Republic’s defense held Neosho to seven second-quarter points, turning a 15-15 tie into a double-digit lead that the Wildcats never seriously challenged the rest of the way. The Tigers beat Neosho 59-44 Tuesday at home, rebounding from last week’s one-point loss at Webb City to even their COC West record at 1-1.
The first quarter was a dogfight, with seven ties and four lead changes. Neither team was able to string together more than two baskets in a row. Kaiden Asberry and Oliver Martin combined for 12 of Neosho’s 15 first-quarter points, and the Wildcats led 15-13 before AJ Uhl tied it just before the buzzer.
The second quarter belonged to Republic. Keiran Govan attacked the basket and scored on four consecutive possessions — all inside — to fuel an 8-0 run that broke the game open at 25-17. Two Neosho timeouts did nothing to slow him down. Slater Howard stretched the lead to 30-19 with a three and another bucket, and Uhl added a basket before halftime. Republic outscored Neosho 17-7 in the period…