Having confronted a brutal schedule in the first half of its regular season and going 2-8 through that stretch, , the Skaneateles girls basketball team knew that a big turnaround was needed in order to reach the post-season.
Step one in that comeback was something the Lakers hoped to take in last Tuesday night’s game against Jordan-Elbridge, and with Olivia Dobrovosky and Hannah Atkinson leading the way, Skaneateles did move forward, rolling past the Eagles 52-29.
A slow start left the Lakers trailing 11-6 after one period, but with Dobrovosky and Atkinson finding their rhythm, Skaneateles managed to outscore J-E 20-5 in the second period, eventually building a 43-26 lead through two periods.
For the night, Dobrovosky had 20 points from seven field goals (one of them a 3-pointer) and five free throws. Atkinson set a career mark with 16 points from seven field goals and two successful free throws. Chloe Metz added six points as no J-E players got to double figures, Allison Jennings leading the way with just seven points.
But it would get tougher Thursday night, when Hannibal, sporting a 10-2 record, paid a visit, the Warriors having just upended Class AA contender Central Square on Jan. 14. Here, Skaneateles played a superb first half and got a career-best effort from Dobrovosky, yet could not hold on in a 59-46 loss to the Warriors.
All through the first half, the Lakers were strong on the defensive end, especially in a second quarter where it limited Hannibal to six points. This, plus a steady stream of baskets, produced for Skaneateles a 29-18 halftime lead.
By the end of the third quarter, the Lakers’ lead was gone. Finding its rhythm, the Warriors outscored Skaneateles 20-7 in the third quarter, and the hosts never recovered as Sydney Alton paced Hannibal with 23 points and Katie Pitcher, with 18 points (eight of them free throws), was close behind.
Nearly carrying the Lakers’ attack for long stretches, Dobrovosky finished the night with 31 points. Combined, the rest of the Skaneateles players had just seven field goals, three of them by Metz, who finished with seven points.
Now at 3-9 on the season, Skaneateles will try to complete a regular-season sweep of Marcellus (whom it beat 70-66 on Dec. 28) Monday night at the outset of a stretch of three games in four days, the Lakers taking on Weedsport Tuesday before going to Bishop Grimes on Thursday night.
