On a Tuesday night filled with emotion and plenty of excitement, the Cazenovia girls basketball team battled against General Brown at Buckley Gym and did just enough to edge the Lions 55-53.
The Lakers were coming off a narrow Jan. 19 defeat to Class C state no. 13-ranked Little Falls, and had seen a game with Jordan-Elbridge pushed back to Feb. 12.
Sad news came in the past week, too, when Diane Tedesco, the mother of former Cazenovia star Danielle Tedesco passed away.
Speaking of this prior to the game, current Lakers senior Laura Connor honored Diane’s commitment to the program before a moment of silence was held in her memory.
“Mrs. Tedesco had leukemia for many years, and was an avid supporter of Cazenovia basketball,” said Connor. “She came to every game she possibly could and, when she couldn’t, her husband live-streamed the games so she could watch them in the hospital.
“(She) was an inspiration to us all,” added Connor. “She was a fighter.”
The game proved a battle, too, as Cazenovia’s defense was superb throughout the first half, allowing a 25-12 lead to get built, but General Brown began to rally in the third quarter, closing the gap to 37-31.
Even when the Lakers built its margin back to double digits, 51-41, on Julia Bauder’s basket with 1:18 left, the Lions kept battling back, going on a 12-4 run the rest of the way, but free throws by Connor and Lindsey Lawson allowed Cazenovia to hang on.
Lawson finished with 25 points, hitting on seven free throws overall as Bauder gained 12 points and Hannah Matteson gained 10 points. Anna Bauter (14 points), Emma Dupee (13 points) and Alexis Farr (12 points) each scored in double figures for General Brown.
With a playoff-clinching eighth win in the books, Cazenovia now challenged Marcellus on Thursday night, and for a half was superb on the defensive side, yet it could not be sustained as the Lakers lost, 45-32, to the Mustangs.
All through the first two periods, Marcellus found it difficult to convert anything, and Cazenovia moved out in front, though it wasn’t a big margin as it took a 21-13 lead to halftime.
That gave the Mustangs an opportunity – which it seized by outscoring Cazenovia 15-6 in the third quarter to move in front, and it continued to expand on that margin down the stretch as Hannah Durand (14 points) and Sarah Fallon (10 points) led them.
Lawson was contained late, and only had 13 points overall. Carleigh Szalach got eight points, but the rest of the Lakers managed just four total field goals.
Now at 8-6 overall, Cazenovia takes on Jordan-Elbridge this Thursday night before going to New Hartford on Saturday.
Chittenango had its schedule altered again when a trip to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown got pushed back a week and is now set this Wednesday in between games against Auburn and ITC/Fowler.
But the Bears (6-5) did play Saturday against Christian Brothers Academy, where it lost, 49-39, in overtime to the Brothers, outscored 13-3 in the extra period after the teams had very little separation during all of regulation.
Ally Shoemaker and Emily Moon still finished with 13 points apiece, Shoemaker adding 10 steals, four rebounds and four assists as Moon got seven rebounds and five blocks. Cassidy Kelly added 11 rebounds and six points as Brooke Jarvis led CBA with 22 points.
