With every starter back from 2013-14, and with ambitions to battle for both OHSL Liberty and Section III Class B honors, the Cazenovia girls basketball team has upped the ante in its scheduling.
All of the Lakers’ non-league games are against Class A and AA opponents, and that slate commenced with last Tuesday’s visit from Oswego, who promptly went into Buckley Gym and took control from the outset, eventually prevailing by a score of 50-26.
Having moved from Class AA and into the OHSL Freedom division, the Buccaneers spent the first quarter establishing full control, roaring in front 18-4 by making baskets and defensively stifling Cazenovia.
Even though Oswego cooled down in the game’s middle stages, the Lakers could not take full advantage, and then saw the Bucs pull further away in the fourth quarter.
Kelsi Fredericks and Danielle Tedesco led Cazenovia with eight points apiece. Oswego spread its production around, as all 12 players that saw action recorded at least one field goal, but none had more than the eight points earned by McKenna Brooks and Clara Culeton.
Back in league action on Friday night, the Lakers hosted Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, who was fresh off a 60-25 pounding of Solvay earlier in the week. But that mattered little here as the Lakers, rebounding nicely from the Oswego struggles, beat the Rebels 54-35.
Cazenovia put up more offense in the first two quarters (27 points) than it did for the entire game against Oswego. Just as importantly, its defense contained APW throughout the evening, allowing star guard Kylie Bartlett to score 17 points, but limiting the rest of the roster to just seven combined field goals.
A day later, both of Cazenovia’s basketball teams engaged in a scrimmage with a traveling high school team from Australia. That bit of international bonding provided a refreshing break from the regular-season grind before the Lakers took on Solvay, Skaneateles and Central Square this week.