Having gone through a fair amount of ups and downs this winter, the Skaneateles boys basketball team is still on a fairly clear path to a Section III playoff berth.

The Lakers went to Mexico last Tuesday night, where things were rough for long stretches, but Skaneateles did just enough to squeak past the Tigers 41-39.

Slow at the outset, Skaneateles only got six points in the first quarter, only to recover and, by the end of the third period, find itself with a 36-31 lead.

It took lots of defense to protect that lead as the Lakers went cold again in the late going. At least before doing so, Justin McClanahan had put up 17 points, including three 3-pointers, while Jack Canty had 10 points and Kenny Peterson got seven points. Buddy Ruby (13 points) and Marcus Turo (12 points) led Mexico’s efforts.

The Lakers were supposed to deal with defending state Class B champion Westhill on Friday night. The Warriors were no. 2 in the current state rankings and had just returned to full strength with Owen Matukas coming back from an ankle injury that sidelined him for a month.

But that game got postponed by winter weather, so Skaneateles was idle until a pair of road trips this week – one Wednesday to Syracuse Academy of Science, the other Friday at rival Marcellus, whom it beat 58-40 in mid-December.