From there, the lead fluctuated between four and seven points. Niebrugge made three shots from behind the arc and scored 17 points in the final quarter and Konkel added seven more to keep the Lady Shoes close. Her final basket came with 46 seconds to play to make it 53-49.

But Pana’s free throw shooting was incredible. Anna Beyers was 8-for-10 and Chloe Ashcraft was even better. She was 6-for-6 from the line and scored 10 of her 22 points in the final period to help the Panthers stay on top and then clinch the victory.

“You have to give Pana a lot of credit,” THS coach Laurie Thompson said. “They went to the free throw line and knocked them down. That’s what good teams do.”

Courtney Gibson scored seven points in the opening period, including a three-pointer, as the Lady Shoes took an early lead. Her three put THS on top for the first time, 11-8. Summer Wall scored to end the first quarter and Niebrugge added a basket just 28 seconds in the second period, giving Teutopolis its biggest lead of the game, 17-12.

But that was the only shot the Lady Shoes hit in that quarter. They missed their final 10 shots. A pair of free throws by Gibson were the only other points they scored.

Pana responded by outscoring T-Town 14-4. A three by Alde put the Lady Panthers ahead to stay, 19-18. Ayda Coleman converted a turnover into a basket and then hit a shot from long range. A basket by Ashcraft sent the hosts to the locker room with a 26-19 advantage of halftime.

“We just weren’t as aggressive as we should have been in that first half,” Thompson  noted. “Pana has a nice team. I thought we kept them under control. But offensively, we just couldn’t get the ball in the hole.”

The shooting woes continued into the third period as well. Despite that, midway through, the Lady Shoes were only down five, 30-25. But Pana put together a surge to widen the gap. Ashcraft scored six points and Alde hit that buzzer-beating three, completing the 9-2 run and giving the Lady Panthers the 12-point cushion, 39-27, heading into the final period.

“I’m very proud of the girls,” Thompson said. “They kept playing hard and cut into that lead. Unfortunately, we missed some shots down the stretch that we should have made. Shots we needed to make.”

In addition to Ashcraft’s 22 points, Beyers finished with 17 and Coleman added 12. For the game, the Lady Panthers held a big advantage at the free throw line. They were 23-for-27, an impressive 85 percent, while T-Town ended 7-for-14.

Niebrugge turned in a terrific performance. She was 12-for-22 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, to finish with a game-high 29 points. Gibson had a double-double, scoring 11 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.

The Lady Shoes ended their season with a 25-6 record.

“These girls worked hard all year,” Thompson said. “They improved immensely and became a team. This is a very good group. They were very coachable.”

Thompson will now say goodbye to seven seniors – Courtney Gibson, Taylor Bueker, Joleen Deters, Katie Kremer, Emily Konkel, Kaylee Niebrugge and Estella Mette.