Lexie Niebrugge poured in six three-pointers and the Teutopolis Lady Shoes had no problem Saturday afternoon, running away for a 58-13 victory at home over Meridian.

Niebrugge drained one three in both the first and second periods and then connected on four more in the third quarter, en route to a game-high 22-point performance.

The Lady Shoes raced to a 16-1 lead after the opening eight minutes and never looked back. It was 37-4 at intermission and 52-9 heading into the final quarter.

Niebrugge was 6-for-11 from long range and 8-for-13 overall. Kaitlyn Schumacher led the team with eight rebounds and four assists, while Emily Konkel had four steals.

THS improved to 6-2 overall. The Lady Shoes will return to Apollo Conference action this next week. They will play at home against Lincoln on Monday; at home against Mattoon on Thursday; and travel to Taylorville Saturday. The T-Town girls are 4-2 in league play.

By Steve Raymond

ET News Report

Laurie Thompson admits that her team is a work in progress.

“We go seven deep and only one of them has any real varsity experience,” the Teutopolis Lady Shoes coach said. “These are young kids and we’re taking baby steps. There is definitely a learning curve, but we’re coming along. Right now, you just have to take the good with the bad.”

It was mostly good Thursday night.

The Lady Shoes scored the first nine points of the game and never looked back. They unveiled a new defense, focused on running some set plays on offense and dominated throughout, finishing with a 59-21 victory at home over Taylorville in an Apollo Conference contest.

Lexie Niebrugge drilled a pair of three-pointers in the opening three minutes, helping THS race to an early 9-0 lead. It was 17-5 after the first eight minutes and never got any closer.

Zoe Cremens scored four points and Kaylee Niebrugge netted six, including a three near the end of the second period, to give the hosts a comfortable 31-9 advantage at intermission.

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By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Happy Birthday Jordan Hardiek.

Hardiek, who probably wishes he shot the ball this well every day, had an 18th birthday to remember.

The senior sharpshooter made 7-of-10 from behind the arc and poured in 23 points.

And that was just in the first half.

Hardiek finished with 26 points and helped the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes roll past Taylorville 77-44 Friday in an Apollo Conference game played at J.H. Griffin Gymnasium.

“That was a nice birthday present for him,” said THS coach Chet Reeder. “He was due. He has kind of been struggling lately, but he’s been taking really good shots. I knew this kind of night was coming because of the way he’s been working and because he’s taking good shots.”

Hardiek’s three-point barrage began less than three minutes into the game. He actually made four in a row – on four straight possessions. Before the first quarter was over, that deadly shooting helped the Shoes turn an early four-point deficit into a 21-13 lead after the opening eight minutes.

Hardiek kept it going in the second period, connecting on three more. Evan Wermert and Evan Addis got into the long-range act as well, draining shots from three-point land. By halftime, the Shoes had made 9-of-14 from behind the arc and led 40-22.

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Teutopolis outscored Marshall 28-18 in the second half Saturday and pulled away for a 56-40 non-conference road victory.

The Shoes were supposed to play at Mahomet-Seymour, but that game was cancelled due to COVID protocols and the contest with Marshall was able to be scheduled.

The game was tied 13-13 after the first eight minutes, but T-Town built a 28-22 lead by halftime. Evan Wermert and Jordan Hardiek both connected on a pair of three-pointers in the opening half, helping the Shoes open the six-point lead.

THS then outscored the Lions 13-9 in the third quarter and 15-9 in the final period to finish with the 16-point win.

The Shoes didn’t shoot well from the free throw line, making only 4-of-9 attempts, but made up for it from long range. Five different players combined to make 12 threes, with Evan Wermert making four and Evan Addis adding three more.

Wermert finished with a game-high 20 points and completed the double-double by pulling down 10 rebounds. He also dished out four assists. Addis added 11 points and Matthew Deters contributed six rebounds and four assists.

The Shoes improved to 4-2 overall. They are scheduled to play three times this week – Tuesday at Taylorville; Friday at home against Taylorville; and Saturday at home against Meridian. Tuesday’s game was supposed to be at Mattoon, but was cancelled due to COVID protocols.