Tested in so many different ways this winter, the Skaneateles girls basketball team was proud, and relieved, to have a Section III Class B playoff berth locked up a full three weeks before the regular season concluded.
And with that squared away, the Lakers could put its full energy into trying to beat neighbor and rival Marcellus Thursday night – which it did, getting a season-best performance from senior Elizabeth Lane in an impressive 62-48 victory over the Mustangs.
Moved up to Class A just for one year, Marcellus could not have its usual home-and-home games against Skaneateles, adding to the importance of this one meeting.
From the outset, the pace was fast, and Lane kept making baskets, helping the Lakers inch out in front and take a 30-27 lead to the break.
But the third quarter settled matters. Now Lane had some help, and that, combined with a defense that settled down long enough for some key stops, helped the Lakers outscore the Mustangs 20-11 in that frame.
Marcellus could not recover, and it never stopped Lane, whose 26 points set a season high. She didn’t work alone, either, as Bailey Herr stepped up for 14 points and Shannon Foehl added 10 points, with Olivia Dobrovosky contributing nine points. In defeat, the Mustangs’ Erica Balman produced 10 points, 12 rebound and five blocks.
Just before that, the Lakers visited Tully, still needing that playoff-clinching eighth win, and got it thanks to a superb defensive effort as it pulled away and handled the Black Knights 44-23.
That defense had to be good early, since Skaneateles only scored six points in the first quarter, but held Tully to two. So when the Lakers started to hit some baskets in the second period, it translated into a significant 22-9 halftime margin.
Pulling further away, the Lakers didn’t let up on its defensive pressure, holding the Black Knights to four points in the fourth quarter to quash any notion of a comeback.
On offense, the Lakers were well-balanced. Foehl hit three 3-pointers to account for most of her 11 points, while Dobrovosky’s 10 points included two 3-pointers. Lane and Herr were close behind, getting eight points apiece.
The win over Marcellus put the Lakers at 9-6, still with time to build that win total as it would be favored next week in road games against Altmar-Parish-Williamstown and Phoenix.
