Inside and outside the OHSL Liberty division where it sits on top, the Skaneateles boys basketball team did not find too much resistance in advance of a big showdown this Wednesday against defending state Class B champion Westhill.
Up against South Jefferson last Tuesday night in a non-league encounter, the Lakers used big scoring spurts to put away the Spartans in a 70-43 decision.
Skaneateles set a fast pace in the first quarter, jumping to a 24-11 lead, and continued to shut down South Jefferson on the defensive side as the lead grew to 41-19 by halftime.
Pat Roberts finished with 17 points. Jimmy Atkinson’s recent surge continued as he put up 13 points, including three 3-pointers, while Paul O’Donnell earned 11 points. Kevin Rice had nine points, with Justin Sisson (eight points) and Brandon Barron (six points) close behind.
Still at home Friday, Skaneateles took on Cazenovia and, while it didn’t prove that easy, it still produced a comfortable 64-53 victory over that other group of Lakers.
Both sides started slow, but Skaneateles made its big move in the second period, outscoring Cazenovia 22-14 to build a 32-22 halftime edge, and the visitors never got close again.
Rice roared back to the forefront, his 22 points including a pair of 3-pointers as O’Donnell, with 21 points, also stood out. Roberts finished with 10 points as Travis Mimms and Tanner Whiteman led Cazenovia with 12 points apiece.
Skaneateles goes into the Westhill rematch at 12-1. The Lakers crushed the Warriors 75-49 in their first meeting Dec. 17, but since then Westhill has reeled off eight straight league wins and nine out of 10 overall to lurk right behind the Lakers in the OHSL Liberty division standings. And the Warriors will be at home, which adds to the Lakers’ challenge.
