Skaneateles — A chance for a championship sits right in front of the Skaneateles boys basketball team this winter.
For a Lakers side that went 15-6 a season ago, the best possible scenario has presented itself, not just because it returns a solid core of players, but because reigning two-time state Class B champion Westhill saw most of its lineup graduate, including standouts Jordan Roland and Tyler Reynolds.
Thus, a lot of excitement surrounds Skaneateles, and Tuesday night’s opener only added to it, with the Lakers hosting Class A contender Fulton and nearly squandering a double-digit lead before rallying at the end to top the Red Raiders 65-64.
Everything went right in the first quarter, Skaneateles roaring out to an 18-7 lead, and though Fulton got hot in the second period, the Lakers matched it enough to still carry a 35-27 advantage to the half.
Then the Red Raiders erased that cushion in the third quarter. Led by Cody Green (18 points), Tyler Lee (13 points) and Justin Hood (12 points), Fulton edged out in front, 49-48, by the end of the third quarter, no doubt helped by the Lakers missing seven of its first 12 free throws in the half.
During a tense, tight fourth quarter, both sides traded small leads, but Fulton was still up by a single point in the final minute. Then the Skaneateles defense made its biggest stop of the night, and it tore down to the other end, where Justin McClanahan was fouled with 17.6 seconds left.
Fulton took a time-out to try and ice McClanahan, but he made both foul shots, and then joined his Laker teammates to see Fulton drive toward a possible winning basket. When the shot rolled off the rim, Skaneateles had held on.
Pete Knupp finished with a game-high 20 points, with Jake Reed adding 19 points as each of them netted three 3-pointers. McClanahan’s clutch free throws gave him 16 points for the night as Sam Duggan earned six of his 10 points at the foul line.
The Lakers have quite a favorable schedule. Saturday’s visit to Jordan-Elbridge is the team’s only true road game until Jan. 7, at Marcellus. Before that, Skaneateles plays 10 games, eight of them at home, and two of them in the “More Than A Game” Tournament Dec. 28-29 at Onondaga Community College’s SRC Arena.
