Coach Laurie Thompson was expecting two tough games against Highland and Carterville and that’s what she and the Teutopolis Lady Shoes got.

The T-Town girls faced both teams Saturday and split the two games as part of the 19th annual Lady Wildcat Thanksgiving Tournament in Salem.

The Lady Shoes posted a 40-36 win over Highland in the first game Saturday, but dropped a 44-40 decision to Carterville in the last game of the day.

Both games were close.

Against Highland, THS led at every stop – 12-9 after the first period; 23-18 at halftime; and 31-27 after three quarters. Olivia Niemerg and Kaitlyn Schumacher combined to hit 6-of-8 free throws in the final eight minutes to help the Lady Shoes maintain their lead.

Niemerg paced T-Town with 16 points, while Schumacher scored eight and Karsyn Mette added seven. Schumacher led the team with 10 rebounds, while Mette pulled down nine.

The Lady Shoes held a 14-11 lead after eight minutes against Carterville, but trailed 21-20 at halftime and 33-26 heading into the final period. Ciara Roepke pumped in nine points in the fourth quarter to help Teutopolis stay within striking distance.

Roepke finished with a team-high 15 points, while Niemerg added 11, with 10 of those coming in the opening period. Schumacher had seven rebounds.

The Lady Shoes, now 3-1 on the season, will play Tuesday at St. Thomas Moore in Champaign. They will play their final game at the Salem tournament at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against Centralia.