Onondaga — For the third time this winter, the Skaneateles boys basketball team set out to upend Bishop Grimes, – but just like the first two occasions, it ended in frustration and disappointment.
What made the no. 5 seed Lakers’ 67-51 defeat to the top-seeded Cobras in Saturday’s Section III Class B semifinal at Onondaga Community College’s Allyn Hall more difficult to take was that, this time around, Skaneateles was in prime position deep into the second half, and it got away.
Grimes, 20-2 going into the game and no. 15 in the state Class B rankings, had beaten the Lakers 67-54 on Dec. 29 at SRC Arena and then by an 81-67 margin in a foul-filled game on Jan. 15 in East Syracuse.
None of this initially bothered the Lakers, who frustrated the Cobras with tight defense throughout the game’s opening stages while it waited for its offense to kick into gear.
Zach Blair led the way, netting 10 points in the first half, including consecutive baskets that capped a 15-2 run and pushed Skaneateles out in front. When Blair netted a 3-pointer late in the second quarter, the Lakers’ lead stretched out to 31-20.
At the same time, though, the Lakers weren’t capitalizing on its trips to the foul line. All game long, the free throws kept bouncing off the rim, Skaneateles eventually missing 12 of 22 free throws and leaving the door open for a Grimes comeback.
And it was Shawn Gashi sparking that rally, hitting on back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the Skaneateles lead to 31-26. Once the third quarter started, Grimes picked up its pressure on both ends, and it got the Lakers’ key players into serious foul trouble.
Right after Johnny Wike’s 3-pointer pushed Grimes in front 45-42 at the end of the third quarter, Pete Knupp, who led the Lakers with 19 points, picked up his fourth foul in the opening seconds of the final period.
continued — Though Knupp didn’t foul out, two other starters, Sam Duggan and Jake Reed, did leave early, and Skaneateles couldn’t prevent Grimes from taking charge with a decisive 13-0 run.
Wike had 13 of his 17 points in the second half as Gashi also had 17 points and A.C. Ater led the Cobras with 19 points. Blair, despite his 10 points, was shut out in the second half as Reed also got 10 points before fouling out.
Now the Lakers have to look ahead after six seniors graduate, including Knupp, Duggan, Blair and Marc Pietropaoli, though Reed and Justin McClanahan will return for 2016-17.
