Though it had to wait a couple of nights, Lindsey Lawson still made a bit of history in front of hometown fans.
Lawson earned her 1,000th career point last Wednesday night at Buckley Gym as the Cazenovia girls basketball team roared to a 48-21 victory over Madison in its 2019-20 season opener.
Having signed to attend Harvard University this summer, Lawson is the fourth player in Lakers program history to reach this milestone, gearing up to see if her team can improve on last winter’s run to the Section III Class B quarterfinals.
Cazenovia was originally set to face Madison last Monday night, but it got snowed out. Still, the delay didn’t affect the Lakers – or Lawson – too much.
Against Madison, Cazenovia shut out the Blue Devils in the first quarter, building a 10-0 margin. And the lead had grown to 20-3 late in the second period.
That was when Lawson took a pass from the right corner, drove to the basket and converted the lay-up, reaching the 1,000-point mark.
The game was stopped and, after a long ovation, Lawson was honored in a brief ceremony where her name was added to the banner of three previous 1,000-point players at Cazenovia.
Diane Slocum did it first, earning 1,039 points from 1987 to 1990. Then Helen Baroody set the school record of 1,392 points from 2001 to ’05 as Kiley Evans got 1,270 points from 2006 to ’09.
For the game, Lawson earned 11 points against Madison, just behind teammate Julia Bauder, who led with 12 points. Josie Avery had nine points and Carleigh Szalach added six points.
Facing Skaneateles on Friday night, Cazenovia brought the defense and won 32-20, the game staying close until Cazenovia limited those other Lakers to a single free throw in the fourth quarter.
Only then did Cazenovia get clear, having seen Lason and Szalach each produce 12 points and account for all but two of the team’s field goals.
As for Chittenango‘s girls basketball team, with the likes of Ally Shoemaker, Emily Moon and Cassidy Kelly back in 2019-20, the Bears have good reason to think it will vie for league and Section III Class B honors, too.
That same early-December snowstorm postponed last Monday’s trip to Auburn (it will get made up Jan. 23), but Chittenango did get two home games, starting Tuesday against Altmar-Parish-Williamstown.
Eager to get started, the Bears outscored the Rebels 23-1 in the first quarter and went on to prevail 68-19, with Moon (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Kelly (14 points, 10 rebounds) each earning double-doubles.
Shoemaker, Sarah Lanphear and Aaliyah Emad had eight points apiece, Shoemaker adding seven assists, six steals and five rebounds as Lanphear got seven rebounds and Emad four steals. Plus, Mia McReynolds chimed in with 11 points.
Then, on Friday, the Bears hosted Central Valley Academy and roared past the Thunder 64-44, overcoming an early deficit with a big second quarter and then steadily seizing control.
Closing on a 19-7 run, Chittenango had Shoemaker amass 22 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and six steals, while Moon had 12 points and six rebounds. Kelly gained 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and five steals.
Monday’s trip to Hannibal was the Bears’ lone game this week as it was supposed to go to Fayetteville-Manlius on Friday, but it was moved to Feb. 13. Cazenovia would visit Homer on Tuesday night, then be off until next Monday’s visit from Bishop Grimes.
