Teutopolis thoroughly dominated Effingham on Friday night in an Effingham County matchup.
The Lady Shoes (22-3) never trailed in the game, winning 53-35.
Kaylee Niebrugge started the game with a layup and a midrange shot.
The Flaming Hearts (17-8) then got on the board when Ella Niebrugge knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:34 left in the frame.
Emily Konkel then responded with a floater with 1:12 left to make it 6-3 before a Madison Mapes 3-pointer tied the game at six with under one minute to go.
Niebrugge, though, had the last punch for Teutopolis, making a 3-pointer to make the score after the first.
“I thought we put ourselves in a good position there in the first quarter,” Effingham head coach Jeff Schafer said. “We had a couple of brain cramps at the end, and we should have gotten out of the first quarter with the lead, and we didn’t do it.”
The Lady Shoes would then grow their lead to seven points, 16-9, after a Mollie Ruholl 3-pointer with 3:04 left in the second quarter.
Summer Wall then hit a shot from the corner with 1:51 left that pushed the lead to seven points, 18-11, while Kaylee Niebrugge knocked down another 3-pointer that made it a 10-point game, 21-11.
Teutopolis went on to lead by 13 points at halftime, 25-12, before the Lady Shoes outscored the Hearts by six points, 28-22, in the second half.
Kaylee Niebrugge led the Lady Shoes with 21 points, seven rebounds, and two steals.
“She’s thinking offense,” Teutopolis head coach Laurie Thompson said. “She’s thinking score, and that’s a scorer’s mentality. That’s (Effingham’s) weakness is being able to guard her, but they did double-team her, which is good for us to have because then we had a couple of kids step up. Summer hit some big shots from that double team. Estella (Mette) hit some shots from that double-team.”
Konkel hit her shots, as well. She was second on the team with 10 points while adding four rebounds.
“Emily has stepped up,” Thompson said.
“Emily was a little shaky at the beginning of the game. We had a little talk with a couple of minutes left in the second quarter, and then she decided to come and play ball, and that’s what she can do.”
As for the rest of the team, Wall had six points, six rebounds, and one steal. Mette had five points and three rebounds. Courtney Gibson had four points on six rebounds and one steal.
Ruholl had four points, and Taylor Bueker had three points after hitting a 3-pointer that pleased the crowd.
“It was. All she’s wanted to do was hit a three,” Thompson said.