BCC led 21-9 just 42 seconds into the second period. Evan Addis connected on two 3-pointers, but the Shoes were still down 27-17 when the comeback began over the final 5:15 of the half.

Wermert nailed three in a row from behind the arc to start the 16-3 run. Luke Ungrund then hit a jumper, Jordan Hardiek added a free throw and Mitch Hardiek scored twice in the final minute to send the Shoes to the locker room with a 33-30 edge at intermission.

“Those baskets by Evan Addis were huge for us,” Reeder said. “He’s been struggling, but when he made those two shots, it sparked the whole team. They know how hard he’s been working. It gave us energy.”

Wermert was back at it in the third quarter, connecting on three more from long range. And Brock Deters started dominating inside. The 6’4” senior scored twice near the bucket and then stepped out and hit a three in the final seconds to give the Shoes a 56-49 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

“Our goal was to get the ball inside,” Reeder explained. “We thought our size and physicality would make a difference. Brock did it all tonight. He rebounded, played tough defense and scored. He also took three charges. I think everybody did something good tonight. It was a great team effort.”

The Saints, who made 11 threes in the game, kept the game close through much of the final quarter. JT Welch, Jadyn Ellison and Cole Davis all connected from long range. With three minutes to play, the game was still up for grabs, even though THS was on top 62-57.

But in the next 45 seconds, Ungrund, Brock Deters and Jordan Hardiek all scored to make it an 11-point spread, 68-57. And in the final 1:15, the Shoes connected on 9-of-10 free throws -- including four straight by both Wermert and Max Niebrugge -- to seal the victory.

“They (BCC) are a tough match-up,” Reeder said. “Every kid on the floor can shoot the ball, plus they’re good at getting the ball into the paint. Our goal was to protect the paint and not let them get in there. We made a few defensive adjustments at halftime and the kids responded. This was a quality win for us.”

Wermert had a great game, finishing with a double-double. He scored 26 points and had 10 rebounds. He connected on 7-of-9 shots from three-point range. Brock Deters added 14 points, with 10 of those coming in the second half. Mitch Hardiek also pulled down nine boards, helping T-Town to a 32-24 rebounding edge.

Despite the slow start, the Shoes ended up shooting 53 percent from the floor, connecting on 26-of-49 attempts. They were 10-of-22 from behind the arc and 15-of-25 from the free throw line. After making just 3-of-11 in the first half, THS made 12-of-14 from the line in the final two periods.

“Evan (Wermert) had a great game for us and everybody contributed in some way,” Reeder said. “But it’s the defensive end that gets us going. Our ball pressure on the guards gets our motor going. Plus, these guys enjoy being around each other. That’s why we can withstand a slow start like we had tonight. These guys believe in each other.”

The Shoes, who improved to 6-1 on the season, will play Tuesday night at Effingham and then compete Saturday in the Eureka Shootout.