Basketball

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

The words “Teutopolis” and “out-hustled” are rarely used in the same sentence.

But it would be difficult to describe Monday’s game with Paris any different.

And THS coach Laurie Thompson agreed.

“Paris is a very good team,” the THS coach said. “They were the ones getting their hands on the ball, getting the loose balls, getting the rebounds and just playing harder. We simply got out-hustled and I hope our girls learn from what happened today.”

Despite questionable effort at times and despite being ice cold shooting the ball, the Lady Shoes took undefeated Paris to overtime Monday afternoon before dropping a 44-35 decision in the championship game of the Charleston Girls Holiday Tournament.

Madyson Rigdon, one of two Paris players named to the all-tournament team, hit a 3-pointer 18 seconds into the overtime period to give the Lady Tigers the lead for good, 36-33. The Lady Shoes turned the ball over three times, missed all six of their shots in the extra session, managed just two free throws and went scoreless the final 2:43.

Karrington Krabel converted an offensive rebound into a basket, Rigdon knocked down a pair of free throws and Sarah Isaf, named tournament MVP, added two more free throws to put the game out of reach.

“I thought we panicked there at the end,” Thompson noted. “Plus, Paris has good ball-handlers and good shooters. You can’t just focus on one player when you play them. Like I said, we need to learn from this.”

Teutopolis outscored Sacred Heart Griffin 7-0 in overtime to come away with a 56-49 victory Saturday night and earn a berth in the championship game of the Charleston Girls Holiday Tournament.

The Lady Shoes, who trailed 39-32 entering the fourth quarter, rallied down the stretch to tie the game at 49-49 and force the extra session.

In the final four minutes, Lexie Niebrugge scored four points and Olivia Niemerg added three more, helping the Lady Shoes notch its fourth tournament win in two days and advance to the championship where they will face a Paris squad that is undefeated through 15 games this season.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

With 4:29 to play, it was starting to look like déjà vu.

About a month ago, the St. Anthony Bulldogs rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Teutopolis 56-50 in overtime and capture the championship of their own Thanksgiving Tournament.

Midway through the fourth quarter Friday afternoon, the game had a similar feel. The Bulldogs had trimmed a 10-point spread to just four and had two opportunities to get closer.

But this time, the Shoes responded in winning style. They went on a 12-3 scoring run in the final 2½ minutes to secure a 62-49 win in the latest version of the Cross Creek Rivalry, played this time at THS as part of the Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic.

“I was pleased with how the boys responded,” THS coach Chet Reeder said. “We expected them to make a run. St. Anthony is too good of a team not to. But this time, we did a better job managing that and playing through it. And then Evan Addis hit that huge three that kind of sealed it.”

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

When a team has more turnovers in a quarter than points, it’s generally not a good thing.

But such was the case Saturday night for the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes.

They turned the ball over 12 times in the third period, but scored just five points. That allowed Sacred Heart Griffin to expand its lead to double digits, en route to a 64-56 victory over the Shoes in the consolation championship game of the Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic.

T-Town trailed 35-30 at intermission and got within 35-32 when Luke Ungrund scored to open the third period. But then a rash of turnovers started to occur. At one point, the Shoes turned it over on five straight possessions.

Sacred Heart Griffin was able to take advantage and began expanding the margin. Noah Newton, Jake Hamilton and Kyle Ingram each scored after turnovers and the Cyclones owned a double-digit advantage, 46-34, at the 2:47 mark of the third quarter.

Heading into the final eight minutes, SHG was on top 48-37.

“We did have some silly, non-aggressive turnovers,” said THS coach Chet Reeder. “The ones where we just got the ball taken away from us were frustrating.

“Sacred Heart Griffin also plays good defense and it can really bother you,” Reeder added. “Between SHG and Chicago Brooks, we haven’t seen that type of speed and aggressiveness. But that’s why we play in this tournament and that’s why we play the schedule we do. We can have our flaws shown to us so we can get them corrected.”

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

The Teutopolis Lady Shoes were ice cold shooting the basketball.

So Coach Laurie Thompson gave her team a valuable piece of advice.

“Keep shooting.”

The Lady Shoes followed that advice and it worked. They went from frigid to red hot, blistering the nets at a 65 percent clip over the final three quarters Friday afternoon and pulled away for a 56-36 victory over Effingham in an opening round game of the Charleston Girls Holiday Tournament.

“We started 2-for-14 and the girls were starting to second guess themselves,” Thompson said. “I told them to stop that and to shoot the ball. Once we became a little more patient, we relaxed and the shots started falling.”

And falling often.

The Lady Hearts held a 9-2 lead late in the opening quarter. But EHS then went scoreless over a five-minute stretch – the same stretch T-Town started clicking on offense.