The next four minutes, however, allowed Mt. Vernon to build a double-digit lead.

Trevor McClure hit three free throws – two following a THS turnover. Cale Maurer scored after grabbing an offensive rebound, which hurt the Shoes throughout the game, and Marlin Price then made two more foul shots. That capped a 7-0 run and gave the Rams a 49-36 advantage with just 2:03 to play.

Alex Kremer hit two free throws and Henry Thompson drilled a long three-pointer to get T-Town within eight, but the Shoes were unable to get any closer.

Despite the difference is size and overall quickness, the Shoes were in the game the entire way. In fact, had they been able to keep the Rams away from the offensive glass, it might have been even closer.

After back-to-back scores by Kremer and Drew Hoene, Teutopolis had a 7-5 lead a little over three minutes into the contest. Unfortunately, it was their first and only lead of the game.

The Rams scored twice on offensive rebounds in the first quarter and four more times in the second period. That was the biggest reason they stayed on top during the first 16 minutes.

“Rebounding was No. 1 on our list tonight,” Reeder noted. “I thought our defense played well. We communicated well, switched very well and forced them into difficult shots.

“Our initial defense was really good,” the veteran coach added. “We just couldn’t finish. We gave up too many offensive rebounds. They had six in the first half and scored every time.”

T-Town’s ability to use a “back door” play helped keep them close in that opening half. It worked on five possessions, and each time, the Shoes scored on a layup.

“That was by design,” Reeder explained. “We thought we could use that to relieve some of their defensive pressure. And it worked. They didn’t pressure as much because they were afraid of our back door. But they made some defensive adjustments to take that away from us in the second half.”

A three-pointer by Landyn Thoele to open the second period got the Shoes to within 13-12. The lead fluctuated between two and five points most of the quarter. A putback by Niebrugge made it 21-18 at the three-minute mark. But a three-pointer by Brogan Holloway right before the buzzer, gave the Rams a 27-20 edge as the teams headed to the locker room at intermission.

Kremer scored the Shoes’ first six points of the second half to keep them within three, 29-26. A little later, Thompson hit a shot from long range to make it a slim two-point margin, 31-29, midway through the third period. But Mt. Vernon closed the quarter strong, outscoring T-Town 9-4, to carry a 40-33 edge into the final period.

The Rams, who improved to 13-5 for the season, had two players in double figures. Maurer scored 15 points and McClure added 10.

Kremer played a terrific game and led all scorers with 17 points.

“I’m really proud of Alex,” Reeder said. “He has stepped up in a big way. He is understanding now that we need him. He attacked the rim and looked for his shot. I thought he was tremendous tonight.”

Another good sign was T-Town’s overall shooting. After a three-game stretch of not shooting well at all, the Shoes have now turned that around the last two games. They connected on 50 percent of their shots against Mt. Vernon, making 16-of-32 attempts. They were 4-for-15 from behind the arc and 7-for-7 at the foul line.

“I thought we all got better tonight,” Reeder said. “There’s a value in playing these bigger schools. But it takes a buy-in from your team. We might get beat, but these types of games will help us in the long run.”

The Shoes are now 14-6