Just a basket here, or a defensive stop there, and perhaps the Skaneateles boys basketball team owns a victory over Institute of Technology Central last Tuesday night and starts a more sustained run that carries into the new year.
Instead, up by five in the final minute, the Lakers saw the game get away in a tough 72-71 defeat to the Eagles, who have emerged this season as the kings of basketball drama, especially in road games against opponents with Laker nicknames.
Four nights earlier, on Dec. 16, ITC had gone to Cazenovia and won a 58-56 double-overtime classic, hitting game-tying shots in the final seconds of regulation and the first OT period before holding off a late Cazenovia rally in the second OT.
Now Skaneateles got its turn against the Eagles, and with a solid performance led with under a minute left. ITC’s Tr’Von Balaam proceeded to hit a basket, get fouled, make the free throw and then, seconds later, made a 3-pointer to give his side a 69-68 lead.
Even when the Lakers reclaimed the lead with a 3-pointer of its own, Balaam returned and, with eight seconds left, lined up beyond the arc –and again made the three, giving him 31 points for the night. Skaneateles could still win with any basket, but Alfred Danzy blocked away the last shot attempt.
All of this came at the end of a night where Skaneateles had claimed a 29-25 halftime lead, only to have ITC outscore them 27-18 in the third quarter. But when the Eagles went cold, the Lakers took advantage, going back in front prior to the late Eagles heroics.
No Skaneateles player reached Balaam’s numbers, but Jake Reed still had 20 points. Most of Justin McClanahan’s 17 points came from four 3-pointers as Ben Delasin produced 14 points and Matt Neumann added 12 points. Jeremy Castle got six points.
At 2-5 on the season, the Lakers would meet Marcellus next Thursday in the opening round of the ‘More Than a Game’ Tournament, with the final set for Friday at SRC Arena.
