CENTRAL NEW YORK – Stuck near the .500 mark most of the season, the Skaneateles girls basketball team may have carried modest expectations into last Monday night’s game against Jordan-Elbridge.
If that was the case, the Lakers more than exceeded them, taking control with its defense early and then withstanding all of the Eagles’ attempts to catch up to gain a 49-40 victory.
Confident from playing J-E close in a 41-38 defeat in December, Skaneateles held the Eagles to just four points in the first quarter, went out in front and stayed there led by Allie Michel, who set a season mark with 18 points.
Bella Pietropaoli had 11 points, with Ayla Pas’cal and Claire Neumann getting seven points apiece. Skaneateles did a great job containing the potent J-E duo of Ava Hildebrant (10 points) and Abbie Ahern, whose nine points was just the second time this season she did not reach double figures. Makayla Penird’s 12 points paced the Eagles.
Skaneateles then offered quite a follow-up in last Wednesday’s game against Cazenovia, cranking up the defense to make Senior Night a winning one as it prevailed 38-20 in this latest Lakers clash.
Right from the outset, the Skaneateles defense made it miserable for Cazenovia, only allowing four points in the first period and two in the second quarter, the type of slump from which the visiting Lakers could not recover.
Fittingly, it was a senior, Pas’cal, leadng the modest attack thanks to her 12 points, while another senior, Bella Pietropaoli, got eight points and Neumann finished with seven points.
The win streak ended on Saturday, Skaneateles holding a 24-15 lead on Central Valley Academy but seeing the Thunder rally late to prevail 49-46, overcoming 14 points from Pas’cal, 12 points from Pietropoali and 10 points from Michel.
J-E, meanwhile, lost again against Phoenix last Wednesday, unable to hold a late lead in a 49-47 defeat to the Firebirds.
A 17-2 domination of the second quarter had the Eagles in front 30-19 at halftime. Phoenix regrouped, though, and a combination of strong 3-point shooting and defensive stops produced a closing 15-5 stretch.
Ahern stood out with 21 points, but Hildebrant was held to nine points, matching Erin LaVancha. Meanwhile, the Firebirds got 15 points apiece from Lyla Duskee and Sara Ruestch as Finley Harwood added 11 points.
After all this, J-E welcomed an easier game on Friday, routing Hannibal 66-22 as LaVancha equaled the opposition with 22 points, adding 12 rebounds. Hildebrant had 15 points and six steals, with Ahern one assist short of a triple-double thanks to her 12 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists and Penird earning 14 points.
Marcellus, who got a week to rest after a Jan. 19 win over Phoenix where Cece Powell reached 1,000 career points, were dominant in its return to action last Friday as it handled Cazenovia 59-21.
Just like she did in a Dec. 20 home win over Cazenovia, freshman Tenly Baker outscored the opposition, even if her 23 points didn’t quite match the 35 of the first meeting. Powell earned 15 points, while Gabby Voss had six points.
Solvay got close to the win column last Tuesday, but fell 44-37 to Hannibal, who outscored the Bearcats 22-10 in the second and third quarters to provide a cushion.
Despite a late comeback attempt, Solvay could not catch up. Ciara Togni finished with 14 points, while Neonna Turck had 10 points to go with seven steals, five assists and four rebounds. Shay’Eanna Turk added eight points and five rebounds.
The good work in this game would get rewarded two nights later when Solvay got its second victory of the season, rolling past Cincinnatus by a score of 45-21.
Over the course of the last three quarters, the Bearcats outscored the Lions 36-13, led by Neonna Turk, who got 19 points, 17 rebounds, eight steals, four blocks and five assists. Togni helped with eight points and eight rebounds as Annabelle Stewart contributed eight points and nine rebounds.
