Even the Cazenovia girls basketball team’s surprising win over Jordan-Elbridge on Feb. 2 could not jolt them into a belated run to reach the post-season.
The Lakers’ hopes took a major hit Tuesday night, when it hosted Hannibal at Buckley Gym and could not overcome a first-half drought, falling to the Warriors 47-42.
All through those first two periods, Cazenovia struggled to find baskets. It allowed Hannibal to race out to a 24-13 advantage, and though the Lakers perked up in the second half, it could not make up all the ground.
Caroline Franz, with 14 points, and Kristie Kleine, with 13 points, led that late push, while Maggie Carpenter added six points. Hannibal’s Allie Taylor led both sides with 18 points.
So Cazenovia finished its first season under head coach Paul Belodoff at 5-13, 4-8 within the tough OHSL Liberty division, as the transition away from a squad that won the 2009 and 2011 Section III Class B titles proved daunting.
Franz and Colleen Dougherty depart, but Kleine and Carpenter lead a solid returning cast for the 2012-13 season.
