WINNEMUCCA - The Lowry High School junior varsity girls basketball team finished the year on a high note, winning its final two games of the season this past weekend at home.
The Lady Bucks (14-11 overall, 6-4 Ruby Mountain League) defeated White Pine 37-34 on Friday afternoon and West Wendover 49-12 on Saturday morning to finish with six wins in the last seven games.
"It was a good way for us to end the season," said LHS head coach Chelsea Mendiola. "The girls have come a long way since the beginning of the season and improved a bunch. We played shorthanded all season but the girls fought through it and I couldn't be more proud of them."
In the win over West Wendover, Lowry picked up baskets from Shelby McKinnon and Alyssa Jones to help build a 9-2 lead after eight minutes of play. The Lady Bucks' defense stepped up from there and allowed just three field goals in the final three quarters, with one of those coming off a banked 3-point shot to end the game.
Lowry was 6-of-8 from the free throw line in the second quarter and 9-of-14 in the first half, as West Wendover put itself in early foul trouble. Seven different players scored points in the second period, including five from Alyssa Jones and three more by Rachel Jones, as Lowry went on an 18-0 run to lead 27-4 at halftime.
"The girls came out and worked hard and we were able to get everyone to score," Mendiola said. "They did the little things that we have been working on all season and that was nice to see. That is just part of the improvement."
The Wolverines snapped a nearly 13-minute-long scoreless streak with a basket in the first 30 seconds of the third quarter, but points came few and far between for West Wendover. Rachel Sigurdson provided six of Lowry's 11 points in the third quarter to help increase the lead to 38-8.
The Wolverines went nearly five minutes without scoring a point in the fourth quarter before making a free throw at the 3:16 mark. Lowry scored 11 of the first 12 points in the final quarter and the game went into a running clock with a minute left on a jump shot by Lexi Coleman.
All nine of the Lady Buckaroos scored, with Sigurdson pacing the squad with 10 points. Alyssa Jones, Jasmin Landa and Jaecee Munger each scored seven, Chandra Waner five, Rachel Jones two and Meg Montero one.
"Chandra made some nice post moves and got some shots off and everyone played well," added the coach. "They were fun to watch today. It was very pleasing as a coach to see how they matured."
Lowry earned some revenge on Friday afternoon with its three-point win over White Pine, after losing by 15 points in Ely to the 2A school.
"The first time we played them we never got off the bus," Mendiola said. "This time the girls bought into what we were saying and it all started with the defense. The girls came out and played tough defense. It was night and day from the first time we played. They led us for much of the first half but we were able to come back from behind."
Lowry trailed 12-8 after a quarter of play but came back to tie the game at halftime at 19-19, as McKinnon scored eight of those first-half points. Alyssa Jones added four points in the half and Sigurdson was 3-of-4 from the free throw line in the first 16 minutes of play.
The Lady Bucks spent much of the third quarter at the free throw line, making 5-of-7 shots from the charity stripe. McKinnon had the only field goal for Lowry, who took a 26-25 lead into the fourth quarter.
Lowry was back at the free throw line 14 times in the fourth quarter, making half of them. Alyssa Jones and Shelby McKinnon each made baskets, as the Lady Bucks secured the win.
McKinnon and Alyssa Jones paced Lowry with 16 and 11 points, respectively. Sigurdson added five, Wanner and Munger two each and Montero one.
"It was a great win for us and each day we set a goal for us to accomplish," Mendiola said. "Our first goal was to finish undefeated in league but we did not do that. We came back later in the year to beat two teams we had lost to and were within two points of Elko. It's sad that the season is over and I will miss them, but they have good futures ahead of them."[[In-content Ad]]
