By Denise Tucker (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
Kaemyn Bekemeier set the tone early for the Republic Lady Tigers on Friday night.
The senior guard opened the White Division Championship game with a 3-pointer on her way to leading the Lady Tigers to a 59-48 victory over Grain Valley for their first championship in the Pink and White Lady Classic since 2012.
“It was a really fun night, and it came together,” said Bekemeier, who scored a game-high 28 points. “I just think every single girl, coach, and obviously, every single fan in the stands wanted it for this community. And it is just amazing to have a RepMo-filled gym. It just shows how much confidence they have in us and being able to wear that name on our chest is not something that I take lightly.”
The Lady Tigers also captured their championship the day after the Republic boys’ team won the Blue Division title in the Blue and Gold Tournament.
“It’s special,” Bekemeier said. “It just shows how much both programs have worked, and we’re putting in the time. It’s really just special for Republic as a whole, and I’m just so happy.”
“It was a hard, hard-fought game, well-earned,” added Republic coach Kris Flood, who has been part of four Lady Tiger Pink and White championships. “I’m proud of the way that our kids played the whole week. We kind of fought through some stuff, some turnovers we’ve had, and we fought some foul troubles here and there. But these kids, they’ve stayed focused, they’ve fought through it.
“They need to cherish this thing, as far as what they accomplished here. And it’s not just the kids on the floor; our bench was tremendous. They always stay in the game, helping us fight through some of those tough times at the end of games. We had some different kids step up.”
Republic, the No. 2 seed, opened the game with a 6-0 run and went up 9-3 before top-seeded Grain Valley went on its own 6-0 run to pull even at 9. Bekemeier hit a 3-pointer well beyond the top of the key and added a free throw to give the Lady Tigers a 13-9 lead.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE GAME
Grace Slaughter, a Mizzou signee and Missouri Phenom teammate of Bekemeier’s, made a spin move in the lane and scored to pull Grain Valley to 13-11. Bekemeier answered on a putback basket and Slaughter scored on a fastbreak to close out the furious first quarter with Republic leading 15-13.
The second quarter looked a lot like the first, except that Grain Valley was able to tie the game at 16 on Camryn Kelly’s only points of the game – a 3-pointer from the wing. Lauren Chastain hit five straight points to give Republic a three-point lead (21-18), which it was able to maintain going into halftime (27-24).
Grain Valley, the No. 2-ranked team in Class 6, finally took its first lead of the game midway through the third quarter on a 3-pointer by McKenah Sears and added to its lead on another 3, this time from Finley LaForge (38-34).
But a 7-0 run boosted by a Bekemeier putback, a Molly Blades steal and basket, and a Blades-to-Hope Schatz 3-pointer, put the Lady Tigers back on top (41-38). A Sears’ halfcourt shot nearly went in, which would have tied the game – again.
“That was a little shot in the arm,” Flood said of Schatz’s 3-pointer. “We had some kids step up in some big spots and “Beck” played her typical game, but the other ones really helped.”
And in the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers, No. 6 in Class 6, held Slaughter scoreless and to just 12 points for the game.
“We really executed defensively what we wanted to do,” Flood said. “I thought we made it tough for the Slaughter kid. She’s going to get her points. But we talked about it today; she’s a shooter and we want to make her earn those points, and I thought we really executed the defensive game plan; not perfect, but they did what they were told to do.”
Bekemeier took on the assignment of guarding her club teammate and friend.
“She’s good, and I know that she’s good,” Bekemeier said of Slaughter. “It’s hard playing against your friends. It’s something that you know you have to do and sometimes we’re not friends on the court, but off the court, we definitely are. I knew that it was going to test my defense and I was ready for the challenge. I’m ready to push my defense and get better for the next level.
“But it wasn’t just me, it was everybody else. We knew that we were going to have to double and keep the ball out of her hands. One person can’t stop her. It took all five of us to stop her and so I’m just proud of the way that we executed our game plan.”
Slaughter, who tore her ACL on Feb. 5 and had surgery on Feb. 22, didn’t show signs of the injury during the tournament.
“The nice thing about it is I was able to wait nine months before I really started games and started playing,” Slaughter said. “There’s never a good time for it to happen, but I was super lucky and blessed to have great therapy and rehab and people there to support me. I didn’t feel rushed but was able to have that month before November to really just work back into practices and scrimmaging.”
And playing against Bekemeier was a little bittersweet for Slaughter.
“It was a blast,” Slaughter said. “I’d much rather have her on my team than not on my team (though they didn’t play together while Slaughter was rehabbing her knee). I just love playing with her. To play against her is like, ‘darn it,’ but also, I love her and she’s a great person and a great basketball player.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Bekemeier, a Missouri State University signee, also was named the recipient of the Jane A. Meyer Award.
“It means so much just to be able to be selected,” Bekemeier said. “Every single year, there’s a big-time girl that is selected, and to be able to have my name on the list means so much.”
#2 REPUBLIC 59, #1 GRAIN VALLEY 48
Pink and White Lady Classic
White Division Championship
At O’Reilly Family Event Center
REPUBLIC 15-12-14-18—59
GRAIN VALLEY 13-11-14-10—48
REPUBLIC (11-1) – Misora Nambara 5, Lauren Chastain 8, Molly Blades 4, Alaina Norman 4, Kaemyn Bekemeier 28, Molly Mason 6, Hope Schatz 4.
GRAIN VALLEY (10-3) – Finley LaForge 9, Annabell Totta 2, McKenah Sears 6, Grace Slaughter 12, Ella Clyman 12, Meghan Knust 4, Camryn Kelly 3.
