By PAUL GOTHAM
VICTOR, N.Y. — Despite struggling with foul trouble, the reigning champion Wayne Eagles used a 16-4 run to close the game, and advance to the Section V Class A2 championship with a 36-25 victory over the Honeoye Falls-Lima Cougars, Wednesday night.
Trailing by one midway through the third quarter, Wayne scored five straight to take a lead it did not surrender.
Logan Blankenberg converted one of two free throws to knot the game at 21. On the next possession, Blankenberg fed teammate Braeden Zenelovic for a bucket and a lead the Eagles did not surrender. Jaiden Burlee grabbed a Billy Thomson pass and scored to make a 25-21 game going into the fourth quarter.
But Blankenberg picked up his fourth foul of the game with 3:09 remaining in the third and went to bench shorty thereafter. Nick Carmichael was assessed his fourth infraction less than two minutes into the fourth. The pair played the final 6:07 with four fouls apiece.
Zenelovic finished with 11 points. Blankenberg and Carmichael added 10 apiece. Jaiden Burlee and Billy Thomson both scored two points for Wayne (19-3).
Dan Hayes led HF-L (15-8) with 10 points. Owen VanNewkirk scored five. Jack Eastman and Tyler Selke had three apiece, and Garrett Ruff scored two points for the Cougars.
Wayne advances to play the NE Douglass Panthers in Saturday’s final. Wayne defeated Wilson Magnet, 50-43 to claim the program’s first sectional title a year ago.
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