“Their defense really stepped up at the end,” Reeder noted. “They are a very good team with mature, strong kids. They switched to a zone that we had never seen them play on film. We weren’t expecting that and it caused some problems.”

The two teams were tied, 29-29, heading into the fourth quarter. The Crusaders scored the first three points, but Gavin Addis knocked down a three-pointer to knot the score at 32-32. The Shoes got the ball back and had a chance to take the lead, but were unable to convert.

Zach Winkeler hit a shot from behind the arc for Althoff and Landyn Thoele followed with a pair of free throws to get T-Town within 35-34 with 4:49 on the clock.

The next 4½ minutes, however, belonged to the Crusaders. Three consecutive turnovers by the Shoes were all converted into baskets – the last two by Dierre Hill Jr. – to expand the margin to eight, 42-34, at the 3:02 mark. Then it was six straight free throws – the final two by Hill – that made it 48-34 with only 24 ticks remaining.

“When Gavin hit the shot to tie it, at that moment, I thought we were going to do this,” Reeder admitted. “But we didn’t capitalize on our opportunity and Althoff took its defense to a new level. I think our guys wore down to some degree.

“But other than making shots, I don’t think our kids could have done anything else or played any better,” Reeder said. “They followed the game plan and worked so hard. We just couldn’t make shots when we needed to. But we gave them everything they wanted.”

The Shoes got two baskets from Drew Hoene to take a 6-4 lead after the opening eight minutes. But back-to-back jumpers by Hill – including a three-pointer – put the Crusaders on top. They led by as many as seven points, 18-11, before the Shoes got two scores from Alex Kremer to close to within 20-15 at intermission.

“We switched to a lot of different defenses during the game, including one I haven’t played all year,” Reeder said. “The kids did an excellent executing the game plan. I think that kept them off-guard and was one of the keys to our success tonight.”

Kremer took over in the third quarter. He opened the scoring with a three-pointer. By the time the period was over, he had tallied 12 points, including a bucket that gave the Shoes a brief 25-24 lead. His final basket made it 29-29 as the two teams headed to the final eight minutes.

“Alex was tremendous,” Reeder said. “He had that look about him. I thought he was going to have a good night. I felt like we could lean on him and, boy, did he ever carry us. He showed that the moment was not too big for him.”

Hill, who has committed to play football at the University of Oregon, led all scorers with 21 points. Winkeler was also in double figures with 10.

“I was honest with our team,” Reeder said. “I told them Althoff was really good and had the capability of running away from anybody. But I also stressed they were not unbeatable and reminded our guys we were here for a reason, as well. I think they went out and proved that.”

Kremer finished with 19 points to lead the Shoes. As a team, they shot 41 percent overall, making 14-of-34 attempts. They were 3-for-14 from long range and 8-for-10 at the foul line. They held a 22-17 rebounding advantage and turned the ball over 14 times, with six of those coming in the fourth quarter.

T-Town finished its season with a 24-11 record and didn’t have a player average double figures in scoring.

“I’ve never seen a team win at this level without a player in double figures,” Reeder said. “We don’t have an all-stater. We might now even have an all-area player. But this team found a way. They leaned on each other; relied on each other.

“I have nothing but great things to say about this group,” the veteran coach added. “This team was built on toughness and a love for each other. These kids have been resilient all year. I’m proud to be their coach.”

Reeder will say goodbye to six seniors – Brody Thoele, Alex Kremer, Henry Thompson, Mick Niebrugge, Drew Hoene and Jake Bushur.

“That’s always really tough,” Reeder admitted. “I’ve grown a special bond with these guys. They truly enjoy being around each other.

“What I’m most proud of is their willingness to take honest feedback during the season,” Reeder added. “We made some changes after the Salem Tournament. We went with different lineups and different rotations, but the kids didn’t pout. Instead, they dug in, chose to work and excelled. That’s when we really took off. I’m so proud of them.”