The Lady Tigers went 0-for-9 from the floor in the fourth period and scored just three free throws.

“Even though we were behind, I liked our chances coming into the second half,” Thompson said. “We showed a couple new things in the second half and our defense was better.

“As we prepared for the game, I kept coming to the same conclusion,” Thompson added. “We knew they had a couple girls we had to keep in check. I told the girls that if we did that, good things were going to happen. Once we got through the rough stretch at the beginning, we did a much better job.”

And the opening four minutes of the game were exactly that – a rough stretch.

While the Lady Shoes were missing their four shots and turning the ball over three times, the Lady Tigers came out aggressive on both ends of the floor and shooting the ball well.

Gracie Nelson connected on a three from the corner and Macy Bicknell hit a jumper and turned in a three-point play, helping ignite a 12-0 run in the first 3½ minutes.

Jerzi Gaddis got T-Town on the scoreboard midway through the first period. It was still a 14-2 deficit when Ruholl hit two shots and Chloe Probst hit a three to get THS within 14-9.

A three-pointer by Paedyn Keys had Paris on top, 19-13, halfway through the second quarter, but Chloe Probst scored her team’s final seven points, including a long three right before the buzzer that got the Lady Shoes within 21-20 at intermission.

It was the second straight game Teutopolis started slowly. The Lady Shoes fell behind Newton 9-0 in the regional final.

“We need to stop falling behind early in the game,” Thompson said. “Paris came out and put it to us. They hit some shots, we missed some shots and they had us on our heels.

“But we settled down,” the veteran coach noted. “We hung tough and fought back, which is the mark of a good team.”

Anna Probst hit a shot from behind the arc to open the third quarter and give T-Town its first lead of the contest, 23-21. But Bicknell scored four points and Watson made a three-pointer, helping the Lady Tigers build the three-point margin when the third period came to a close.

Bicknell scored 14 points for the Lady Tigers, who finished their season at 24-8. They shot 34 percent overall, making 11-of-32 attempts. They were 3-for-6 from three-point range and 8-for-15 at the line.

Chloe Probst and Ruholl combined to score 31 points for the Lady Shoes, with Probst netting 18 and Ruholl adding 13.

Despite the slow start, THS made 15-of-35 shots, a 43 percent clip. They were 4-for-13 from long range and 10-for-14 from the free throw line. They also held a 25-16 rebounding advantage, with Helmink pulling down a game-high 10 boards.

The Lady Shoes, who are now 26-8, will play Mt. Carmel. The Lady Aces are 28-4 overall and riding a 13-game winning streak. They defeated Sullivan, 39-37, in the first game Tuesday night.

“We’re growing as a team and I hope we can keep growing,” Thompson said. “Next up is Mt. Carmel, who has a very good team. We’ll be prepared for them and do the best we can. It should be a good game.”