CENTRAL NEW YORK – Following a 12-8 regular season, the Cazenovia girls basketball team was ready to see how it would fare against a packed and deep field in the Section III Class B playoffs.
The Lakers had the no. 11 seed, and with 24 teams in the field, it would have to play an opening-round game last Thursday against no. 22 seed Canastota at Buckley Gym.
It didn’t prove a problem as Cazenovia prevailed 64-30, with Carleigh Szalach, all by herself, matching the Raiders with her 30 points that included four 3-pointers. Hannah Ruddy, with 12 points, and Lily Clonan, with eight points, offered ample support.
Now the challenge grew as Cazenovia met no. 6 seed Utica-Notre Dame in the round of 16, where surrendering timely scoring runs proved costly in a 57-38 defeat to the Jugglers.
Staying close throughout the first half, the Lakers only trailed 25-20 at the break. They were in the same spot late in the third quarter when UND scored four points in the waning seconds to stretch its margin to 41-30.
From there, the Jugglers pulled clear, earning a spot in the sectional quarterfinals against no. 3 seed Marcellus asi it held Szalach to nine points. Ella Baker had a team-best 10 points, with Hadley Schug getting eight points and Anna Edwards six points.
the Lakers finished at 13-9 and would see four seniors – Szalach, Clonan, Schug and Edwards – depart. It had won back-to-back games against Mexico and Phoenix before last Monday’s regular-season finale at Buckley Gym, where its offense went cold in a 47-26 loss to Skaneateles.
A rough first quarter saw the visiting Lakers go up 17-5, and then, in the third quarter, any hope of a comeback got dashed when Cazenovia managed just a single free throw. Baker did have 10 points, but Szalach was limited to six points.
Chittenango entered the sectional tournament holding the no. 15 seed in Class B and, like Cazenovia, would be at home for its opening-round game last Thursday against no. 18 seed Lowville.
The Bears would put away the Red Raiders 54-45, rallying from a 22-18 halftime deficit by outscoring Lowville 17-6 in a decisive third quarter.
Hailee Foran stepped up in abig way, giving the Bears 19 points, while Alazayah Smith earned 14 points. Allison Soulier added six points.
Sunday’s second-round game would see Chittenango go north to challenge no. 2 seed General Brown, who went 18-2 in the regular season.
Here, the Bears’ season ended with a 63-15 loss to the Lions, a game where it was outscored 28-2 by the Lions in the second and third quarters and its season concluded with an 11-10 mark.
Prior to that, the Bears lost its regular-season finale 54-35 to Marcellus, who outscored Chittenango 34-15 over the course of the second and third quarters.
Mia McReynolds hit six 3-pointers to account for all of her 18 points, while Avree Salce had 10 points and five rebounds. Combined, the rest of the Bears hit just two field goals.
