A pair of defeats to Westhill and Institute of Technology Central had threatened to throw the Cazenovia boys basketball team off balance.
By the start of February, though, the Lakers were standing up again, and by the time Jake Shaffner’s shot rattled in at the end of the second overtime of last Friday night’s 60-58 win at Bishop Grimes, all was fine again.
Getting to that point proved arduous, especially against Grimes, who didn’t get discouraged by a cold first half that saw Cazenovia, despite its own inconsistency, gain a 23-16 lead.
Sure enough, the Cobras made up most of that deficit in the third quarter, moving within one, 36-35, setting up a tense homestretch where neither side was able to make any sustained run.
Regulation ended in a 46-46 tie, and so did the first four-minute OT period, with Cazenovia trailing by three before a 3-pointer with 7.7 seconds left tied it again and the defense forced a turnover when Grimes tried to win it.
The second extra period also was played on even terms, with the score 58-58 as the seconds ticked down. Then Shaffner, flashing open, took a jump shot at the horn that rolled on the rim, but then fell through the net. It was a make-up of sorts for Cazenovia losing to ITC 10 days earlier on a last-second basket.
Cazenovia also needed to be good in last Wednesday’s game against Phoenix at Buckley Gym, where hot 3-point shooting helped negate a tough effort by the Firebirds and produce a 59-55 victory.
Phoenix, with a 7-8 record, was one win from qualifying for the Section III Class B playoffs. And it would start well at Cazenovia, leading 14-12 through one period before the Lakers took control and went in front, 29-24, going to the break.
Refusing to go away, Phoenix pulled back within two, 42-40, with one period left, and traded baskets down the stretch, not quite able to put together the run it needed.
All the while, the Lakers’ attack was sustained with perimeter shots. Kevin Ridings hit three 3-pointers to account for most of his 13 points, while Ryan Henderson and Evan Cornell both connected twice beyond the arc, Henderson getting 12 points and Cornell nine points.
Yet it was Shaffner, putting up 17 points and previewing his heroics at Grimes, who set the offensive pace. Keaton Ackermann got half of his eight points at the free-throw line. Phoenix lost despite 17 points from Zach Sisera, 14 points from Walker Connoly and 10 points from Connor Haney.
The win at Grimes pushed Cazenovia’s record to 12-4, but it had no time to rest because, less than 24 hours later, it was back home to take on South Jefferson in a non-league game at Buckley Gym.
But the Lakers got through it, beating the Spartans 41-34 without requiring overtime or last-second heroics. Instead, it overcame an early 15-8 deficit and seized a 22-21 lead by halftime, containing South Jefferson by holding them to seven points or less in each of the last three periods.
Again, Shaffner produced well, finishing with 14 points, while Ridings finished with 10 points, Henderson eight points and Evan Cornell seven points. Benner Guertsen led the Spartans with 16 points.
Cazenovia’s last week of the regular season would feature games against Marcellus and, on Friday, Syracuse Academy of Science before it found out where it would get seeded for the Section III Class B playoffs.
