If the Skaneateles girls basketball team were allowed to choose the way by which it entered the Section III Class B playoffs, it could not have gone better than what actually happened.
Back-to-back, the Lakers put together its two best all-around performances right at the end of the regular season, handling rival Marcellus 55-42 on Feb. 7 and then, last Monday night, delivering an impressive 66-49 victory over Christian Brothers Academy.
At first, it was the Skaneateles attack coming through, as it matched baskets with the Brothers throughout the first half despite CBA’s Brooke Jarvis (a 1,000-point scorer) getting most of her 16 points and Leana Heitzmann hitting five 3-pointers for all of her 15 points.
Despite this barrage, the Lakers still led 36-34 at halftime, and then cranked up its defense on Jarvis and her teammates, limiting them to a handful of field goals in the last two quarters.
Meanwhile, Olivia Dobrovosky had a spectacular night, pouring in 26 points, including four 3-pointers. Chloe Metz gained 10 points, with Olivia Navaroli and Ryley Pas’cal each getting eight points, Maeve Canty seven points and Kate Aberi five points.
The Lakers’ regular-season finale against Solvay had to get played Wednesday night since the Bearcats still had a chance to reach the sectional tournament with a victory.
But Skaneateles played spoiler, handling Solvay 50-26 and taking most of the suspense out of the game in the first half by limiting the Bearcats to just seven points.
Up 32-7 at the break, the Lakers breezed through the rest of the night as Dobrovosky and Metz each finished with 12 points. Pas’cal gained eight points and Navaroli had six points as, for Solvay, Myah Platler got most of her 11 points in the late going.
All this meant that Skaneateles would carry a no. 9 seed into its round-of-16 sectional game at no. 8 seed Adirondack, with the winner lined up for a quarterfinal against top seed Westhill.
The momentum the Lakers had built throughout its late-season push did not get wasted in Boonville as it went out in front and stayed there, defeating the Wildcats 50-42.
Neither team was prolific at the outset, but the Lakers got the better of it, especially during a pivotal second quarter where it limited Adirondack to just four points.
Once in front, 20-13, at halftime, Skaneateles ably protected that margin, answering every Wildcats challenge as Dobrovosky got most of her 15 points from hitting 3-pointers.
Adironack’s Hannah Miller also had 15 points, but no one else in double figures. Meanwhile, Canty’s trio of 3-pointers led to 13 points overall, while Metz earned seven of her 11 points at the free-throw line and Pas’cal added seven points.
When Westhill defeated Holland Patent 53-37 a day later, the quarterfinal on Tuesday was set. Skaneateles will try to upend the Warriors just like it did when it beat them 53-47 in the Lakers’ Nov. 28 season opener. The rematch determines who faces Vernon-Verona-Sherrill or Cazenovia in the semifinal round.
