Wooden Shoes to the Elite Eight

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Published on March 4 2022 9:56 pm
Last Updated on March 5 2022 9:48 am
Written by Greg Sapp

The Teutopolis Wooden Shoes have reached the Elite Eight in boys Class 2A basketball. 

An eyepopping offensive performance led the Wooden Shoes to a 56-35 win over the Mt. Carmel Golden Aces to capture the Flora 2A Sectional championship. The game was heard on KJ Country 102.3 and www.kjcountry.com.

The Shoes will play Nashville Monday night at 7:30pm at the Carbondale Super-Sectional at SIU Arena. We will broadcast the game. Nashville beat Breese Central 47-45 in overtime to win the Carterville Sectional.

Teutopolis shot better than 59% from the field, but it was the second half where the team shined. The Shoes made 14 of 17 shots from the field after intermission including six of seven threes. The Shoes finished 22 of 37 from the field for the contest including 12 of 17 on threes. That's 71% on three pointers.

It wasn't all defense, though. The Shoes held Mt. Carmel to 11 of 33 shooting, or 33%, including 1 of 3 on threes. Mt. Carmel made 12 of 20 foul shots, to 2 of four foul shots for Teutopolis. 

Teutopolis outrebounded Mt. Carmel 28-16 and turned the ball over 13 times to 12 for Mt. Carmel.

Max Niebrugge led Teutopolis with 15 points, making five threes. Brendan Niebrugge scored 14 points, making four threes. Dylan Pruemer was also in double figures with 10 points including two threes, and Joey Ruholl made a three pointer.

Meanwhile, James Niebrugge scored eight points on four of six shooting, Caleb Siemer added four points but blocked three shots and pulled down 11 rebounds, and Mitch Althoff scored two points but helped distribute the ball to others in position to score and grabbed five rebounds.

The second half was where Teutopolis put the game away. It was 11-8 Shoes after one quarter and they led 22-18 at halftime. Teutopolis outscored Mt. Carmel 34-17 in the second half, though, including 15-5 in the fourth quarter.

Blayne Sisson led the Golden Aces with 12 points, and Gage Kennard added 10 points.

Mt. Carmel ends their season with a 22-10 record.

Meanwhile, Teutopolis improved to 26-7 amd moves on to the Super-Sectional for the second time in Chet Reeder's tenure.