Lady Tigers win first Pink & White since 2012

The Republic Lady Tigers won their third tournament in the month of December, and their biggest so far, with four straight wins in the Pink & White Lady Classic. Republic (2) beat unseeded Aurora, Lebanon (7), and Grain Valley (1) to capture the title.

First Round: Republic 62, Aurora 36
Republic started slowly, trailing most of the first half. They didn’t take their first lead until 4:42 remained in the second quarter, and led by just one point, 26-25, at halftime. But Republic outscored Aurora 20-4 in the third quarter and held Aurora to 11 points in the second half to pull away. The Lady Tigers had four players score in double figures: Kaemyn Bekemeier (14), Molly Blades (13), Alaina Norman (12), and Lauren Chastain (10).

Second Round: Republic 59, Lebanon 30
Republic's second round matchup came against the seventh-seeded Lebanon Lady Jackets in a game in which the Lady Tigers defense was potentially the best it’s been all year. Republic led after the first quarter 15-9 and 25-16 going into the half. Republic then outscored Lebanon in the third quarter 21-14, a quarter in which Kaemyn Bekemeier scored 15 of her game-leading 26. Finally, in the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers held the Lady Jackets scoreless and scored thirteen themselves, earning a trip to the White Division semifinals.

Semifinals: Republic 55, Kickapoo 48
In the White Division semifinals, Republic faced the defending Pink Division champions, Kickapoo. The Lady Chiefs had won the last five matchups between the schools and was looking for an opportunity to win their third straight Pink & White title. Republic, once again, had a strong second half after leading 35-33 at halftime. The Lady Tigers held Kickapoo to only five points in the third quarter and led 48-38 going into the fourth. Kaemyn Bekemeier led the way for the Lady Tigers with 25 points.

Championship: Republic 59, Grain Valley 48
For the first time all week, Republic was the underdog in the championship game against top-seeded Grain Valley. The Lady Eagles are ranked #2 in Missouri Class 6, and Republic is #6. The game featured two of the best players in Missouri — Bekemeier for Republic and Mizzou-bound Grace Slaughter for Grain Valley. Bekemeier got the best of the matchup, scoring 28 points — her high for the tournament — while guarding Slaughter and holding her to 12 points, 18 under her average. The key stretch of the game came during the final minutes of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. Grain Valley took its biggest lead of the night at 38-34, but Republic responded with 11 consecutive points and never trailed again. The rally included a steal and a layup by Molly Blades, a three-pointer by Hope Schatz, and a couple of contested jump shots by Bekemeier.

"It's not just the kids that were on the floor. Our bench was tremendous. They always stayed in the game," coach Kris Flood said, "especially those tough times at the end of games. We had different kids step up, and it was well-earned. They work hard.”

Republic finished the tournament with an 11-1 record.