By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Chet Reeder was expecting a tough game.

Afterall, Mt. Zion had already cracked the 20-win plateau. He knew the Braves could score, rebound and defend.

“It was the kind of game I figured it would be,” the THS coach said. “I just didn’t expect us to get in as big a hole as we were.”

That “hole” was a 15-point deficit midway through the third quarter.

The Shoes battled hard and even trimmed the gap to four points late, but it wasn’t enough.

The talented Braves left J.H. Griffin Gymnasium with a 68-61 victory Tuesday night.

“We learned some things tonight,” Reeder noted. “If we’re going to beat good teams, we have to bring intensity, be relentless on the boards and be focused on defense. We need to bring those things every game.”

Read more ...

Less than two weeks ago, Civic Memorial staged a fourth-quarter comeback, rallying from nine points down, to post a victory over the Teutopolis Lady Shoes.

After three quarters Saturday afternoon, the Lady Eagles were positioned to do it again. They had already trimmed an 11-point halftime deficit to five.

But things were different this time around.

Kaylee Niebrugge scored eight points and the Lady Shoes converted 8-of-10 free throws in the fourth quarter, helping T-Town go on an 18-6 scoring run and post a 56-38 win over Civic Memorial.

That gave the Lady Shoes a 3-1 record and a fifth-place finish in the Scott Credit Union Girls Basketball Tournament in Highland.

Similar to the first meeting, THS was in control early. Emily Konkel knocked down a pair of three-pointers and scored 10 points, helping the Lady Shoes build a 20-11 lead after the opening eight minutes.

Niebrugge then scored six points and Courtney Gibson and Estella Mette both connected from long range in the second period. At intermission, Teutopolis had a double-digit advantage, 34-23.

Civic Memorial outscored T-Town 10-4 in the third quarter, but the Lady Shoes turned in a strong final eight minutes to secure the victory.

Niebrugge finished with a game-high 19 points, while Konkel added 16.

The Lady Shoes improved to 20-3 on the season. They will return to action Friday with a home game against Effingham.

The Teutopolis Wooden Shoes put together one of their best performances of the season Saturday afternoon.

“Our kids were awesome today,” is how THS coach Chet Reeder summed it up.

The Shoes were especially dominating in the second half, using a 30-13 scoring surge to pull away and post an impressive 60-35 victory at Prairie Central, ranked No. 2 in the AP Class 2A poll.

It was just the second loss for a Hawks team that is now 18-2.

Brendan Niebrugge poured in six three-pointers and Caleb Siemer turned in a double-double, helping the Shoes lead from start to finish.

The game was close in the first half. T-Town led 12-9 after the opening eight minutes. Brendan Niebrugge then connected on a pair of threes and scored 10 points in the second quarter and the Shoes took a 30-22 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Siemer, Garrett Gaddis and Brendan Niebrugge each knocked down a three in the third period, as THS outscored Prairie Central 17-9 to extend its advantage to 47-31 heading into the final quarter. The Shoes then used a 13-4 run to seal the victory.

Brendan Niebrugge finished with a game-high 22 points, while Siemer scored 13 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and handed out five assists. Joey Niebrugge was also strong on the boards, collecting 10 rebounds.

THS improved to 16-4 on the season. Things don’t get easier, either. The Shoes will return home and face Mt. Zion on Tuesday night. The Braves are 20-2.

The Teutopolis Lady Shoes built a double-digit lead and then hung on Thursday night to post a 48-46 victory over Highland in third round action of the Scott Credit Union Girls Basketball Tournament, which is played each year in Highland.

T-Town led throughout. Emily Konkel and Kaylee Niebrugge combined to score 23 points over the first three quarters, helping the Lady Shoes build a 40-30 lead.

But the Lady Bulldogs knocked down four three-pointers in the final eight minutes to stage a rally. Konkel scored six points and Niebrugge added a basket to help THS hang on and secure the victory.

Konkel finished with a game-high 19 points and Niebrugge added 12.

The Lady Shoes improved to 19-3 on the season. They will play in the fifth place game Saturday at 11:30 a.m.