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