If all went well for the Skaneateles girls basketball team, it would not have to travel anywhere for more than two weeks – which would mean an advancement into the Section III Class B playoffs.
To kick off its long homestand, the Lakers had beaten Fulton on Jan. 31, and in its first game of February against Altmar-Parish-Williamstown last Tuesday night, Skaneateles struck again, defeating the Rebels 57-47 to further lock down first place in the OHSL Liberty National division.
APW came to town with a 9-5 league mark and a desire for payback after Skaneateles beat the Rebels 48-37 back on Dec. 19, a game that really wasn’t that close, since APW trailed 42-21 before making a late-game surge.
The rematch would prove much closer. Try as it could, the Lakers could not get away from the Rebels, only leading 17-15 at the end of an active first quarter. Both teams would go cold the rest of the half, but the Lakers maintained its two-point edge, 25-23, at the break.
They would also play on even terms in the final period – but only after a pivotal third quarter where Skaneateles outscored APW 16-7, relying mostly on hot 3-point shooting to subdue the Rebels.
Elizabeth Lane and Nicole Beatson each hit a pair of 3-pointers as they led the way with 16 points apiece. Lane added six rebounds, five assists and five steals, while Beatson got five rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Helping them out, Shannon Foehl drained three 3-pointers to account for most of her 11 points, while Sarah Tomlinson had seven rebounds to go with her six points and Molly Wood again owned the boards, getting 11 rebounds.
APW, in defeat, got 14 points from DeShae Jones and 12 points from Erin Stever, but saw another of its stars, Kylie Bartlett, manage just a single field goal against an effective Laker defense.
In a non-league game Thursday night against East Syracuse-Minoa, Skaneateles had another close call, but a third-quarter surge proved pivotal as the Lakers beat the Spartans 58-53.
Throughout the first half, the two sides traded baskets, ESM more than holding its own as it inched into a 29-28 lead by the break. However, once the second half started, the Lakers picked up defensive pressure and turned things around, outscoring the Spartans 15-6 in the third quarter to move back in front.
From there, the Lakers held on as Dobrovosky nearly earned a triple-double, blocking 11 shots to go with her 12 points and eight rebounds.
Lane had 17 points, three assists and three steals, while Beatson managed 13 points. Wood had nine rebounds and six points as Tomlinson earned eight points and eight rebounds. ESM saw Ashley Scalzo (16 points), Haley Wise (11 points) and Stephanie Edmonds (10 points) reach double figures.
All that remained for the 13-4 Lakers in the regular season was to host Jordan-Elbridge on Tuesday and then, a day later, find out where, and against whom, it would start the sectional tournament.
