The Teutopolis Wooden Shoes featured a balanced scoring attack, placing four players in double figures, en route to a convincing 73-41 victory Saturday afternoon at Robinson.

After a close first quarter, the Shoes went to work, building a double-digit lead by halftime and then rolling to their 19^th win of the season.

Robinson’s Cooper Loll knocked down three shots from long range and scored 11 points in the first eight minutes, helping the host Maroons stay within 19-15. But after that, it was all Shoes.

Joey Niebrugge score six points and Brendan Niebrugge had two of his four first-half threes in the second period, as the Shoes outscored Robinson 18-9 to open a 37-24 margin at intermission.

T-Town didn’t let up in the second half. Caleb Siemer netted 11 points in the third quarter, helping the Shoes build a 21-point advantage, 56-31. Then they outscored Robinson 17-6 in the final eight minutes to secure the victory.

Siemer led the way with a game-high 21 points. And the three Niebrugge boys were also in double figures – Brendan with 18, James with 12 and Joey with 10.

THS improved to 19-7 on the season. The Shoes will play Tuesday at Casey-Westfield.

Bloomington Central Catholic built a double-digit lead by halftime and went on to post a 48-37 victory Friday night over Teutopolis.

The game was played at Parkland College in Champaign.

Kaylee Niebrugge scored eight points in the first quarter for the Lady Shoes, but BCC still held a 14-10 edge. Lauren Emm then scored eight points and Elyssa Stenger added six more, as the Lady Saints expanded their advantage to 30-20 at intermission.

It was a 38-29 BCC lead after three quarters.

Niebrugge finished with 12 points to lead T-Town.

The Lady Shoes dipped to 23-4 on the season. They will play their regular season finale Monday night at Neoga.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Chet Reeder was expecting something different.

“Cody is a good coach and never does the same thing twice in a row,” the THS coach said. “I knew something different was coming. I just didn’t know what it would be.”

Something different was a very slow-paced game. It wasn’t exactly a full-blown stall, but St. Anthony did run anywhere from 90 seconds to two minutes off the clock during most possessions.

That game plan kept the Bulldogs close most of the game.

But the Shoes were able to build a bit of a lead in the second half and then converted 11-of-13 free throws in the fourth quarter to come away with a 49-38 victory Friday night in front of a packed house at J.H. Griffin Gymnasium.

“We were playing a really good team on their home court; a bigger, faster, stronger opponent,” St. Anthony coach Cody Rincker explained. “We hoped to frustrate them; unsettle them. But they continued to play solid defense and didn’t rush things on offense. They stayed disciplined.”

It was apparent from the very first possession what St. Anthony’s game plan was. The Bulldogs ran off 91 seconds on that initial possession and nearly 60 seconds on their next. Collin Westendorf scored on both possessions, giving Rincker and the Bulldogs exactly what they wanted in this annual “Cross Creek” rivalry game – an early lead.

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By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Effort.

Coaches – regardless of the sport – talk about that a lot.

And it’s what Chet Reeder talked about at halftime Tuesday night.

“We just didn’t have the effort in that first half,” Reeder said. “Quite frankly, our effort was unacceptable. That’s the message that was conveyed at halftime.”

The Shoes not only heard that message, they took it to heart. They responded with what Reeder said was him team’s best 16 minutes of basketball this season.

T-Town hit 9 of its first 10 shots, forced four turnovers and quickly erased a five-point deficit.

When those 16 minutes were up, the Shoes had outscored Newton 37-12 and posted a 69-49 victory at J.H. Griffin Gymnasium.

“This program has always been defined by good defensive pressure,” Reeder explained. “We didn’t get that in the first half. We gave up 28 points in the paint and 12 transition points. If they want to be a great team, they need to act like it. Great teams don’t defend like that.”

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