WINNEMUCCA - Going into Tuesday night's Ruby Mountain League opener with Elko, not many gave the Lowry High School varsity girls basketball team a chance to beat the reigning Division I-A state runner-up.
The Indians entered the night undefeated in their first six Division I-A contests, while the Lady Bucks split their first six games.
None of that seemed to matter as Lowry fed off the capacity crowd in attendance to lead 34-32 in the fourth quarter. But the Lady Bucks couldn't hold onto the advantage as the Indians made seven free throws in the final 2:46 to beat Lowry 50-40 in Winnemucca and avoid the upset.
"We got down by 10 in the second quarter and it didn't look good," said LHS head coach Jack Smith. "After starting in a zone, we went back to the press and it created some problems for Elko. We were able to rally and make a game of it. It's tough to take morale victories but I was proud of how we played. It was a confidence booster. The girls are pumped up and know they can play with anybody."
Alyssa Dendary hit the first of her four 3-point field goals to bring Lowry within a point at 6-5 in the first quarter, only to see Elko counter with the final seven points of the opening period and the first two of the second quarter to lead 15-5.
Taylor Schwartz contributed four of her 10 points in the second quarter, but the Lady Bucks could get no closer than seven points by halftime.
Lowry (5-10 overall, 3-4 Division I-A, 0-1 Ruby Mountain League) caught fire from the field in the third quarter as Dendary made two 3-point field goals and Evatz connected from long distance to cap off a 9-2 run to close the gap to 24-22.
After Dendary's second 3-point shot, the Lady Bucks created a turnover on defense and Evatz went to the basket for a shot and made the bucket. However, it was waived off due to an offensive foul by the senior.
"I think that was a pivotal point in the game," Smith said. "Alyssa just hit a 3-point shot and if that foul call goes the other way that put us up a point. I really couldn't tell if it was offensive or not. That is just a play you could build on and it changes the momentum on both sides."
Elko scored the next time down the floor to increase the margin to four points, but Lowry didn't go away. Schwartz hit a 15-foot jump shot following a steal and Dendary made her third 3-point field goal of the third quarter to put the Lady Bucks up 27-26. The sophomore ended the night with 16 points.
There were two more lead changes in the final two minutes of the quarter, when Shelby McKinnon hit a 3-point field goal to tie the game at 32-32 entering the fourth period.
Dendary made the opening basket of the fourth quarter to put Lowry up 34-32, the final advantage for the Lady Bucks. Elko caught a break on two occasions in the final eight minutes of play, scoring baskets after missing free throws.
"Those are the kind of plays that just hurt you," added the coach. "You can't give up those points. We have to block out and rebound better."
Playing with four fouls, freshman Payton Naveran netted four points midway through the fourth quarter to keep the Lady Bucks within a point, at 39-38. Schwartz added two free throws for Lowry to make the score 43-40 with 2:46 to play, but the Lady Bucks did not score the rest of the game and the Indians made seven free throws to clinch the victory.
"I can't fault the spirit on this team," Smith said. "They have a lot of heart and play as hard as they can. No one gave them a chance tonight."
Naveran scored six points for Lowry, McKinnon and Evatz three each and Alyssa Jones two.
The Lady Bucks travel to Battle Mountain tonight to face the Lady Longhorns in a Ruby Mountain League matchup at 6 p.m.
[[In-content Ad]]
