One memorable comeback by the Skaneateles boys basketball team in the Section III Class B playoffs was nearly followed by another, which, if successful, would have sent them to the Carrier Dome in search of the program’s first sectional title since 1993.
But General Brown absorbed that rally from the Lakers and, by a 71-65 margin, defeated Skaneateles in Saturday night’s sectional semifinal at SRC Arena.
Having narrowly escaped no. 10 seed Jordan-Elbridge 55-54 in Wednesday night’s sectional quarterfinal, the no. 2 seed Lakers hoped, most of all, to avoid that kind of stress against a General Brown side carrying the no. 3 seed and a 19-3 record into the semifinal.
Skaneateles knew that stopping the Lions meant trying to contain the senior duo of Kyle Nichols, who had earned more than 1,000 career points, and Carter Rosbrook, who had amassed 26 points and 13 rebounds in GB’s quarterfinal win over Sherburne-Earlville.
Rosbrook was the central figure early, limping off with an ankle sprain on the Lakers’ opening possession as, without him, Skaneateles jumped out in front 9-6, only to return late in the first quarter and net seven points on a 9-1 run, giving the Lions a lead it would not relinquish.
Led again by Rosbrook and Nichols, who had 22 first-half points between them, GB built a 29-16 advantage late in the second quarter and was in front, 31-22, at the break.
To rally like it did against Jordan-Elbridge, Skaneateles needed to do better on the boards after getting out-rebounded 23-11 in the first two periods, and it would do so, at least in the third quarter.
Increasing its defensive pressure to keep the ball away from Nichols and Rosbrook worked as Skaneateles went on a 10-0 run midway through the period Then it charged again until Nate Fouts’ jumper in the final seconds tied it, 45-45, the Lakers seemingly holding all of the momentum.
But once the fourth quarter started, GB regrouped, and not only got key baskets from Rosbrook and Nichols, but also Jake Heller, whose five straight points made it 57-50, turning the final minutes into a prolonged Lakers chase.
Amid a string of fouls on both ends, Skaneateles did cut the deficit to three, 68-65, on Fouts’ driving layup with 13.7 seconds left and used a final-timeout.
Moments later, Heller was fouled, and while he missed the second free throws, Rosbrook grabbed the rebound and passed it to Nichols, who converted both at the line with 8.9 seconds left to clinch it.
Fouts, in defeat, had 23 points to lead the Lakers. Jack Whirtley got 14 points, 12 of them in the second half, while Tommy Reed had 10 points, Keif Timmins nine points and seven rebounds, and Jack Canty eight points before fouling out.
For the Lions, Nichols notched 25 points, eight rebounds and three steals, with Rosbrook getting 19 points and 12 rebounds as Heller finished with 17 points.
Just to get here, J-E had required a last-second basket from Myles Town to knock off Solvay 53-51 in the previous round, a far cry from the Lakers’ easy 88-53 win over Adirondack.
Like those previous encounters with the Eagles, the Lakers’ primary task involved trying to contain J-E’s senior catalyst, Jeremiah Sparks, who had averaged 32 points per game this winter.
Yet it didn’t work, at least right away. Sparks led the Eagles to a 17-10 lead by the end of the first quarter, and it took him cooling off for the Lakers to climb its way back, pulling within one, 26-25, by halftime.
An active third quarter saw the Lakers inch into the lead despite more big production from Sparks, who would finish the night with 32 points, right on his average.
But the work he did took a toll, and with the Lakers containing Sparks in the fourth quarter, it took a string of Tyler Waldron free throws to keep the game in doubt until the final seconds.
Hanging on, the Lakers were led by Fouts, the sophomore producing 24 points, and though Reed was held to four points, Canty got 12 points and Timmins stepped up with 10 points as Whirtley added seven points.
General Brown ended things a round later, though, and earned a finals berth against top seed Lowville, who somehow rallied from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to stun defending champion Westhill 63-60 in the other semifinal.
