Class D1 state tournament: Trojans overcome Broncos 75-74 in yet another overtime battle

Michelle Bishop/Special to the Gazette Cambridge's Brian Ballou heads to the basket during Thursday's Class D-1 boys state basketball tournament game at Lincoln East high school. In the background is Wauneta-Palisade's Marc Klima. Ballou hit the game-deciding basket with 20 seconds left in overtime to give the Trojans a 75-74 win. Cambridge played Humphrey-St. Francis at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the semifinals.

LINCOLN -- The Cambridge Trojans outslugged Wauneta-Palisade 75-74 in overtime Thursday afternoon in the first round of the Nebraska Class D-1 boys state tournament.

Brian Ballou's basket with 20 seconds left and Brett Palmer's rebound of a Wauneta-Palisade miss as time expired in overtime gave the Trojans their second overtime win in a row against the Broncos after last week's 72-65 victory in the district final.

Fourth-ranked Cambridge (22-3) will play No. 6 St. Francis (21-3) in the 1:30 p.m. semifinal Friday at Pershing Center.

Cambridge led 50-40 early in the second half, but Wauneta-Palisade (20-4) rallied behind Andrew Isom and Trevor Ridlen to take the lead twice in the fourth quarter.

The Broncos had a chance to win with 2 seconds to go in regulation, but Taylor Dixon missed two free throws.

"I just told the kids, they're not going to ask you how you did it. The important thing is you're going to get to play tomorrow," said Cambridge coach Del Schoenfish.

"But I give them (the Broncos) all the credit in the world. We knew coming in they were going to be awfully tough. But that's basketball. This easily could have gone the other way."

Anthony Lytle led all scorers with 28 points for Cambridge.

Waid Vontz, the state's leading scorer at 26.8 points per game, scored 14 of his 21 points in the first quarter.

But the Trojans' star was poked in the eye early in the second quarter and hit just 3 of 10 shots from the field after that.

Isom scored 26 points before fouling out with 4:13 left in regulation. Ridlen scored 15 points, all in the second half.

Humphrey St.

Francis 51,

Bruning-

Davenport 32

Daniel Wegener scored nine of his 12 points in the second half as Humphrey St. Francis rolled to a 51-32 victory over Bruning-Davenport in the first round of the Class D1 boys state tournament on Thursday.

Nathan Bender added 11 points and Elliot Sjuts 10 for the defending champion Flyers (21-3).

The Humphrey St. Francis girls won a state title last week.

Kole Ficken led Bruning-Davenport (21-6) with 12 points.

Axtell 71,

Orchard 58

Eric Gustafson's 20 points led four Axtell players in double figures in the unbeaten Wildcats' 71-58 victory over Orchard in the first round of the Class D1 boys state tournament on Thursday night.

Eric Hinze and Brigham Becker scored 15 points apiece and Mitch Anderson had 13 for the Wildcats (25-0), seeded second in the tournament behind defending champion Humphrey St. Francis.

Preston Blackmore made three 3-pointers while scoring a game-high 24 points for the Orioles (19-6). Austin Twibell had 14 points and Tanner Schutt 10.

Leigh 46,

Shelby 45 OT

Zach Wendt made a field goal and Jake McMullin and Cole Fischer each hit two free throws in overtime to give Leigh a 46-45 victory over Shelby in the first round of the Class D1 boys state tournament on Thursday night.

Shelby erased a three-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 40 at the end of regulation.

Wendt had 10 of his 13 points after halftime and Fischer made three 3-pointers while scoring 12 points for Leigh (20-3).

Matt Gillespie had 14 points and Jordan Crook and Jessie Hablitzel 10 apiece for the Huskies (19-5).