For long portions of last Monday night’s game, it looked like the Skaneateles girls basketball team would gain a sweep of its two regular-season showdowns with its neighbors from Marcellus.
However, rough starts to each half proved costly as the Lakers again could not contain the hot shooting of Mustangs guard Eve Hughes, and this time it cost them in a 67-60 defeat.
Back on Dec. 28, during the “Hoops for the Hospital” Tournament, Skaneateles edged Marcellus 70-66 in overtime, making it through despite 34 points from Hughes because Olivia Dobrovosky (21 points), Chloe Metz (17 points) and Hannah Atkinson (12 points) canceled it out.
Here, in the rematch, the Mustangs saw a 20-12 lead disappear when Skaneateles took over in the second quarter. Olivia Dobrovosky earned 12 of her 19 points in that period, gunning the Lakers to a 33-29 halftime.
Just as quickly, Marcellus gained back the lead by scoring the first 15 points of the third quarter. That couldn’t last, but the Mustangs still were up, 51-42, going to the final period, where the visitors got the margin to double digits to withstand one more Skaneateles comeback attempt.
All the while, Hughes lit it up, sinking six 3-pointers to account for a majority of her 28 points. Help came from Sydney Lewis, who put in 14 points, and Liz White, who managed 13 points. Aside from Dobrovsky, Chloe Metz was the Lakers’ top threat, earning 20 points as Hannah Atkinson had nine points and Racheal Smith got eight points.
Without any rest, Skaneateles visited Weedsport 24 hours later, and kept pace for a long time before the cumulative toll of two games in as many days hit the Lakers in the fourth quarter of a 68-52 loss to the Warriors.
Leading through most of the first half, Skaneateles saw that slim 30-27 advantage disappear in the third quarter. Then, as Weedsport pushed the pace and hit free throws in the late going, it managed to outscore the Lakers 25-10 during the fourth quarter to break it open.
Dobrovosky still finished with 16 points, part of an attack where Hannah Atkinson returned to form and earned 14 points as Metz got 11 points. Between her many baskets and many free throws, Jeslyn Files paced Weesdport again with 26 points, helped by Brooke Hammersley, who had 16 points.
And it wouldn’t get easier for Skaneateles as it ventured east to face state Class B no. 14-ranked Bishop Grimes Thursday night. And the Cobras proved as tough as advertised, with the Lakers taking a 71-32 defeat.
During the first half, Grimes built up a 39-15 margin, and didn’t let up much after that, Azariah Wade and Abby Wilkinson each scoring 19 points and Maria Naylor adding 10 points. Only Dobrovosky, with 15 points, hit double figures for Skaneateles as Atkinson and Riley Pas’cal had seven points apiece.
The losses pushed the Lakers’ record to 3-12 in advance of games this week against Altmar-Parish-Williamston Tuesday and ITC/Fowler on Thursday night.
