LINCOLN — Wayne High coach Rob Sweetland’s one major concern heading into Tuesday’s first-round game was making sure the team got off to a good start.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
The Blue Devils scored one basket and hit two free throws in the opening period and played catchup the rest of the afternoon as Kearney Catholic edged Wayne 47-40 in the opening round of the Class C-1 Boys State Basketball Championships at the Devaney Center.
The Blue Devils’ defense did a great job frustrating the taller Stars lineup in the early going, breaking the ice a little more than two minutes in when Sedjro Agoumba stole a pass and drove in for a quick 2-0 lead.
And while Wayne’s defense was able to contain the Stars attack and limit them to seven first-quarter points, Wayne wouldn’t score again until Carter Junck hit two free throws in the final minute to make it a 7-4 game.
“I thought we established getting the ball inside and were getting some opportunities, but we missed a few shots inside,” Sweetland said. “But you can tell they’re a great defensive team. They give up 38 points a game and it was hard to get that against them today.”
Wayne was able to grind their way to a lead midway through the second period. Tanner Walling and Aogoumba scored back-to-back baskets, and after a Stars 3-pointer, Wayne tied the game at 12-12 with 5:47 to go in the half on baskets by Daniel Judd and Agoumba.
Alex Phelps connected on a three-point play to give Wayne a 15-14 lead, and Walling followed with a basket to make it 17-15 before the Stars closed the half with six points to lead 21-17 at intermission.
Even though they trailed at the break, Sweetland said he felt his team could come back and beat the Stars for the second time in as many state tournaments.
“I said we beat them last year and they might have had some doubts in their minds coming in, and let’s put that doubt back in their head the second half,” he said. “We were within four at the half and that doubt might have been creeping up, but those first four minutes they came out and hit a three right away and we didn’t have an answer for it.”
The Stars came out in the second half and extended their lead to 11 points, and the Blue Devils couldn’t keep up until late in the game, limited to an early Walling basket and two free throws later in the period.
“They were getting away with moving under us quite a bit and it was hard to finish some of those shots with their height and physicality,” Sweetland said. “It’s not like we weren’t capable of doing it. It just didn’t happen.”
The Stars built their lead to 14 points when Wayne tried to make one final run. Back-to-back hoops by Brandon Bartos made it 35-25 with 5:30 to go, but the Stars got Judd to foul out with 4:14 to go and rebuilt the lead to 13. Phelps hit a 3-pointer and made a basket after a backcourt steal, and Bartos later added a trey to make it 44-37 with :36.7 left, but Wayne could get no closer as their 24-4 season came to an end.
Sweetland said that, in spite of the disappointing end to the season, he was proud of the team’s effort.
“I’m proud of these kids today,” he said. “They fought hard, and it was a battle out there.”
Walling led Wayne with 12 points while Phelps added 10 and Bartos put in nine. Agoumba scored four, Junck had three and Judd put in two.
It was the final game for Wayne’s four seniors, including Waling, Bartos, Yair Alcantara and Camron Weaselhead, a group that Sweetland said has a lot to be proud of, including Wayne’s first run of three consecutive trips to state since 1958-1960.
“These kids have a lot to be proud of,” Sweetland said of the foursome. “Three trips to state and three straight conference titles, they have a lot of feathers in their cap and a lot of good memories to look back on. Not too many teams make it to state once, let alone three times. They’re obviously disappointed, but they’re going to be able to look back on this and be proud of what they did.”
And with Wayne’s returning talent coming back next year, the chance to go to four in a row for the first time since a five-year run from 1919-1923 isn’t out of the question.
“We’ve got those big guys (Judd and Agoumba) and Alex got more confident as the year went on. We’ll need to get back in the gym and our younger guys will have to get stronger and step up, because it’s their turn,” he said. “It’ll be exciting to bring those guys back next year and hopefully we’ll work hard to get back here next year.”
