T-Town scored the final five points of the half and took a 25-21 advantage at intermission. The Lady Shoes opened the third quarter with five more points to complete the 10-0 run to give the hosts a 30-21 lead. St. Anthony got within 32-27, but Teutopolis then went on a 13-0 scoring spree to open an 18-point spread and take control.
Chloe Probst had 11 points in the quarter and Kelsey Niemerg came off the bench to score six more. Heading into the final eight minutes, the Lady Shoes were on top, 47-32.
“I thought we withstood their run in the first half pretty well,” Thompson said. “We didn’t panic, which is a good thing to see from a young team like we have. I thought we weathered that storm and got after it again.”
Turnovers played a key role in the contest. T-Town forced six in the first quarter, helping take that early lead. Then the Lady Shoes forced 11 more in the third period, a key factor in their 22-11 surge. Five of those turnovers were turned into baskets during that 13-0 run.
Heading into the final period, Teutopolis owned a 47-32 advantage. The lead fluctuated between 13 and 11 points the entire fourth quarter.
“Overall, I was excited about our effort,” Rios said. “We’re still trying to find discipline for four quarters. We haven’t got there yet. We turned the ball over way too much, but the girls never gave up. I really liked seeing that.”
Playing without leading scorer Nancy Ruholl for the third straight game, the Lady Bulldogs were led by Nuxoll’s 16 points. Vonderheide was also in double figures with 11 points and Adysen Rios added nine. Vonderheide turned in a double-double, also pulling down 10 rebounds. SAHS shot 43 percent overall, connecting on 19-of-44 attempts.
The Lady Shoes were led by Chloe Probst, who finished with 22 points, while Isabelle Zerrusen added 12. THS made 20-of-52 shots, a 38 percent clip. They also forced 25 turnovers.
“We’re just trying to get a little better each game,” Thompson said. “This is a fun bunch to be around and I appreciate how hard they’re working. We certainly have room to grow, but I see improvement.”
The Lady Bulldogs dropped to 8-3 on the season. They will return home Thursday to face Effingham.
The Lady Shoes are now 6-3. They will play at home again Thursday and face Newton.