HENRIETTA, N.Y. – With the Wayne boys basketball team leading Williamsville South by nine points at halftime of Saturday’s Class A Far West Regional, coach Bill Thomson delivered a few words of encouragement to Richie Miles.
“I told him to keep shooting and to trust himself,” Thomson said.
Miles listened.
The sophomore guard scored 13 of his 16 points in the third quarter – including 11 in the final 2:35 – as the Eagles held off several late charges by the Billies to secure a 69-61 victory at Rush-Henrietta High School and earn a second consecutive trip to the state semifinals.
“For good shooters, all it takes is one,” Miles said. “When I see one go down, I think that I am going to make two or three more.”
Which is exactly what happened with the Williamsville South defense surrounding Wayne standout Cam Blankenberg, who still managed to score 31 points, grab 10 rebounds and block 6 shots.
Miles’ corner three gave Wayne a 42-35 lead with 2:35 left in the third. He added two more in the final minute as the Eagles closed out the quarter with a 14-6 run to take a 51-41 advantage into the fourth quarter.
“When he gets hot, he gets hot,” Blankenberg said. “Aidan Twist is the same way. When he gets going, you can just feel it.”
Twist, who scored 19 points, did just that by scoring eight points in the fourth quarter.
Carter Lampke led the Billies (19-6) with 24 points and Noah Redd added 13. Wayne defeated Williamsville South 58-41 in 2024 regional.
Thomson scouted Williamsville South during its 60-48 victory over Lackawanna in the Section VI crossover game on Tuesday and expected the Billies to go toe-to-toe with his team.
“We were very well prepared that this could be a very physical game,” Thomson said. “We did a good job of finding everybody and trusting each other.”
Both teams struggled to find a rhythm during the first half, but Wayne eventually opened up a 33-24 lead at the break on the strength of 22 points by Blankenberg.
The junior scored eight in the first quarter before erupting for 14 in the second. He went on a personal 8-0 run over a 1:47 span that included a banked three from the top of the key, another 3 at the 1:15 mark and a transition dunk that made it 28-20 with just over a minute remaining.
“On the court he just has an incredible basketball IQ,” Thomson said. “He’s got a 6-6 frame with point-guard skills and ballhandling ability and he never waivers.
“He is basically our coach on the court, during timeouts and between quarters our coaching staff will ask him for insight on what we should be doing based on what he sees out on the floor.”
The Eagles move on to play defending state champion Glens Falls (Section II) at 3:15 p.m. Saturday at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton. Glens Falls (25-0) defeated Westhill-III, 66-49 on Saturday and has won 52 straight games. The Black Bears defeated Wayne, 50-37, for the 2024 state title.
The Eagles, who have four new starters this season, head to Binghamton on a seven-game winning streak.
“It means a lot,” Miles said. “We stuck with it and worked hard this season, and our hard work has paid off so far. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling.”
“It’s unbelievable to go back to the final four and have this opportunity,” added Blankenberg. “We finished the season strong, and we’re not done yet.”
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