The Lowry High School girls basketball team took on league-leading Fallon in its last home game of the season and dropped a 65-60 decision to the two-time defending 3A state champion.
The Lady Bucks didn’t get a win, but LHS girls varsity head coach Melanie Thurmond saw the brighter side of the game.
“I am super happy with tonight’s game, because the last time that we played Fallon we lost by 20 plus points.” Thurmond said. "We came out and played scared. Tonight we stayed with them the entire game. They pulled away with some quick turnovers, but we climbed back and stuck with them the rest of the time.”
The two teams know each other well, playing in the 3A regional and state championship games over the past two years. Fallon won all four of those games.
With the loss, Lowry sits at 11-9 overall and 10-4 in league play, giving them third place in the Northern 3A. The Lady Bucks and Greenwave have already clinched playoff berths, along with second-place Spring Creek.
“Sierra (Maestrejuan) came out and played really well for us, and Emily (Backus) was the difference when she came in to keep us right there,” Thurmond said.
Backus was 3-for-3 from the 3-point line in the first quarter to keep the Lady Bucks close at the end of the first, when they were down just 18-17. Lowry rallied in the first quarter after trailing 11-1 to start the contest.
Lowry was behind 34-32 at the half and they were close until the end. The Lady Bucks stayed within two buckets of the Greenwave until the final 65-60 tally.
Lowry hits the road for South Tahoe on Friday for a 6 p.m. tip and then the Lady Bucks go to Dayton on Saturday at 1 p.m.
“We have to go to South Lake Tahoe and Dayton now,” Thurmond said. “We didn’t have any problem with either of those teams the last time that we played them, but South Lake has been playing better lately. If we can get by Tahoe, then we have one more game coming up against Fernley that will be tough.”
The final two games of the league season for Lowry will be in Fernley on Feb. 15, and then they travel to Sparks for the regular season finale on Feb. 16.
“I am not giving up any of my secrets about what we are working on right now, but we have a little something in our bag for Spring Creek,” added Thurmond.
The Northern 3A Regional Championships will be held Feb. 21-23 at North Valleys High School in Reno. The top two teams receive a bye in the first round.
Churchill County (Fallon) is undefeated at 15-0 and Spring Creek is in second place at 12-2. Fernley sits close behind the Lady Bucks in fourth at 9-5, and Truckee is waiting in the wings at 8-5.
