With relentless work and well-timed big plays, Jake Shaffer turned into the most reliable and consistent force on the Cazenovia boys basketball team in the last stages of the regular season.
It was Shaffner who hit the game-winning jumper in double overtime to beat Bishop Grimes on Feb. 6 and, less than 24 hours later, Shaffner was the top scorer as the Lakers defeated South Jefferson.
Much more of Shaffner, along with Ryan Henderson, was on display in last Tuesday night’s non-league game against Marcellus, as that duo nearly matched the Mustangs by themselves and Cazenovia, overcoming a terrible start, cruised to a 63-44 victory.
Hot Marcellus shooting gave Cazenovia a reason to worry, as it trailed 18-7 after one period. But then the Lakers’ defense shut down whatever the Mustangs tried to establish during a second quarter where it went on a 22-4 run.
Now in front, Cazenovia held steady until the final period, when it put away Marcellus with an 18-6 run, and again Shaffner was at the forefront, working his total to 20 points.
When Marcellus tried to take Shaffner away, Henderson kept getting open for shots, and kept making them, six 3-pointers in all, to account for most of his game-high 21 points. Kevin Ridings and Keaton Ackermann added seven points apiece. Mike Melnyczuk led Marcellus with 13 points.
A chance for a big finish to the regular season was on hand for the Lakers when it hosted Syracuse Academy of Science last Friday night, and it rallied to push the game into overtime – but it could not quite finish the job, the Atoms prevailing by a 68-59 margin.
Cazenovia caught a huge break early in the game when SAS’s top player, Jayson Brower, left with an injury. But the Atoms did just fine without Brower in the first half, holding the Lakers in check and taking a 28-18 lead to the break.
Spurred into action, the Lakers made up most of that deficit in the third quarter, moving within two, 38-36, and it was close throughout the rest of regulation, Cazenovia ultimately tying it 53-53 to send it to OT.
But after Evan Cornell’s 3-pointer early in the four-minute extra period that gave the Lakers a 58-56 lead, it never scored again, SAS closing on a 12-0 run as Roshane Peterson (18 points), Jesse Murray (16 points) and Isaiah Richardson (14 points) picked up the slack while Brower sat out.
On Cazenovia’s side, four players scored in double figures. Shaffner continued his late-season roll, earning 17 points, with Cornell producing 13 points, Henderson 11 points and Ridings 10 points. Ackermann finished with seven points.
So this means the Lakers take a 14-5 record into the Section III Class B playoffs.
