Lyncoln Koester then connected from long range a minute into the fourth period. It put the Braves back on top. But Koester was then called for taunting and Alex Kremer made the two technical foul shots, knotting the game at 36-36.

The two teams traded scores over the next four minutes. A pair of foul shots by Brody Thoele kept the game tied, 40-40, at the 2:11 mark. Following a Mt. Zion turnover, T-Town had a chance to take the lead.

The Shoes had a pair of good looks in the final two minutes, but couldn’t connect. Koester drove the length of the floor and scored on a tough shot off the glass, to put the Braves ahead to stay, 42-40, with 1:27 to play. After another missed shot by the Shoes, Sam Driscoll pretty well secured the victory with a pair of foul shots with only 15 ticks left.

T-Town scored just six points in the final quarter and all six came from the line. The Shoes went 0-for-11 from the floor during that stretch.

“We missed a couple layups and had a couple great looks for threes,” Reeder noted. “I couldn’t believe some of those shots didn’t go in. Our offense put stress on their defense, but we just couldn’t finish it.”

While it was shooting down the stretch, it was turnovers early in the game that hurt the Shoes. They turned the ball over seven times in the first eight minutes.

“I don’t know what we were doing on offense in that first quarter,” Reeder admitted. “I don’t know if we were too hyped up or what. We didn’t take care of the ball and made some silly mistakes to start the game.”

Despite the miscues, a three-pointer from Gavin Addis and a bucket by Mick Niebrugge had the Shoes on top, 9-8. But two straight turnovers by T-Town resulted in a pair of scores that allowed Mt. Zion to take a 12-9 lead.

The Braves opened a six-point spread early in the second period, but back-to-back threes by Henry Thompson and Landyn Thoele, got the Shoes back even, 16-16.

But once again, the turnover bug struck. Mt. Zion took advantage of three straight turnovers. Koester hit a jumper and Connor Cuddy then scored five straight points, including a shot from long range, that made it 23-16. It was still a seven-point margin at halftime, 25-18.

A short jumper by JC Anderson just 22 seconds into the third period gave the Braves their largest lead of the game, 27-18. From that point on, however, T-Town went on a 16-6 scoring run.

Landyn Thoele grabbed an offensive rebound and scored, Niebrugge added a jumper and Landyn Thoele hit a long three from the top of the key to tie the game, 31-31. Another three right before the buzzer sounded by Thompson sent the Shoes into the final period with the one-point lead.

“Tonight’s game was frustrating, but also inspiring,” Reeder said. “It proved why I love these kids so much. It was ugly at times, but they kept finding ways to make winning plays. We just couldn’t find a way to make shots in the final minutes.

“These kids showed leadership, toughness and grit,” the veteran coach added. “They’re proving T-Town has a pretty darn good basketball program.”

Koester finished with a game-high 18 points to lead the Braves, who improved to 15-6.

Mt. Zion shot 38 percent overall, connecting on 18-of-47 shots. They were 2-for-11 from behind the arc and 7-for-8 at the free throw line.

Teutopolis didn’t have a player reach double figures. Kremer scored nine, Landyn Thoele had eight and Addis added seven. The Shoes made 13-of-36 shots from the floor, a 36 percent clip. They were 5-for-17 from three-point range and 9-for-14 at the stripe. They finished with 16 turnovers.

The Shoes are 15-7 for the season. They will return to action Friday, traveling to Breese Mater Dei.