With a 6-10 record and four games left in the regular season, the Cazenovia girls basketball team knew it would have to win twice to assure itself of a Section III Class B playoff spot.
One of those opportunities slipped away at Buckley Gym last Tuesday night as the Lakers took a 69-50 defeat to Christian Brothers Academy.
Even though CBA had played the night before (beating Altmar-Parish-Williamstown), it still had enough reserves to burn the Cazenovia defense throughout the first half as it built a 40-23 advantage and Brooke Jarvis finished with 25 points.
Lindsey Lawson did all she could to keep the Lakers in it, matching Jarvis by earning 25 points of her own and also getting 15 rebounds. Madison West had 11 points and seven rebounds, with Laura Connor getting 11 rebounds. Jamie Joseph had six rebounds and four assists.
This added greater urgency to Thursday’s game against ITC/Fowler, especially with games against defending sectional champion Bishop Ludden and Mexico looming early this week.
And the Lakers would prevail 39-28, though things were not secure until Cazenovia outscored ITC/Fowler 19-8 in the third quarter, helped by scoring balance.
All eight players that saw action earned at least one field goal, though none had more than the eight points put up by Hannah Matteson. Joseph had seven points, with Lawson held to six points.
That same night, Chittenango had to visit state Class B no. 5-ranked Bishop Ludden, and got overwhelmed in the middle stages of a 69-33 defeat to the Gaelic Knights.
During the second and third quarters, the Gaelic Knights outscored the Bears 44-9 as Michigan-bound senior Danielle Rauch earned most of her 29 points during that stretch.Aurora Deshaies flourished, too, with 15 points.
For Chittenango, Ally Shoemaker led the way, earning 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals. Mekenzie Dahlin had seven points, while Cassidy Kelly had six rebounds, four steals and three assists.
A night later, against APW, the Bears turned it around, doubling up on the Rebels 56-28 as Shoemaker dazzled with an unusual triple-double that included 22 points, 11 assists and 10 steals, to go with three rebounds.
If Shoemaker wasn’t hurting APW, Moon did so, amassing 18 points and 15 rebounds as Sydney Bennett contributed six rebounds and Meghan Sternberg got five rebounds.
Cazenovia would take its own turn against Ludden Monday before going to Mexico Tuesday night in the regular-season finale, a day after those same Tigers would face Chittenango.
