Basketball

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Teutopolis made a terrific comeback in the game’s final seven minutes, but fell just short, dropping a 44-40 decision at home Tuesday night to a very good Casey-Westfield squad.

With 6:59 to play, the Warriors held a seemingly comfortable 37-26 advantage.

But Evan Wermert’s two free throws started a comeback. Wermert knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, plus added two more baskets to go along with a bucket from Brock Deters. That 14-6 scoring surge trimmed the lead to 43-40 with 59 seconds to play.

When Casey-Westfield’s Jackson Hills missed the front end of a bonus with 47 seconds to go, the Shoes had a chance to tie. They ran the clock down and got a good look for Jordan Hardiek from the corner. The shot looked to be on-line, but barely missed.

“The boys executed the play well,” THS coach Chet Reeder said. “We had a great shot to tie it. Sometimes, you just don’t make it; the ball doesn’t go in.”

Colin Branson made one foul shot with 1.8 seconds showing to secure the victory for the Warriors and improve them to 19-6 on the season.

The 8th annual Teutopolis Shootout is scheduled for Saturday.

There will be five games, beginning at 1 p.m.

The most intriguing matchup will be at 4 p.m. when two of the top Class 1 teams in the state will face each other.

The St. Anthony Bulldogs, who enter the week with a 22-3 record, will take on Central A&M, who many consider to be the best team in the state. The Raiders are 20-2 on the season, with their only losses coming to Pleasant Plains and Champaign Centennial in the Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic.

The final game of the day should also prove interesting. It will be a family affair. The Teutopolis Shoes, coached by Chet Reeder, will play Jerseyville, which is coached by his brother, Stote Reeder. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The other games will be:

1 p.m. – Mattoon vs. Terre Haute North Vigo

2:30 p.m. – Robinson vs. Centralia

5:30 p.m. – Effingham vs. Paxton-Buckley-Loda

The Teutopolis Lady Shoes’ final tune-up before the postseason was a successful one.

T-Town made its annual trip to Parkland College for its regular season finale with Bloomington Central Catholic and brought home a 45-26 victory Friday night.

The Lady Shoes led throughout and then secured the victory by outscoring the Lady Saints 8-0 in the fourth period to notch its 21st win of the season.

THS led 13-8 after the opening eight minutes and increased the margin to 27-19 at intermission. It was 37-26 entering the fourth quarter.

Olivia Niemerg turned in a strong performance for the Lady Shoes. The senior guard had 13 points and six rebounds, plus four steals and two assists. Karsyn Mette added eight points.

T-Town ended the regular season with a 21-8 record, while BCC dipped to 20-11.

The Lady Shoes will now compete in the Newton Class 2A Regional next week. Their first game will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday. They will face either Newton or Lawrenceville. The winner of that contest will play for the regional championship at 7 p.m. Thursday.

After a sluggish first quarter, the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes kicked it into high gear Saturday and rolled to a 56-36 win at home over Robinson.

The visiting Maroons led 16-15 after the first eight minutes. But then the Shoes took control. They outscored Robinson 16-2 in the second period to build a 31-18 advantage at intermission. It was 43-27 after three periods.

T-Town knocked down 11 three-pointers in the contest, with seven of those coming from Jordan Hardiek, who finished with a game-high 24 points. Evan Wermert also cracked double figures with 12 points.

The Shoes improved to 17-8 on the season. They will host Casey-Westfield on Tuesday and then play Jerseyville at 7 p.m. Saturday in the final game of the Teutopolis Shootout.

The Teutopolis eighth grade boys basketball team captured the Robinson Class 8-3A Regional championship Thursday night after defeating Lawrenceville 46-35. Tyler Pruemer scored 20 points for the Shoes, who improved to 22-3 on the season.

TJHS will now host the sectional. The Shoes will face either Tuscola or Shelbyville Wednesday night.