Armed with a 10-3 record, the Cazenovia girls basketball team would have an opportunity to knock off another state-ranked opponent.
Having beaten Fonda-Fultonville on Jan. 18, the Lakers now challenged 13-1, state no. 13-ranked Marcellus last Tuesday in a battle of the top two teams in the OHSL Liberty National division.
But the Mustangs earned its 10th win in a row, pulling away late to prevail 68-46, the decisive blow struck early by Marcellus guard Hannah Durand.
Cazenovia had scored the game’s first five points and still led 5-2 when Durand, in a span of less than two minutes, tore up the Lakers for 14 straight points from three 3-pointers and a pair of lay-ups.
Despite staying within single digits for most of the night, the Lakers never fully recovered from that outburst, Lindsey Lawson having to work hard for her 22 points.
Carleigh Szalach had 12 points and Julia Bauder had seven points, but both fought foul trouble all night and Marcellus pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Though cooling off late, Durand still had 24 points overall, helped by Katie MacLachlan and Emma MacLachlan, each of whom got most of their 10 points in the second half. Sam Wynne and Hannah Rogalia had nine points apiece.
Looking to recover Friday at Syracuse Academy of Science, the Lakers could not quite do so, taking a 55-41 defeat to the state Class B no. 21-ranked Atoms.
SAS steadily built a 43-31 lead through three quarters and overcame 21 points from Lawson, Annie Baldwin adding six points. The Atoms’ Alexius Pierce dazzled with 26 points and 10 rebounds as Erykah Pasha had 13 rebounds and Freey Pleasants got 11 rebounds.
Chittenango, who had broken a skid on Jan. 25 by beating Phoenix, followed that up by going to Mexico last Tuesday and cruising to a 55-29 win over the Tigers.
Emily Moon, earning 12 points, led a well-balanced Bears attack. Ally Shoemaker had 11 pionts, eight steals, seven rebounds and five assists as Cassidy Kelly also got 11 points, adding five rebounds. Sarah Lanphear and Mia McReynolds had seven points apiece, Lanphear adding six rebounds.
Against Lowville on Saturday afternoon, the Bears ignored the Red Raiders’ 14-2 record and home-court advantage, earning an impresive 54-36 win to improve to 11-6 overall.
Chittenango led 21-12 through one period, then got shut out in the second quarter. But then it outscored Lowville 33-14 over the course of the last two periods.
Only playing once this week, the Bears face Homer on Friday as Cazenovia would play three home games in four nights against Jordan-Elbridge, Hannibal and Port Byron.