Another shot from long range by Kremer gave Teutopolis its largest lead of the game, 50-28. After two free throws by Pruemer, it was a 21-point margin, 52-31, with 5:41 left.

Oak Lawn then began applying defensive pressure, forced four turnovers and cut into that lead. Montgomery, who led all scorers with 20 points, had 10 of those in the fourth period. Jack Dempsey also scored six points, helping the Spartans go on a 14-2 surge that cut the lead to just 10 points, 52-42, at the 3:59 mark.

“We have talked a lot about finishing,” Reeder said. “Finishing plays, finishing quarters, finishing games. We let it get away from us a little there in that fourth quarter. We’re losing a lot of 50-50 balls, which is disheartening. But that’s one of the things we just need to keep working on. And we will.”

But the Shoes then became very patient on offense. That patience paid off with baskets by Pruemer and Kremer to get the lead back to 14 points and secure the win with just a little over a minute to play.

T-Town had a good game offensively. The Shoes connected on 56 percent of their shots overall, making 20-of-36 attempts. They were 8-for-15 from three-point range and 8-for-9 from the foul stripe.

Kremer led three players in double figures. He finished with 12 points, while Gaddis scored 11 and Pruemer added 10.

“Alex was a real bright spot in this tournament,” Reeder said. “It’s hard for me to say just how proud I am of him. Earlier in the season, he just didn’t play aggressively and lost a lot of his varsity minutes. But he didn’t pout and he didn’t complain. He just decided he needed to get better. And you see what’s happened. He thrived in this tournament. He’s proven he belongs on the floor in varsity basketball games.”

The Shoes finished the tournament at 2-2 and are now 9-5 overall. They will return to action on January 2 with a home game against Monticello.

“I’m very happy with how we played in this tournament,” Reeder said. “To go 2-2 and beat a couple quality teams is something for our team to be proud of. We’ll be better because of playing in this tournament.”