After dropping two of its four Northern 3A games by a point, the Lowry High School boys basketball team was looking to get back into playoff contention on its home floor on Friday night.
Playing for just the second time in Winnemucca this year, the Buckaroos used a strong defensive effort to beat Sparks 46-39 to improve to 1-4 in league play.
“We played better in the second half, but fell apart for a few minutes in the fourth quarter,” said LHS coach Chad Peters. “We let them back in the game when we should not have. It was frustrating, but I was pleased with how they responded down the stretch.”
Baskets were difficult to come by in the first half, as the Lowry defense held Sparks to two field goals and eight points in the first 16 minutes. Dorsey Naveran and Joe Taylor scored all eight of Lowry’s points in the first quarter to give the Buckaroos an 8-2 advantage.
The Railroaders did not make their first field goal until the 7:48 mark of the second quarter. Sparks was able to cut the gap to two points, but Lowry answered back with a bucket by Kobe Stoker and consecutive 3-pointers by Jed Teichert and Brendan Domire to increase the margin back to 10 points at 16-6. The Railroaders did not make a basket in the final seven minutes of the first half.
Domire, Taylor and Stoker did all the damage for the Buckaroos in the third quarter, as the trio combined for all 12 points. Stoker’s final basket of the third quarter gave Lowry a 28-13 lead.
“Brendan finally came out tonight and played like he has been in practice,” Peters said. “I have to remember that we have a lot of young kids on the team. They question themselves sometimes, but they just need to go out and play.”
Domire netted the first five points for Lowry in the fourth quarter to push the advantage to 33-18. Lowry led by as many as 16 points at 42-26 with three minutes to play, but the Railroaders roared back to cut the margin to 44-39 with 23 seconds to play. Domonic Solis sealed the win with two free throws with :02 to play.
“We started tonight in last place in the league,” said the coach. “We are starting on the ground and just took our first step up. We are only worrying about the next game and that is Dayton at home. We have to win that game. If we win that game, we go up another step.”
Lowry falls to Elko
Entering Thursday’s match-up between Elko and Lowry, the five-time defending regional champion Indians were definitely the favorite — but the offensive flow and defensive shut-down of Elko was remarkable. Elko opened a 43-12 halftime lead and cruised to a 60-36 victory over the rival Buckaroos.
“It came down to where we pulled our starters and they pulled theirs,” Peters said. “We won the third and the fourth quarters. I don’t care if you say they didn’t have their starters in — it does not matter. We still compete for quarters. It does not matter if we are up by 24 or down by 24. Elko is a good team.”
The Buckaroos opened the game with the first bucket, a baseline jumper by Taylor. Elko sophomore Alex Klekas freed himself along the baseline for the Indians’ first score of the game, beginning a one-side affair from that point forward.
Eric Klekas knocked down a contested mid-range jumper from the left wing, and senior Cole Smith sank an extremely tough bank shot after contorting his body to avoid being blocked.
Eric Klekas made a steal and finished with a left-handed layup, but Lowry responded with a follow-up finish by Domire. However, the Indians would pitch a shutout for the remainder of the period – and Eric Klekas went crazy hot.
He ripped off a personal 9-0 run, all coming by way of three balls.
The first triple came off an assist by junior Stockton Salyer after receiving a pass and kicking back out from the high post, the second triple came off a pass to Alex Klekas – who returned it right back to big brother at the top of the arc, and the third straight shot from distance was splashed after an assist from Smith.
Returning the favor, Eric Klekas found little brother Alex in the corner for a three of his own for the final bucket of the period.
In the blink of an eye, the Indians opened a 20-4 lead entering the second quarter.
Smith began the second frame with a three from the right wing — coming off exceptional ball movement by the Indians — a baseline drive by senior Kyrin Allen and pass to Alex Klekas, who then made the extra pass to a wide-open Smith.
Domire scored for the Buckaroos, but Allen went the distance on Lowry’s next possession – finishing a coast-to-coast dribble with a rim-rocking, one-handed flush at the basket.
Lowry junior Darian Solis scored in the lane for the Buckaroos, but Allen spun and finished on the right block for Elko.
Eric Klekas lined up his fourth three of the first half, and then he made a steal and coasted in for an easy layup.
Lowry took a timeout with 3:46 remaining in the half, trailing 32-8.
Out of the break, Solis notched another deuce for the Buckaroos, but Eric Klekas finished an And 1 on the fly at the right block and nailed the free throw.
Alex Klekas drilled another three on an assist from Eric Klekas, and then Alex made a nifty, cross-key reverse with a trail defender flying behind him.
Taylor posted the final bucket of the half for Lowry, but Eric Klekas made a shake-and-bake triple on the other end – hitting his fifth three of the half.
The Indians blew open a 43-12 lead at intermission, with Eric Klekas doubling up Lowry in the first 16 minutes with 24 points.
Alex Klekas closed the first half with 10 points. He picked up right where he left off in the third period, opening with a deuce.
Junior Jose Zataray sank a free throw, but Lowry scored back-to-back buckets by Stoker and an old-fashioned 3-point play by Taylor.
Eric Klekas wrapped up his night early, making a steal and going in for the finish.
He sat for the remainder of the game, still racking up 28 points.
Senior Isaiah Nelson scored for the Indians on a dish from Zataray, but Lowry went on a 7-0 run on two free throws by junior Riley Sakurada, a deuce by Ren Mattson and a triple by junior Dylan Kalloske.
Lowry hosts Dayton on Friday 6 p.m. and South Tahoe on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Elko Daily Free Press sports editor Anthony Mori contributed to this story.
