Recent success by the Skaneateles boys basketball, including a trip to the Section III Class B title game in 2013, has conditioned fans to expect more good play in the years ahead.
But it didn’t take long for concerns about the new edition of the Lakers to rise, as it could not keep up with Syracuse Academy of Science in last Monday’s season opener, an 86-55 defeat to the Atoms.
Coming off a 9-11 campaign and a sectional Class B quarterfinal defeat to Utica-Notre Dame, head coach Karl Norris has plenty of new faces to break into the lineup. That didn’t lead to immediate trouble, as the Lakers only trailed SAS 14-8 after one period.
Gradually, though, the Atoms’ relentless pace took a toll. The deficit grew to 34-25 by halftime, and then SAS erupted for 52 second-half points, 34 of them in the fourth quarter alone.
Trying to stop all this, the Lakers did get 21 points from Pete Knupp and 16 points from Jake Peterson, with Zach Blair adding seven points and Jake Reed six points. Exchange student Bartek Nakwasinski also saw some action late in the game.
SAS overwhelmed the Lakers by seeing five players score in double figures. Jayson Brower, with 25 points, led the way as Isaiah Richardson, with 20 points, was close behind. Anton Kelly (14 points), Roshane Peterson (12 points) and Jesse Murray (10 points) followed.
It didn’t look like things would get easier Friday night when Skaneateles ventured to Jordan-Elbridge Friday night, with the Eagles fresh off a season-opening 82-59 romp over Canastota.
But the Lakers would prevail 86-66, simply by taking full advantage of a porous J-E defense. A 25-point first quarter helped put Skaneateles out in front, and it stretched its lead to double digits, 45-34, by halftime.
No matter what the Eagles tried, the Lakers kept pouring in baskets and stretching out its margin, and Knupp led the way with 26 points, one of the highest totals of his varsity career.
Marc Pietropaoli emerged as a force on this night, earning 18 points, while Peterson earned 15 points and Reed got 14 points. Zach Blair (seven points) and Colin Foehl (six points) contributed, too, as J-E lost despite 19 points from Justin Quinn and 15 points from Ryan Cooper.
The Lakers would head on the road again Tuesday to take on Phoenix before a key early-season test Friday when it visits Buckley Gym to play its Laker rivals from Cazenovia.
