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With Geiger’s versatility, he is able to find a way to score from both the perimeter and the paint. Geiger led all players with 20 points in the game. His size and athleticism provides an advantage when facing smaller defenders, such as the ones he faced tonight. Geiger utilized his skill early in the game to assist his team in building an early lead.
“We came out to start the game attacking and we did a good job taking care of the ball and not turning it over,” said Republic head coach Trevyor Fisher.
A key to Republic’s offensive success was patience with the ball. The Tigers were consistently making the extra pass to a teammate cutting to the basket or spotting up on the perimeter. The majority of Republic’s points came from dominating the interior of the Central defense. The size advantage the Tigers held proved pivotal, as they were able to control the action in the paint both offensively and defensively.
As the game pressed on into the second quarter, Republic continued executing its pre-game strategy. The Tigers were continual in growing their lead by way of their transition offense. Their ability to force turnovers and bad shots resulted in easy, rarely contested lay ups for many of the players. Republic once again outscored Central in the second quarter, 18-12, to take hold of an 18-point halftime lead.
Central took a page from Republic’s playbook during the third quarter. The Bulldogs began the quarter on an 11-2 run. The team’s offense was clicking on all cylinders because of players like senior Landon Shelton, junior Quatrevius Robinson, and sophomore D’Angelo Bedell generating quality possessions and grabbing offensive rebounds to allow second chance opportunities. The run resulted in Republic grasping on to only a nine-point lead with just a few minutes remaining in the third period.
Unable to finish the quarter however, Central let the lead they had cut into slip away. Republic finished the third on an 8-0 run to extend the lead back to 17 heading into the final quarter of play.
“We have got some senior leaders who have been through that before and the difference for us was getting quality shots and stops on defense,” said Fisher.
Republic was able to close out the fourth quarter with the same style of offense and defense performed in the first half. The Tigers outscored Central 16-12 in the period to seal the 21-point victory.
Central will next face Rock Bridge after a week of rest. Republic looks to continue its recent success as they next take the court against Webb City.
Republic Scoring: Cody Geiger 20, Marcus Miller 12, Canyon Smith 9, Ty Abney 8, Grant Hancock 5, Dylan Bekemeier 4, Brock Yocum 3
Central Scoring: Quatrevius Robinson 13, D’Angelo Bedell 12, Landon Shelton 11, Isaiah Holyfield 2, Tavion Neal 2
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