WINNEMUCCA - For the first time since winning the state championship in 2010, the Lowry High School varsity girls basketball team is headed to the playoffs.
The introduction of the pod system three seasons ago played a part in that with the Lady Bucks in the same pod as Elko and Spring Creek. Even though Lowry may have been the third best team in the north, it was left out as only the top two teams were taken from the respective three leagues.
The system changed this year and the Lady Bucks reached the playoffs with a 3-7 Division I-A record. Lowry began its preparations for the postseason by closing out the regular part of its schedule this past weekend at home.
Lowry (8-16 overall, 3-7 Division I-A, 3-7 Ruby Mountain) lost 47-34 to White Pine on Friday, while coming back to beat West Wendover 67-25 on Saturday. Even with the playoff berth, the Lady Bucks went through their first losing season since the 1997-98 season, when they were a member of the 4A (now Division I).
White Pine's Bailey Moore proved to be a thorn in the side of Lowry as she scored 21 of the Lady Bobcats' 47 points.
"Bailey is a good player and tough to defend," said LHS head coach Jack Smith. "Her teammates feed off of her. White Pine is a good team."
White Pine, the reigning Division III state runner-up, took a 10-9 lead after eight minutes of play. Carli Evatz netted five points for the Lady Bucks, while Alyssa Dendary added four. Moore had six points for the Lady Bobcats.
White Pine gradually increased the advantage to six points entering the fourth quarter and was able to double up Lowry in the fourth period for the final outcome. The Lady Bucks were within six points late in the game, when the Lady Bobcats hit free throws late in the game to extend the margin to double figures.
Lowry was whistled for 20 fouls as White Pine shot 26 free throws on the night. The Lady Bobcats were just 13-of-26 from the charity stripe. The Lady Bucks were just 2-of-10 from the foul line.
Evatz led Lowry with 13 points, while Dendary added 10. Kylee McClellan had five, Taylor Schwartz four and Meg Montero two.
Lowry closed out the regular season with a 42-point win over West Wendover. The Lady Bucks had three players in double figures with Evatz and McClellan scoring 15 points apiece.
Lowry led 37-18 at halftime and broke the contest open with a 20-4 run in the third quarter to push the advantage to 32 points.
"We were working on some things to get ready for Spring Creek on Wednesday," Smith said. "We are going to try some different things and see if that works. They love to run in transition and we are going to try to stop them."
Dendary added 13 points, Schwartz six, Shelby McKinnon four, Alyssa Jones three and Montero, Jaecee Munger, Rachel Jones and Payton Naveran two each.
Lowry traveled to Spring Creek on Tuesday, Feb. 5, for the final Division I-A game of the season. The Lady Bucks were within points after a quarter of play only to see the defending state champion outscore Lowry 44-13 in the middle two quarters in the 67-24 win.
"We played well for a quarter but it got out of hand in the second half," added the coach. "They were making shots and we got tired."
Dendary led Lowry with seven points, McKinnon and Schwartz had four each, Naveran three and Rachel Jones, McClellan and Evatz two each.
Lowry travels to Spring Creek on Wednesday to play the Lady Spartans in the opening round of the Division I-A North Regional Championships. Elko beat Spring Creek 50-48 this past Friday to earn the No. 1 seed and dropping Spring Creek to No. 2. If the Lady Bucks win they will play either Churchill County or Fernley at 3 p.m. on Friday at Wooster High School in Reno.
"We are going there to win," Smith said. "We are in the playoffs and want to have some fun. We want to go out and win. We have nothing to lose."
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