A solid league record meant that the Skaneateles boys basketball team would, in all likelihood, make it back to the Section III Class B playoffs.
Still, the Lakers wanted, at least, to get to the .500 mark, and after the postponement of last Monday’s non-league game against East Syracuse-Minoa (it will get made up this Wednesday), Skaneateles went to Hannibal two nights later.
With Jake Peterson, Pete Knupp and Bobby Leslie all providing hot hands, Skaneateles pulled off that modest feat, defeating the Warriors by a score of 72-61.
All through the first half, both sides pushed the pace. Initially, that worked for Hannibal, as it led 18-16 through one period, but Skaneateles took charge by outscoring the Warriors 22-15 in the second quarter.
By the time they reached the final period, the Lakers had a 52-41 lead, and would roll the rest of the way, even though Hannibal’s Trevor Alton would pour in a game-high 30 points and Billy Skipper added 16 points.
For the first time all season, three Skaneateles players reached the 20-point mark. Jake Peterson provided the inside game, earning 26 points, while Pete Knupp hit a season-best six 3-pointers to account for most of his 21 points and Bobby Leslie was productive, too, gaining 23 points.
The make-up of that ESM game would follow Tuesday’s trip to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown and come before Friday night’s game at Syracuse’s Institute of Technology Central.