Auburndale falls in tight sectional final battle to Saint Mary Catholic

APPLETON, Wis. (WSAW) - In a heartbreaking finish for Eagles fans, the Auburndale boys’ basketball team fell in the sectional final at the hands of one-seed Saint Mary Catholic 75-70 in Appleton Saturday.

The Eagles came out brilliantly, getting strong play from seniors Alex Willfahrt and Mason White Eagle. Auburndale led at halftime by three points, while leading most of the first period.

The second half continued to be a close ball game, but late the Zephyrs pulled in front. Despite a three with just over a minute to play by junior Caden Weinfurter, the Zephyrs were able to ice the game at the free throw line, winning by five.

It’s a crushing finish for Auburndale, but White Eagle is proud of what he and his fellow seniors built at the school.

“A loss inevitably...it hurts,” said White Eagle. “It hurts our team. It hurts our program a little bit to lose such a great group of guys that I’ve hung out with my entire life and I’ll never forget these memories we’ve built such a great bond here and I think that hopefully we can carry that down into our underclassmen and they’ll keep it going for us.”

The Eagles finish the season 24-4.

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