Through all of the transitions and turmoil it has gone through, the Skaneateles girls basketball team has often risen above the tumult to produce a winning mark and, at the very least, secure a place in the Section III Class B playoffs.
One thing it had not done much, though, is beat perennial powerhouse Westhill – until last Wednesday night, when with two different comebacks and plenty of scoring balance, the Lakers stunned the Warriors 53-47.
Skaneateles had gone through yet another coaching change in the off-season, with Camille Murphy replaced by Jim Szalach. However, a significant amount of players had returned from 2017-18, when the Lakers suffered a first-round playoff defeat to General Brown.
Westhill had, over the years, mostly controlled matters with Skaneateles, and expected to do so again, even though its top player, Mackenzie Martin, was getting used to basketball again after helping the girls volleyball Warriors win its first-ever state Class B title less than two weeks earlier.
Yet after the Warriors jumped out in front, the Lakers’ defense took over in the second quarter, holding Westhill to just three points as it produced enough on the other end to sneak into a 22-21 halftime lead.
Again, Skaneateles would show its resilience after the Warriors went back in front in the third quarter. Applying lots of pressure and making several key stops, the Lakers held Westhill to seven points in the final period.
Meanwhile, several players recorded key late baskets. Olivia Dobrovosky and Maeve Canty led with 11 points apiece, while Ryley Pas’cal had 10 points. Olivia Navaroli gained nine points, with Chloe Metz and Katie Abert each getting six points.
This depth and balance overcame Westhill having the game’s top scorer, Jenna Larrabee, who managed 16 points, with Martin held to 11 points as Catherine Dadey got 12 points.
After such a landmark win, Skaneateles would look to avoid a letdown when it visited Chittenango two nights later, yet could not quite match what it did against Westhill, taking a 63-45 defeat to the Bears.
A 17-7 opening surge put Chittenango in front, and it spent the game’s middle stages withstanding a series of Skaneateles runs that were led by Dobrovosky, who poured in a game-high 23 points.
Still, Chittenango got away, outscoring the Lakers 23-12 in the fourth quarter as Ally Shoemaker pulled off a triple-double, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and six steals.
Cassidy Kelly had 15 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Mekenzie Dahlin matched Shoemaker’s total of 12 points while Emily Moon had 11 points and eight rebounds. No one on the Lakers got close to Dobrovosky’s totals, though as Canty and Pas’cal had eight points apiece.
There’s an immediate rematch between Skaneateles and Chittenango Tuesday night, only now on the Lakers’ home court before a Friday trip to rival Marcellus.
