FLORENCE, Wis. — For the third consecutive season, the Florence Bobcats’ season came to a disappointing end in a WIAA regional championship game.

On Monday, the third-seeded Three Lakes Bluejays broke a 42-all tie with just over seven minutes to play and went on to upend the second-seeded Bobcats 59-49.

The defeat was made doubly painful for Florence, with the loss of junior starting guard Dominic DeMuri to a leg injury late in the first half. DeMuri lay on the court being treated for a several minutes and left using crutches with his right leg wrapped.

The Northern Lakes Conference foes, who had split during the regular season, played another tight ballgame on Monday.

The Bobcats (19-6) scored five straight points on a short jumper by sophomore William Kelley and a 3-pointer by classmate Logan Schuls to go up 19-16 with just over seven minutes to play in the opening half.

But the Bluejays (15-8) responded with seven straight on five points from senior center Sam Eppler and a hoop by senior wing Cole Melton.

Not to be outdone, Florence junior guard Evan Johnson recorded a three-point play off a drive and then added a jumper to lift the Bobcats to a 24-23 lead at the break.

The game seesawed in the second half with the Bobcats taking a 34-31 lead on a short jumper from Kelley. Three Lakes immediately answered with a pair 3-pointers from sophomore Jared Kaufman and Melton to go up 37-34 with 11:30 to play.

Schuls knocked down a triple with 7:20 left to tie the score at 42-all, but the Blue Jays went on a game-altering 9-0 run to take a 51-42 edge with 4:50 left. The Bobcats never got closer the rest of the game.

Unofficially, Johnson led the Bobcats with 16 points, while Kelley and Schuls chipped in with 10 each. In his final game for Florence, senior forward Patrick Milan added eight points.

Florence will bring back a talented and experienced team again next year, but faces the graduation losses of Milan, Tyler Novak and Cole Sweig.

Report compiled by Daily News sports writer Jerry DeRoche.