Lady Tigers roll over competition to claim championship at Stephanie Phillips Classic

The Lady Tigers basketball team rebounded in a big way after an 0–2 start to their season. Republic swept through its bracket of the Stephanie Phillips Classic tournament in Springfield, winning three games to capture the championship. After a dramatic comeback win over Springfield Central, the Lady Tigers beat Springfield Catholic and Hartville comfortably to take the title.

Republic 50, Springfield Central 49
Republic started fast, went ice cold in the middle of the game, and heated up just in time to pull off a come-from-behind win against Central in the tournament opener. Republic trailed by seven points late in the fourth quarter, but went on an 11–1 run to take the lead in a 50–49 win.
The Lady Tigers scored 34 of their 50 points in the first and last quarters. They led 17–6 in the early minutes, thanks to defensive pressure that caused several Central turnovers and led to Republic points at the other end of the court. But Central used a 12–2 run to close the gap, then took its first lead at 24–22 with under a minute left in the first half. The teams were tied 24–24 at halftime.
Republic stayed cold in the third quarter, but defense kept the Lady Tigers close enough for two seniors to make a difference in the final minutes. Avylina Powell-Qualo and Halli Bartelsmeyer scored 16 of Republic’s 17 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lady Tigers pull out the unlikely victory.
“We made some adjustments there in the second half––we got Avylina isolated in the middle with the [Sakirah] Jones kid, then [with Jones] in foul trouble, we were able to take advantage of that and hit some key free throws when we needed it,” coach Kris Flood said after the game. “It’s a big sigh of relief … to finally get [a win] in our pocket. Hopefully it will get us going in the right direction.”

Scoring
Halli Bartelsmeyer 17, Avylina Powell-Qualo 16, Clara Fronabarger 6, Jade Kirby 4, Anna Bell 3, Jazzy Kirby 2, Shaelyn Barrett 1, Delaney Smith 1

Republic 56, Springfield Catholic 31
The tournament semifinals unfolded much differently for Republic, but resulted in a win anyway. Against Springfield Catholic, the Lady Tigers battled back and forth in a close game for most of the first half, but pulled away after halftime for an easy victory.
Republic trailed 9–5 after the first quarter, but Bartelsmeyer heated up in the second quarter, scoring eight points while the Republic defense slowed down the Irish, holding them to just one field goal in the period. A Clara Fronabarger three-pointer at the buzzer gave Republic a 23–17 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Republic held Catholic to just 14 points. The Lady Tigers scored 20 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Bartelsmeyer led Republic with 18 points and Fronabarger also finished in double figures with 13.

Scoring
Halli Bartelsmeyer 18, Clara Fronabarger 13, Avylina Powell-Qualo 8, Delaney Smith 5, Shaelyn Barrett 3, Jade Kirby 3, Jazzy Kirby 3, Anna Bell 2, Carle Ward 1

Republic 50, Hartville 37
The defense stepped up again in the tournament finals, helping Republic earn the bracket championship with a 50–37 win over Hartville.
Halli Bartelsmeyer led Republic with 13 points. She averaged 16 points a game in the tournament, and was named its most valuable player. Avylina Powell-Qualo scored 12 points in the win over Hartville, and she also made the all-tournament team.
Despite a guard-heavy lineup that depends on its outside shooting for success, Republic easily beat Hartville without making a lot of three-point baskets. Republic had just two three-pointers the entire game––one by Clara Fronabarger and one by Jade Kirby.
The second quarter was a key turning point for the Lady Tigers. They held Hartville to just six points in the period, extending their lead to eight points at 25–17. In the second half, Hartville managed just four field goals against the Lady Tigers defense.
The Lady Tigers’ tournament performance pushed them over the .500 mark for the first time this year, at 3–2. They will take the week off and return to action at Kickapoo next Monday.