Teutopolis upsets top-ranked Tolono (Unity) to advance to sectional championship game against St. Joseph-Ogden

Feb. 29—SHELBYVILLE, Ill. — The fans chanted it loud and clear.

"We want Austin."

They got just that.

Teutopolis senior forward Austin Bloemer had his breakout game in the most important contest of the year for the Wooden Shoes on Wednesday night, as they defeated top-ranked Tolono (Unity), 48-39, in a sectional semifinal of the Class 2A Shelbyville Sectional at Shelbyville High School. He scored 10 points.

"I knew they didn't have many big players, so if I got it in the post, I had to take it to them, and it worked out," Bloemer said.

"I'm so darn proud of him," T-Town head coach Chet Reeder added. "He's just persevered and continued to work. He didn't play in junior high, he was behind a lot of really good teams, and he was not developed yet, but he kept sticking with it, and he loved being around these guys."

Reeder noted senior Mitch Koester as a reason for the performance.

The point guard not only calls the show on the court; he also lifts everyone up with his attitude.

"Mitch makes it light, and they feed off that," Reeder said. "They all take that on. This doesn't bother them. Mitch is the driving force on that."

The Shoes led 10-8 after the first quarter, 21-17 at halftime, and 33-27 at the end of the third. T-Town was outscored 15-12 in the fourth.

Shoes junior guard Alex Kremer started the game with a layup after Koester forced a turnover. Senior guard Garrett Gaddis then drew a three-point play but missed the foul shot, making it 4-0.

Andrew Thomas then answered for the Rockets with a 3-pointer to make it 4-3 with 4:13 left.

Gaddis responded with a layup.

Unity senior guard Jay Saunders then converted a three-point play to tie the game.

Shoes junior guard Drew Hoene then rebounded a shot and made a layup with 2:09 remaining. Rockets sophomore guard Brayden Henry made a layup to tie the game once again before T-Town senior forward Joey Niebrugge made a layup with 1:31 left to make the score after one.

Kremer hit a floater to start the second frame.

Senior forward Tyler Pruemer then made a floater and hit a free throw to make it 15-11.

Unity sophomore Dane Eisenmenger hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to one with 5:25 left.

Bloemer then hit a hook shot to make it a two-point game, 17-15, with 3:20 left. He later hit a layup to make it a 19-17 game with 1:41 to go.

Niebrugge then made a pair of free throws with 33.7 seconds left to make the halftime tally.

Niebrugge joined Bloemer with 10 points. Pruemer added eight, while Gaddis had six, Koester had five, Hoene had two, and Zac Niebrugge had one.

Kremer also finished with six points.

"Alex did a great job of cutting off drives and getting in the lane to get a layup," Reeder said. "He was really good at filling his role tonight."

The Rockets defeated the Shoes by eight points, 60-52, in December.

Koester said this win meant everything.

"It means everything. We've been doubted our whole careers, but we've stayed together," he said. "One game at a time, right now."

Reeder added that he changed up the offense knowing that Unity loves to create most of its points off chaos.

"We tried to run our offense a little higher to get them to extend and open up the paint," Reeder said. "I thought that helped us a little bit."

T-Town and St. Joseph-Ogden play for the sectional championship on Friday at 7 p.m. at Shelbyville High School. The winner advances to the Class 2A Carbondale Super-Sectionals at the Banterra Center on the campus of Southern Illinois University against either Breese (Central) or Benton.

Contact EDN Sports Editor Alex Wallner at 618-510-9231 or alex.wallner@effinghamdailynews.com.