CENTRAL NEW YORK – Tough games, and a crowded schedule, marked the last week of the regular season for both the Cazenovia and Chittenango girls basketball teams.
In the Lakers’ case, it meant a trip to Westhill where it outscored the Warriors over the course of the last three quarters, but only after a nightmarish start led to a 56-39 defeat.
By the time Cazenovia put itself together in the second quarter, it trailed 27-3, and even the modest runs it made late in the game did little to threaten Westhill.
Carleigh Szalach had 12 points, with Katie Rajkowski getting eight points. Ella Baker and Hadley Schug had six points apiece as Westhill’s Katherine Dadey scored 25 points and surpassed 1,000 for her career late in the third quarter.
Another tough opponent, Homer, awaited on Wednesday night, and the Lakers again struggled in a 49-30 loss to the Trojans.
Homer’s quick 15-6 start would allow it to absorb a mid-game drought and then outscore Cazenovia 29-16 in the second half, Catherine Apker leading the Trojans as she poured in 21 points.
Szalach was contained most of the night, held to nine points, and the Lakers couldn’t quite make up for it, though Schug did finish with 12 points, all from hitting four 3-pointers.
To its credit, the Lakers would shake off those defeats and, on Thursday night, put up a fine all-around perfrmance against Mexico, rallying to defeat the Tigers 49-44 in overtime.
When Mexico outscored Cazenovia 13-5 in the third quarter, it took a 31-22 advantage, but the Lakers stormed back, hitting big shots down the stretch in a 17-8 push that forced OT.
Then Cazenovia won the extra period 10-5 as Szalach again was superb, finishing with 29 points. That included a trio of 3-pointers, which Schug matched for all of her nine points as Hannah Ruddy got seven points. Mexico lost despite 21 points from Anyssia Ingersoll.
Another close game followed on Saturday, and the Lakers were again triumphant, edging Phoenix 50-49 with another big comeback.
In this case, the Lakers trailed the Firebirds 36-29 after netting just five points in the third quarter, but it picked up its game on both ends and, with a closing 21-13 push, was able to pull it out and improve to 12-7.
Szalach put up 16 points, with Lily Clonan stepping up in a big way thanks to her 15 points as Rajkowski finished with eight points. Alaynna Dashnaw, with 14 points, paced Phoenix.
Chittenango faced Skaneateles last Tuesday, looking to avenge a 41-38 defeat to those other Lakers back in January – and did so, rallying late to prevail 42-36.
Held to just two points in the first quarter, the Bears moved within two, 18-16, by halftime, and then traded baskets until surging ahead in the fourtth quarter and closing with a 17-4 burst.
Megan Kingsley led the comeback, earning 10 points. Maryanna Garcia and Avery Salce had eight points apiece and Allison Soulier got six points as Skaneateles got 21 points from Ayla Pas’cal, but saw its top scorer, Maddy Ramsgard, held by the Bears to just two points.
Then Chittenango won again on Thursday, edging Class D power Hamilton 38-35 as it bolted out to a 15-7 first-quarter lead and spent the rest of the game hanging on, Alazayah Smith getting eight points as Kingsley added seven points and Brooke Soulier had six points.
