If the Waupaca boys’ basketball team was looking for a signature win over a state-ranked opponent, the Comets had an opportunity to do just that in front of their home fans.
Freedom, which handed Waupaca an 88-56 loss in December and was ranked second in Division 3 in the latest state poll, headed to Waupaca on Jan. 28 with a 10-0 mark in North Eastern Conference play and returned home with a 54-51 win.
Waupaca trailed by nine points in the first half but closed the gap to 26-23 at the break.
A pair of baskets from Donovan Davis and one from Kaden Vandenberg pushed Freedom’s lead back to nine points. Waupaca answered with a 13-2 run. Ethan Harms ended the run with a three-pointer that gave the Comets a 36-34 lead with just under 12 minutes remaining.
A three-point play from Harms with 3:53 to go broke a 42-42 tie, and a basket from Austin Adamczak with 3 1/2 minutes to play gave the Comets their largest lead, 47-42.
The lead didn’t last long, as Davis gave the Irish the lead for good with a three-point play to make it 49-47.
Lukas Soto’s basket with 1:44 tied the game at 49-49, but Waupaca never regained the lead.
Free throws turned out to be one of the big differences in the game, as the Irish connected on 17 of 19 attempts, while the Comets missed four of their seven shots.
Aaron Wolff scored 12 points for Waupaca in the first half and finished with a team-high 18 points.
Davis scored almost half of Freedom’s points, as he led all players with 26. Drew Kortz also finished in double figures for the Irish with 11.
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