By Denise Tucker
Springfield, MO – The going was a little slow for both Bolivar and Republic at the start of their Pink Division game of the Pink & White Lady Classic on Tuesday afternoon.
But the fifth-seeded Republic Lady Tigers began to pull away in the second quarter and then roared to a 52-26 first-round victory at Drury University’s Weiser Gym.
“I thought both teams, to a certain extent, looked a little hesitant, kind of feeling each other out,” Republic coach Kris Flood said. “We didn’t come out real focused, I don’t believe. We weren’t playing very hard, especially defensively. We were letting them do things, whatever they wanted to do on that end.
“About the 4-minute mark of the second quarter we went into our press and tried to make the tempo go up a little bit, and I thought that made a difference. We were able to get out and push the ball up a little bit and we were able to create some steals and get some easy opportunities with baskets. We were able to make that run and get it to seven points at half and it just went from there.”
Those easy opportunities and several missed ones were a recipe for disaster for the Lady Liberators (3-6), who couldn’t seem to get anything to fall from the inside or the outside.
“We couldn’t put the ball in the hole,” Bolivar coach Darin Archer said. “And, if you do that against a good team like Republic, they’re gonna make you pay.
“In the first half, we battled. We did a decent job on defense and rebounding, but if you can’t put the ball in the hole… And give Republic credit, they had a lot to do with that – their defense and their pressure really upset us a little bit and got us out of a rhythm.
“But, good thing about tournaments like this, you don’t have long to think about it. You just regroup and get it back and play tomorrow.”
Behind the 12 points from Brylee Manes (7) and Taylor Fergen (5), and their pressure defense, including four steals that turned into five points, the Lady Tigers outscored Bolivar 13-4 in the third quarter to open up a 36-18 lead.
“The press energized us and gave us some energy that we didn’t have in the first 11 or 12 minutes,” Flood said.
And Fergen, who scored a game-high 15 points, was a big part of that spark.
“She does a lot for us,” Flood said. “She handles the ball for us, but she is also a very good scorer. She plays a lot of minutes for us, logs a lot of minutes out there and it was good to give her a chance to get a little break there with the possibility of four games in a row here.”
Manes, who added 14 points, also was a key for the Lady Tigers’ outburst on Tuesday.
“She and Fergen have probably been the most consistent players up to this point of the year,” Flood said. “Usually, if those two have good games, we have a real distinct possibility to come out on the positive.”
And, with the big lead, Flood was able to rest some of his key players while allowing others a chance to get some minutes.
“We’re not extremely deep to begin with right now; we don’t have a ton of size, so it’s a matter of trying to figure out some rotations,” Flood said.
He is hoping for a better start when his team takes on fourth-seeded Mercer County out of Harrodsburg, Ky., a 73-26 winner over Miller.
“We have to come out and play with some intensity,” Flood said, “and it has to be from the beginning. Because, if we progress through this tournament, the teams are only going to get better, and you have to be prepared and can’t wait.”
Bolivar (3-6), who will be without junior center Reaghan Lesh (injured ankle), will take on Miller at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Weiser Gym.
NO. 5 REPUBLIC 52, BOLIVAR 26
BOLIVAR (3-6) – 9-5-4-8—26
REPUBLIC (6-3) – 8-13-13-16—52
BOLIVAR – Cassidy Herbert 8, Michelle Gabani 5, Reaghan Lesh 5, Kelsie Barber 4, Hannah Newcomb 2, Taylor Dial 2.
REPUBLIC – Taylor Fergen 15, Brylee Manes 14, Allyson Barrett 8, Natalie Bennett 8, Madison Backham 3, Hallie Bartlesmeyer 2, Megan Branstetter 2.
