By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Republic basketball enjoyed another successful season in 2025.
The relatively inexperienced Tigers and first-year head coach Tori Mooneyham finished with an 18-10 record, falling to Kickapoo in the Class 6 District 5 semifinal round.
“Last year’s season started with some challenges with only returning one varsity player from the previous season,” Mooneyham said. “We had a slow start with a record of 0-5 but ended the season showing a tremendous amount of improvement and beating several top teams in the area.”
With only three losses to graduation, Mooneyham believes her team will be much better positioned for success heading into her second season at the helm.
“This year we return six players that received quality time last year,” Mooneyham said. “Several of these girls were young last year and I think we will see them take their ability to the next level this year. Being young last year and playing against the caliber of teams we played against should prepare these girls for another tough schedule.”
A trio of starters return to lead Republic this season in Awbree Berning, Cora Cutbirth and Josie Stalzer.
Berning, a 5-foot-9 all-conference senior, averaged 6.0 points 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season.
“Awbree brings experience to our team and does a great job of setting the example of what is expected,” Mooneyham said. “She is very disciplined and can play a variety of positions which will make her a hard match up for some.”
Cutbirth, a 5-foot-8 all-district junior, recorded 7.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
“What Cora lacks in size, she makes up with how hard she plays,” Mooneyham said. “Cora is extremely athletic and works extremely hard in the paint. She is an outstanding rebounder, and I look for her to be even more consistent with her scoring this year.”
Stalzer, a 5-foot-3 all-conference sophomore, averaged 4.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists during her freshman season.
“Josie got her fair share of experience stepping in last year as our starting point guard as a freshman,” Mooneyham said. “She is small in size but does an amazing job of taking care of the ball. Over the summer she has perfected her outside shot and should contribute more this year with her ability to score.”
Addie Brown, Paelyn Gilmore and Charlie Hagewood also return for the Tigers.
Brown, a 5-foot-11 senior, averaged 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season.
“Addie came off the bench last year and hit some big shots for us in some big games,” Mooneyham said. “She is a pure shooter who can catch fire any given night. She played in every game last year and we should see her role increase this year.”
Gilmore, a 5-foot-3 all-district junior, posted 9.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 2025.
“Paelyn joined us at semester last year and had a tremendous second half of the year,” Mooneyham said. “She can handle the ball, is an outside shooting threat, can take the ball to the basket and is our best defensive player. She proved last year she has the ability to make the big plays in big games.”
Hagewood, a 5-foot-4 junior, averaged 2.5 points and 1.1 rebounds per contest as a sophomore.
“Charlie came off the bench for us last year but is expected to have a bigger role this year,” Mooneyham said. “Charlie’s ability to score will be a nice addition to our returners giving us several offensive threats.”
Republic will also benefit from a host of varsity newcomers, including a quartet of talented sophomores in 5-foot-5 Jordin Quessenberry, 5-foot-4 Chloe Pullan, 5-foot-9 Kinley Kilburn and 5-foot-8 Libby Steele.
Mooneyham on Quessenberry: “Jordin is a guard who can shoot from the outside. She is a consistent player who adds depth to our outside shooting.”
Mooneyham on Pullan: “Chloe Pullan is a guard who can not only shoot the three-ball but can also guard. She is a great defensive player that will add depth to our quickness.”
Mooneyham on Kilburn: “Kinley Kilburn is a versatile player that can play in the paint but also has the ability to shoot from outside. She will give us depth in the paint but could also cause some matchup problems when playing on the perimeter.”
Mooneyham on Steele: “Libby Steele is another player that can play all positions. She will also be looked upon to give us depth in the paint.”
“The expectation for this year is to build on what we started last year,” Mooneyham said. “Being disciplined in everything we do will determine what level of success we reach. It is exciting going into this season with several players returning. Last year that was one of our biggest challenges. I think the girls are excited to pick up where we finished last year.”
Republic’s biggest strength heading into the season will be simply starting the season with experienced players, according to Mooneyham.
“We had some young kids last year that had to play some big roles and with those kids having a year of experience under their belt, we are hoping to be a step ahead of where we were last year at this time,” Mooneyham said. “Depth should also be a strength of ours. We have six key returners from last year. We also have four talented sophomores to join the mix that could all see varsity time.”
Following a Nov. 18 home jamboree, Republic opens its season Dec. 11 in the Stephanie Phillips Classic.
