Weeks of roster turmoil and struggle had threatened to derail the season for the Cazenovia girls basketball team before the calendar could turn to 2018.
Just in time, though, the Lakers pulled out of its slump, jumping all over visiting Solvay in last Monday’s game at Buckley Gym as it rolled to a 52-28 victory over the Bearcats to get back to the .500 mark (4-4).
Before Solvay could get on the board, Cazenovia had built a 13-0 lead in the opening minutes. And it continued from there, the Lakers’ scoring pace tailing off, but its defense consistent and strong.
No Bearcats player had more than the five points put up by Carly Devereaux. That was a number Lindsey Lawson tripled as she led Cazenovia with 16 points, while Hannah Matteson had 10 points. Lucy Langan had nine points and Katie Ammann had eight points.
Chittenango also tried to get past some recent struggles as it hosted Jordan-Elbridge last Tuesday night, and it did so thanks to a near-perfect second half that turned a close game into a 67-31 rout of the Eagles.
Over the course of the last two quarters, the Bears outscored J-E 40-9, with the defense led by Ally Shoemaker, who recorded six steals to go with her 13 points, 11 assists and four rebounds.
Cassidy Kelly filled up the stat shee, too, with 15 points, 13 rebounds and four assists as Emily Moon got a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, plus five blocks. Mekenzie Dahlin had eight points and five rebounds as Sydney Bennett had six rebounds. Julia Nourse and Alivia Narolis had five points apiece.
Then both teams played on Thursday in tough road games – and both lost close decisions.
Cazenovia had a real chance at knocking off undefeated Skaneateles, leading into the fourth quarter before taking a 42-36 defeat in this latest Lakers clash.
Much of the game was played within a single basket. Cazenovia was up 19-18 at halftime, and still was in front 24-22 going to the fourth quarter, but Skaneateles finally got its attack going in the final period, outscoring the visitors 20-12 to pull it out.
Meanwhile, Chittenango was playing at Christian Brothers Academy, given a similar opportunity but meeting a similar fate in a 40-39 defeat to the Brothers.
CBA’s defense contained Chittenango in the first half, steadily building a 25-12 edge. But the Bears outscored the Brothers 13-5 in the third quarter, with Dahlin (12 points) leading the comeback attempt.
In order to hang on and get its third straight win, CBA needed Brooke Jarvis to put up 12 points and get help from Emily Hall, who had nine points, and Skye Ryan, who had eight points.
Helping out Dahlin, Kelly gained nine points and eight rebounds, with Shoemaker accumulating six points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals. Bennett gained nine rebounds and Narolis got six points.
