A 9-2 record and a no. 17 state Class B ranking reflected the respect the Cazenovia boys basketball team was garnering inside and outside local circles.

The flip side of that respect was an increased target that the Lakers found out about in a big way last Tuesday night when it went to Mexico and took a 69-62 defeat to the Tigers.

Mexico had gone through its first half of the regular season 4-6, and though it scored well early against Cazenovia, the Lakers still were able to outproduce them and lead 42-35 at halftime.

Then Cazenovia went cold for a long stretch of the second half and the Tigers, taking full advantage, went out in front by the fourth quarter, hanging on late with solid free-throw shooting.

Alex Moesch led the Lakers with 17 points, with Ty Freyer getting 12 points as a follow-up to the 16 points he put up in the Lakers’ win over South Jefferson on Jan. 3.

Ryan Romagnoli had 10 points as Patrick Linck got eight points and Keegan Bailey had seven points.

Still on the road Friday, Cazenovia looked to rebound against Institute of Technology Central, and did so with a ferocious attack that, led by Moesch, ran all over the Eagles in an 81-66 victory.

Moesch poured in 30 points and added 13 rebounds. A.J. Rothfeld had his own double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds as Romagnoli earned 17 points and Freyer chimed in with 12 points.

To start its week, Chittenango hosted Jordan-Elbridge, and though it played on even terms with the Eagles most of the way, the Bears ultimately paid for a slow start in a 57-52 defeat.

Chittenango was held to six points in the first quarter, allowing J-E to go out in front and then fend off all of the Bears’ attempts to catch up.

Tyrus Kelly had 14 points, with Alex Lum adding nine points, Bryce Bishop eight points and Evan Smith six points. On the Eagles’ side, Tyler Waldron poured in 20 points, helped by Dakota Holbrook (15 points) and Alex Pond, who had 11 points.

It proved far more difficult on Thursday night, Chittenango unable to keep up with Bishop Grimes during a 74-45 defeat to the Cobras.

It was 32-15 by halftime, and while the Bears’ production picked up late, Grimes kept adding to its margin as four players scored in double figures, led by Byam Mugushu’s 17 points.

By contrast, only Bishop, with 12 points, hit double figures for Chittenango, Kelly adding eight points and Luke Dahlin adding six points.

During this week, Chittenango hosts Marcellus Tuesday and visits Westhill Tuesday, with Cazenovia hosting Phoenix on Tuesday and then off until a big Jan. 22 test at Skaneateles.