For the second night in a row, Republic went toe-to-toe with a nationally ranked opponent, and for the second night in a row, the Tigers came up short. Friday, it was Madison Prep of Baton Rouge that escaped the upset, beating Republic 43-39.
The Tigers rode the hot hand of Ty Stevens early. Stevens made four three-pointers in the 1st quarter, accounting for all 12 Republic points and a 12-11 Tiger lead.
“When you hit the first one, you can kind of tell if you’re feeling good,” Stevens says. “When the second one goes in, you have that mentality of ‘Okay, whenever I get open, I’m going to shoot it and I know it’s going in.’ It really allows you to have confidence when you see the first couple go in, and that’s what happened tonight.”
The Chargers used their trapping defense to turn the Tigers over in the 2nd quarter, outscoring Republic 14-7 to take a 25-19 lead into halftime. But the Tigers held Madison Prep to just four points in the 3rd quarter, closing to within 29-26 as the 4th quarter began.
In the final period, Madison Prep led by as many as six points, but a jumper by Caleb Singley cut the lead to 38-35 with 3:03 remaining. Madison Prep slowed the pace offensively, as both teams went 2 1/2 minutes without scoring. Republic forced a turnover and had a chance to tie with a three-pointer, but turned the ball right back over to Madison Prep, and the Chargers hit enough free throws to seal the win.
“I really think we had chances to win this game,” says coach Trevyor Fisher. “Yesterday, we did a good job of…sticking in it, and kind of pulled away.
“We had opportunities to win this game. That doesn’t take anything away from our effort and how we competed. I just think we left a few things out there on the table that could have put us over the hump. I’m still proud of our effort and how we represented ourselves.
Madison Prep was not as tall as Thursday’s opponent, Sierra Canyon, but they seemed to cause more problems inside for the Tigers because of their quickness.
“They do a good job defensively of pressuring you and switching screens, and anything around basket is so difficult to get because of their size and athleticism,” says Fisher. “It was a grind for us to get baskets. It was just one of those 50/50 games that came down to the end and we couldn’t get over the hump.”
Ty Stevens scored 16 points and Caleb Singley added 15 for the Tigers. Treydon Rackley scored four, Broc Smith had three, and Cameron Doke scored one before leaving the game with a wrist injury that will likely end his senior season. The injury happened when Doke went up to block a shot and came down on his wrist.
Madison Prep, the top team in Louisiana and #12 in the MaxPrep national computer rankings, improves to 16-2.
Republic falls to 11-4. The Tigers will play Kickapoo in the 7th place game Saturday at 2:30.
Find out how you can get $25 worth of free photos as a subscriber to Republic Tiger Sports magazine. Sign up now, before this offer runs out!
Crackerjack Shack Player of the Game
Ty Stevens not only led the Tiger offense in the 1st quarter — he was the Tiger offense. Stevens scored all 12 Republic points on four three-pointers, helping the Tigers build a 12-11 lead after one period. He finished with a team-high 16, and he was our Player of the Game.
Our Tiger Player of the Game Honor is sponsored by the Crackerjack Shack. When it comes to Screen Printing, Embroidery, and Promotional Products, they’ve got your back! Check out their website for sales and design ideas.
