SKANEATELES – For nearly three months the Cazenovia boys basketball team had worked hard to return to one of the sources of its early-season struggles, only to have them all emerge again at the worst time possible.
Cazenovia’s season ended Wednesday night in the Section III Class B quarterfinals when it saw its namesakes from Skaneateles get away again in a 70-40 defeat.
Way back on Dec. 11 Cazenovia, off to a 4-0 start, hosted Skaneateles at Buckley Gym and led after one quarter, only to get run over in a 25-10 second quarter that proved the difference in a 63-49 loss.
This triggered a stretch of five defeats in six games, Cazenovia needing nearly the rest of the regular season to reclaim that early form, which emerged again when it avenged an earlier loss to Chittenango in the regular-season finale and then handled Jordan-Elbridge 61-40 in the opening round of the sectional tournament on Feb. 22.
Now at Skaneateles, the two Lakers sides both struggled early, and Cazenovia led 9-8 through one period before the hosts again leaned on its offense to move out in front for good in the second quarter.
Then, trailing 31-24 at the break, Cazenovia saw it get away in a 23-5 third quarter where Skaneateles did everything well on both ends, especially defense.
No other team this season had kept Ben Bianco from scoring in double figures, but Bianco had just five points here which his teammates could not overcome as Edmond Richardson had 13 points and Gavin Wagner got 11 points, with Bobby Livingston adding six points.
Leading Skaneateles, Joe Delmonico,had a rare 20-20 performance of 21 points and 20 rebounds. Jack Peenstra notched his own double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, Finlay Coyne adding 12 points as Brody Loi dished out 11 assists.
Cazenovia concluded its season at 11-10, with Bianco leading a group of five graduating seniors which includes Kooper Wilmot, Jacob Arnold, Tanner Lawson and James Gordon. But with Richardson, Livingston and Wagner back for 2025-26, the Lakers should be in a position to contend again.
