The difference was evident from the beginning. Civic Memorial used its quickness on defense to create turnovers and on offense to either drive to the basket or to penetrate and then dish to open shooters on the perimeter.

After Mollie Ruholl made a three-pointer at the 2:49 mark of the opening period, the Lady Shoes owned a slim 10-8 lead. But they didn’t score again for nearly three minutes. And when they did, they were trailing by double digits.

Avery Huddleston started the run with a driving layup. She then converted a T-Town turnover into a three-pointer that put the Lady Eagles on top to stay. Gracie Miller connected on another three, Isabelle Edwards turned another turnover into a layup and Miller connected again from behind the arc.

At the end of the first period, the guests were on top, 21-10.

Just 19 seconds into the second quarter, it was Marley Ogden’s turn to drill a shot from long range. That capped the 16-0 run. Teutopolis was unable to get any closer than nine points the rest of the way.

“Once they realized we couldn’t guard them, they took off,” Thompson noted. “They were able to either get to the basket and score or kick it out for an open three. They’re a real good ball club that shoots the ball well. We did everything we could to contain them, but were outmatched speed-wise.”

The Lady Shoes were able to trim the gap to nine points three times in the second period. The final time came after a three-pointer from Anna Probst. That made it a 29-20 deficit midway through the quarter. But Civic Memorial hit two more shots from long range, helping them take a 39-25 advantage to the locker room at halftime.

In that first half, the Lady Eagles forced T-Town into 11 turnovers and shot 60 percent from the floor. That included a torrid 8-for-11 from behind the arc.

“The turnovers hurt,” Thompson admitted. “As soon as we caught the ball, we put our head down, put the ball on the floor and then burned our dribble. That’s when their quickness really showed. We had trouble getting anyone open to pass the ball to, and as a result, made some bad passes. They are very quick.”

The Lady Shoes did shoot the ball pretty well in the opening half. After two cold shooting games in a row, they connected on 10-of-22 shots (45 percent) in the first 16 minutes, which was encouraging. Unfortunately, that didn’t continue in the second half.

The lead fluctuated between 12 and 17 points in the third quarter. The Lady Shoes had opportunities to get closer. Civic Memorial’s shooting cooled off considerably, but THS couldn’t capitalize, making just 3-of-11 attempts and missing all three of their shots from behind the arc.

After Allie Truetzschler knocked down a three and Huddleston converted a turnover into a pair of free throws, the Lady Eagles owned a 17-point edge, 48-31. But Anna Probst hit a jumper and Malea Helmink made four free throws, getting the Lady Shoes to within 50-37 heading into the final eight minutes.

“I thought we did a better job shutting them down in the second half,” Thompson said. “But then we started missing shots, too. We had several missed opportunities. Against the really good teams, that just makes things more difficult.”

Civic Memorial was extremely patient on the offensive end in the fourth quarter, running off a considerable amount of time with each possession. And when they did get the ball, the Lady Shoes – once again – couldn’t convert. They went 0-for-6 from the field until Mollie Ruholl hit a short jumper with only 58 seconds to play. A pair of free throws by Chloe Probst were the only other points they scored in the period.

Huddleston scored 13 points to lead the Lady Eagles, who improved to 16-2. They shot 48 percent overall, connecting on 20-of-42 attempts. They were 9-for-18 from three-point range and 9-for-12 at the foul line.

Anna Probst and Mollie Ruholl both scored 12 points for the Lady Shoes.  The team shot 35 percent from the floor, making 14-of-40. They were 4-for-17 from long range and 9-for-11 at the free throw line. The Lady Shoes did hold a 24-17 rebounding advantage, with Chloe Probst and Helmink both pulling down seven. T-Town turned the ball over 18 times.

“Hopefully, this will be a learning experience for us,” Thompson said. “After our game with Flora, we’re going to face some really good teams in the Highland Tournament. We’ll regroup and come ready to play, no matter who our opponent is”

The Lady Shoes dipped to 15-4 on the season. They will play Thursday at Flora.