By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

The Central A&M Raiders are one of the strongest and most talented Class 1A basketball teams in the state.

And they have been for a couple years.

A&M has gone 55-13 the past two seasons, advancing to the super sectional two years ago and getting third place in the state last March.

This season, the Raiders are the favorites to bring home the state championship and have spent several weeks atop the 1A poll. Their only two losses came in the Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic (Champaign Centennial and Pleasant Plains), and it resulted in them falling to No. 3.

But two minutes into the second period Saturday, the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes owned an 11-point lead over A&M. The Shoes knocked down six 3-pointers in the first period and then got back-to-back scores from Matthew Deters and Mitch Hardiek to open a 26-15 advantage at the 6:01 mark of the second quarter.

But then things changed.

A&M’s first-team all-stater, Connor Heaton, scored seven straight points to begin an incredible 25-4 run that stretched into the third quarter and was the spark the Raiders needed to post an 80-64 win in the marquee game of the 8th annual St. Anthony Shootout.

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In a tune-up for Saturday’s big match-up with Central A&M, the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes turned in a strong performance Friday night, posting a 67-44 victory at St. Thomas More in Champaign.

The Shoes led throughout. They were up 17-11 after eight minutes and expanded the lead to 33-19 at halftime. It was a 47-33 advantage heading into the fourth period.

“We were able to get some great possessions in the first and third quarter that really separated us in this game,” THS coach Chet Reeder said. “We dominated the rebounding effort and our bench gave us some great minutes.”

Evan Wermert and Luke Ungrund led the scoring attack, pumping in 19 and 18 points respectively. Playing again without starters Jordan Hardiek and Brock Deters, the Shoes also got nine points from both Evan Addis and Mitch Hardiek. The Shoes also held a 33-14 rebounding advantage.

T-Town improved to 12-3 and will now face Central A&M at 5 p.m. today in the fifth game of the annual shootout. It will feature a talented Raiders team that is 10-2 on the season and ranked No. 3 in the Class 1 poll. The Shoes enter as the No. 8 team in the Class 2A rankings.

Talk about a fast start.

The Teutopolis Lady Shoes exploded in the first quarter Saturday afternoon.

Ciara Roepke made two 3-pointers and Lexie Niebrugge and Olivia Niemerg each made one from long range, helping the T-Town girls rack up 29 points in the first eight minutes, en route to a 62-39 decision at home over Mt. Carmel.

By halftime, the lead had ballooned to 40-18 and the Lady Shoes coasted from there.

Niebrugge finished with 21 points to lead three players in double figures. Niemerg scored 13 and Roepke added 10. THS was 8-for-12 from behind the arc. Niebrugge led the team with nine rebounds, while Karsyn Mette had six.

The Lady Shoes, now 14-4, will play Monday at Civic Memorial in Bethalto

The Teutopolis Lady Shoes jumped out to a 12-2 lead and then rolled to a 58-32 victory at home Thursday night over Danville.

Lexie Niebrugge hit a three-pointer and scored five points in the opening eight minutes, helping the Lady Shoes build the quick double-digit lead.

It was still a 10-point bulge, 23-13, at intermission. But the Lady Shoes put the game away in the third period, outscoring Danville 23-8 to expand the margin to 46-21. Niebrugge and Hope Buenker both scored seven points in the third quarter.

Niebrugge was the only T-Town player to reach double figures with 14 points. Olivia Niemerg and Buenker both scored nine, as 11 different players cracked the scoring column. Niemerg led the Lady Shoes with seven rebounds, while Niebrugge and Izzy Hardiek both pulled down six.

The Lady Shoes, who improved to 13-4 overall, will return to action Monday with a game at Civic Memorial in Bethalto.