Republic Lady Tigers catch fire to top Jefferson City

Republic tied a school record with 13 three-pointers, but the biggest of the day was a buzzer-beating 35-footer by Savana Powell-Goodman to beat Jefferson City (17-2, Class 5 #3) 60-57.
The Lady Tigers overcame a 15-point first-half deficit with a red-hot second-half shooting performance. They made nine three-pointers in the second half to shoot themselves back into the game against a much bigger Jefferson City lineup. Republic scored 10 more points than anyone else had scored against the Lady Jays in a game all season.
Powell-Goodman hit the game-winner after Jefferson City had scored four quick points to tie the game 57-57 in the final minute. After a time out by Kris Flood, the Lady Tigers set up a final play. Jefferson City deflected a pass, but Powell-Goodman tracked down the loose ball and fired a shot from about eight feet inside the half-court stripe. It swished the net with .3 seconds remaining. On the ensuing in-bound pass, Carle Ward deflected the ball, and Jefferson City failed to get off a final shot.
Freshman Kaemyn Bekemeier finished with a career-high 29 points. She scored 12 in the first quarter alone, keeping Republic close when Jefferson City was threatening to run away with the game early. And she was 7-for-7 from the free throw line in the second half, helping put Republic in a position to win on its last possession.
With Republic trailing by 14 points early in the third quarter, Delaney Smith, Jazzy Kirby, and Bekemeier made three consecutive three-pointers. Bekemeier followed that up with a conventional three-point play to cut the lead to four points. After Jefferson City ended its scoring drought with a bucket, Jade Kirby stepped up and made another three-pointer. This one pulled the Lady Tigers to within one.
Jade Kirby made a second three-pointer to even the score before Jefferson City scored four straight points. But Republic finished the third quarter with six more consecutive points, and when Kirby hit a layup ahead of the third-quarter buzzer, Republic led for the first time since the opening minute.
In the fourth quarter, three more three-pointers – one by Bekemeier and two by Jazzy Kirby – put the Lady Tigers on top 55-51. Jefferson City tied the score at 57-57, setting up Powell-Goodman’s game-winner.
“Everybody contributed. It was just a heck of an effort,” said coach Kris Flood. “It’s a good win for the program. I think they’re kind of starting to ... realize what they’re going to have to do night in, night out. They’re going to have to play hard and play hard defensively. The offense is clicking a little bit better, so maybe we’re starting to hit our stride now as we hit February.”
Republic improves to 13-7. Jefferson City is now 17-2.
Republic scoring: Kaemyn Bekemeier 29, Jade Kirby 11, Jazzy Kirby 9, Savana Powell-Goodman 5, Delaney Smith 3, Kaitlyn Ragsdale 3
Earlier in the week, Republic won two Central Ozark Conference games. Against Branson, three Lady Tigers scored in double figures in a 65-51 win. Kaemyn Bekemeier and Jazzy Kirby each scored 19 points and Savana Powell-Goodman added 16. Priscilla Williams scored 30 for Branson in a losing cause.
Against Carthage, Kaitlyn Ragsdale got hot in the first half, making four three-pointers on her way to a 14-point night. Bekemeier scored 15 and Jazzy Kirby scored 10 for Republic, who won at home 61-34.