Another Overtime, Another Sectional Championship For Teutopolis

BY DUSTIN WHITE

TOLONO — Another late heroic bucket. Another overtime. Another sectional championship for Teutopolis High School boys basketball. 

Alex Kremer got to the rim for a layup with mere seconds remaining in regulation at Friday’s Class 2A Tolono Unity Sectional championship, tying the score at 29 and forcing overtime against Warrensburg-Latham just three days after Gavin Addis made a similarly clutch shot at the buzzer to get the Wooden Shoes to overtime in a semifinal triumph over Monticello.

Just like the semifinals, T-town managed to get the job done in overtime as it dispatched Warrensburg-Latham 37-35 and advanced to Monday’s SIU-Carbondale Super-Sectional for the fourth straight year and the fifth time in seventh-year coach Chet Reeder’s tenure with Teutopolis.

Second-seeded T-town (24-10) never held a second-half lead until the overtime period but also never allowed the Cardinals to stretch their advantage past two possessions; Warrensburg’s six-point edge during the second quarter was the widest gap either team enjoyed in a game that was 12-10 in the Shoes’ favor after a quarter and then took an even lower-scoring, more physical turn from that point on.

Kremer had his best scoring output of the postseason, leading all players with 12 despite being limited to four free throws throughout the first three quarters. Henry Thompson buried a pair of first quarter triples and finished with eight, while Mick Niebrugge scored six and grabbed the biggest offensive rebound of the game late in overtime after a crucial 0-for-2 trip to the line for the Shoes.

Drew Hoene scored five, but his lone field goal was a monster game-tying three during overtime.

Both teams shot poorly from the line down the stretch and just in general; T-town was 11-for-31 from the field and hit just 48 percent of its 25 free throws, while the Cardinals hit 13 of 33 field goals and 8 of 16 foul shots. Both teams also defended relentlessly despite the turnover numbers being a respectable 10 to 12 in Warrensburg’s favor.

The third-seeded Cardinals (30-5) left Unity High School without their first sectional plaque since 2008. Brayden Hickey led Warrensburg with 10 points but also had a crucial call go against him when he attempted a dunk very late in regulation that would’ve put his Cardinals ahead by four and not only missed the attempt but also drew a basket interference call -- although not a technical foul -- as he hung on the rim with the ball still rolling around on the back iron.

It was a measure of revenge for Teutopolis after losing a home game with Warrensburg on Jan. 18 by a 47-40 final.

The Shoes will face a No. 1 seed in Belleville Althoff at the SIU-C Super-Sectional; the Crusaders were 56-44 winners over Breese Central to claim the Carterville Sectional. Tip-off Monday is slated for 6:30 p.m. in a game that will be heard on KJ Country 102.3.

Class 2A Tolono Unity Sectional

Championship

Overtime

TEUTOPOLIS (37)

Kremer 3-6 -- 12, Thompson 2-2 -- 8, Niebrugge 3-0 -- 6, Addis 0-0 -- 0, Hoene 1-2 -- 5, B. Thoele 1-0 -- 2, Kreke 1-0 -- 2, McWhorter 0-0 -- 0, L. Thoele 0-2 -- 2. TOTALS -- 11-for-31 FG, 12-for-25 FT.

WARRENSBURG-LATHAM (35)

Gardner 2-2 -- 6, Bonds 1-4 -- 6, Southern 1-0 -- 3, HIckey 5-0 -- 10, McKenzie 1-0 -- 2, Czajkowski 1-0 -- 3, Hardin 1-2 -- 5. TOTALS 12-for-33 FG, 8-for-16 FT.

Teutopolis             12    5    4    8    8    --    37

Warrensburg         10    9    6    4    6    --    35

3-Point FG -- Teutopolis 3-for-15 (Thompson 2, Hoene), Warrensburg-Latham 3-for-13 (Southern, Czajkowski, Hardin). Rebounds -- Teutopolis 21 (Hoene 5, L. Thoele 5), Warrensburg-Latham 17 (Bonds 5, Czajkowski 4). Turnovers -- Teutopolis 12, Warrensburg-Latham 10. Fouled Out -- Warrensburg-Latham 2 (Gardner, Bonds).