The Wayne High boys basketball team entered the postseason on an exciting note, closing out the regular season with a heart-stopping 46-44 win at Pierce.
With the game tied, Wayne played for the last shot and got a look from 3-point range by Payten Gamble. The shot missed, but Mason Lee got the rebound. He missed, but then tipped in his own miss as time ran out to give the 17-7 Blue Devils the victory.
Pierce got out to an early 8-3 lead before Wayne came back and took an 11-10 lead on two free throws by Jack Evetovich. Pierce regained the lead, but Evetovich scored in the closing seconds to give the Blue Devils a 13-12 advantage.
Wayne built its biggest lead of the night at eight points midway through the second on a 3-pointer by Gamble, but Pierce came back and goth within three by halftime, then scored the first points of the second half to make it a 27-26 game.
Will Anderson converted a three-point play in the third quarter to make it a five-point game, and after Pierce got the game back to three, Grayson McVBride hit a basket to make it 35-30 early in the fourth before Pierce rallied.
The Bluejays hit four free throws late to tie the game at 44-44, setting up Lee’s heroics at the end to give Wayne its second win over the Bluejays, thanks to a 61-47 win in the consolations of the Mid State Conference tournament earlier in the month.
Gamble scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Blue Devils in the win. Evetovich had nine points, McBride scored eight, Lee had four, Anderson put in three and Beau Bowers added a free throw.
Wayne will play either Madison or Norfolk Catholic in the semifinals of the C1-7 subdistrict on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Norfolk High School. A third meeting against Pierce could come in Thursday’s finals if Pierce defeats West Point-Beemer.
