Amid all the youth on hand for Friday night’s girls basketball Section III Class B semifinal at SRC Arena, Skaneateles senior Elizabeth Lane stood out in many different ways – and she was determined to bring her team to the brink of its first sectional championship in 33 years.

Yet even with Lane’s superb effort and many different comeback attempts from double-digit deficits, the no. 4 seed Lakers could not catch up to no. 8 seed Westhill, taking a 57-47 defeat to the Warriors.

“Elizabeth gave everything out there,” said Skaneateles head coach Jill Blasi. “We’re really going to miss her.”

Only in terms of seeding did it appear that the Lakers caught a massive break when Westhill, who starts two juniors, two freshmen and an eighth-grader, stunned top seed Bishop Grimes 46-44 in the Class B quarterfinals on Feb. 20. That was because the Warriors had beaten Skaneateles twice in a nine-day span during the regular season.

Given that both of those meetings, on Dec. 30 (a 63-58 loss at Westhill) and Jan. 8 (a 48-35 defeat at home) involved large comebacks by the Warriors following hot Skaneateles starts, it only figured that the first quarter of this playoff showdown followed the exact same pattern.

Helped by a pair of baskets from Lane, plus plenty of early nerves from Westhill, the Lakers took a quick 6-0 lead. But after Westhill called a time-out, the Warriors settled down, and freshman forward Delaney Martin racked up 10 points during a 15-2 run that closed the first quarter.

Though its deficit grew as big as 10 early in the second period, the Lakers didn’t panic. Lane and Olivia Dobrovosky, who each had eight first-half points, helped Skaneateles battle back, Dobrovosky’s 3-pointer cutting the Warrior lead to 27-24 at the break.

It was Westhill’s turn for a run early in the third quarter, finding success in its transition game and putting together a 12-0 burst that stretched out its lead to 41-28, forcing Blasi to use a time-out.

But the Lakers were still down, 44-32, going into the fourth quarter, meaning that it had to put together a big string of its own – and for a moment, it did so.

With Lane reeling off seven more points and Bailey Herr adding four points, Skaneateles used an 11-2 spurt to cut the gap to 46-41 with nearly five minutes to play.

Just when it was needed, though, Westhill again showed its youthful poise. A basket by Mary Kate Washburn and a 3-pointer from Mackenzie Martin restored the margin to 51-41, and the Lakers never got closer than six points again, Washburn and Elmer making the free throws in the final minute to put it away.

In the final seconds, Lane exited, to hugs from Blasi and her players and a big ovation from the crowd. She had posted 25 points, a grand finale to a high school career that included more than 1,000 career points.

For the victorious Warriors, Delaney Martin finished with 18 points, while Washburn picked up 14 points and Mackenzie Martin had 13 points.

Though Lane and reserve Emmeline Graham leave, the other starters – Dobrovosky, Herr, Shannon Foehl and Kelsey Kraetz – will return, giving the Lakers a lot of optimism for 2015-16. Blasi said the experience gained in this sectional tournament could prove valuable for next season’s push.