SPRING CREEK — Even though it may be frustrating at times, the young Lowry High School boys basketball team has ran into some bumps in the road in the first two weeks of the season.
After opening the season with four games in Reno against much larger schools, the Buckaroos just finished a stretch of three league contests on the road in a seven-day stretch.
Lowry was in Spring Creek on Tuesday to close the road trip and dropped a 47-46 decision to the Spartans after a last-second shot was no good. The Buckaroos are 0-3 in the Northern 3A and 0-7 overall. Two of the league losses have come by one point.
“This was by far the best effort and game we have played this year,” said LHS coach Chad Peters. “We got great minutes from everyone that was on the floor. I was very pleased. I am the most pleased 0-7 coach in Lowry basketball history. We could easily be 2-1 in the league right now. We knew it could be a rough December, but we are learning. Now, we need to find a way to finish games.”
Lowry scored five of the first six points of the night behind baskets from Brady Lange and Dorsey Naveran. However, the Buckaroos did not score in the last 4:40 of the first quarter, as the Spartans closed out the period on a 9-9 run. Spring Creek did not make its field goal until there was 4:25 left go in the opening quarter.
It took Spring Creek nearly three minutes to score its first points of the second quarter, which increased the advantage to 13-7. A runner by Jed Teichert and four free throws by Naveran closed the gap to 17-13 with just under three minutes to play in the first half.
The teams traded buckets for the final couple minutes, when Brendan Domire gave the Buckaroos a momentum boost as the sophomore hit a 45-foot shot at the halftime buzzer to tie the game at 21.
The Spartans made the first basket of the second half, but the Buckaroos quickly countered with a 10-0, which was started by baskets by Naveran and Kobe Stoker. Dominic Solis and Domire jumped into the fray with baskets that gave Lowry a 31-23 lead.
“I thought our younger kids are playing better,” Peters said. “This was their first trip out here. They have to learn you cant play with your hands on the opposing player. I thought the kids did a good job of switching out of things on the fly.”
As it was the case in the first quarter, Lowry experienced another scoring drought in the final 3:30 of the third quarter. Joe Taylor connected on a baseline jump shot in that time span. Spring Creek netted five points in the final 22 seconds to close the Lowry lead 33-32 at the start of the fourth quarter.
In the opening moments of the fourth quarter, Spring Creek turned a Lowry miscue into an easy layup and a one-point lead. However, the Buckaroos quickly countered with baskets from Naveran, Taylor and Stoker to go up 39-34 with 6:10 to play.
The back-and-forth battle ensued from there, as Spring Creek came back to tie the game at 40, when Taylor put Lowry in front with 3:36 to go. The advantage changed hand three more times in a minute span, with Lowry going in front for the final time at 46-45 on basket by Stoker with 56 seconds left.
The next time down the floor, Spring Creek went ahead 47-46 on a short jump shot. The momentum continued to shift to the Spartans as Domire was called for a charging foul as he drove to the basket for the possible go ahead shot.
The Spartans had a chance to put the game out of reach, but missed four free throws in a three-second span.
The Buckaroos had a chance for the winning shot with 15 seconds to play. Lowry called a timeout to set up the final play, but Teichert could not get off clean shot at the basket.
“We are getting some things thrown at us that we haven’t seen yet,” Peters said. “We have to battle through it and fix it on the fly. We were at one level when we played Fallon, at another level at Fernley and another level tonight. We are making baby steps.”
Naveran led Lowry with 12 points, while Taylor had eight points and Stoker and Domire each had seven. Taylor netted six points, Solis and Teichert three each and Dylan Kalkoske two.
Lowry makes its home debut on Tuesday against Reed at 6 p.m.
“It has been a tough stretch in the first two weeks,” Peters said. “Now, we get a chance to get back on the practice floor and work on some things.”
