The Lowry High School girls varsity basketball squad shone last weekend to improve to 7-2 in league play and 8-7 overall.
On Friday night at Pat Hart Court, the Lady Bucks took on Fernley and won a back-and-forth battle 52-43.
“I knew this could be a dangerous game because I had watched the scores that Fernley had against teams that we had already played,” said LHS coach Melanie Thurmond. “They only lost to Spring Creek by seven points, and Truckee beat them by five, so we knew it could be a tight game against them. We did what we needed to do and we pulled out the win.”
LHS junior Sierra Maestrejuan led all scorers with 17 points, while adding six steals and five rebounds. Heather Hall and Emily Backus both added nine points, and Sydney Connors had eight points and four rebounds.
Connors is leading the Lady Bucks with nine points and five rebounds per game on average. Maestrejuan is averaging eight points a game and Juli Garcia is contributing seven. The team is averaging 48 points per game.
“This was a really fun game," Maestrejuan said after the Fernley game. "We were anticipating it to be a big game and we came together and played really well. Our season is going pretty good. We had a tough loss against Spring Creek, but I think we can bounce back when we play them at home next time. I was sick for a couple of games, but, I am back, and I am ready to go. Basketball is definitely my favorite sport. I love the hustle and the intensity of it. The game is individual, but you also have to rely so much on your teammates and that family bond that you have. Helping my teammates succeed is my favorite part of the game; I would rather they get the basket off of my assist.”
On Saturday, Sparks came to Winnemucca and the Lady Bucks knocked the Railroaders off the tracks with a 48-2 win.
“The girls played a solid game, executing our plays, sharing the basketball, and overall taking care of the ball well," Thurmond said. "For the second time this year we met our free throw goal shooting percentage at 75.”
Maestrejuan had nine points, Adia Bengochea added eight points and four steals and Connors grabbed 11 rebounds.
“This week was the end of the first half of league play,” Thurmond said. “The girls are still sitting in good standing for league, currently in 3rd place behind Spring Creek and Fallon. Spring Creek was a game we should have won and I still feel that we can give Fallon a good run. The girls are continuing to work hard at practice and our defense continues to improve. Going into the second half of league play, I would like to come out on top of our tougher games; Truckee, Spring Creek, Fernley, and Fallon.”
North Valleys hosts Lowry on Jan. 25 for a 6 p.m. game, and the Lady Bucks go to Truckee on Jan. 26 at 1 p.m.
“This week we head out on our first weekend away trip since our Boise tournament," added the coach. "We have North Valleys on Friday night and Truckee on Saturday. Truckee has been stirring some things up in the league. They beat Fernley by five and were close to Spring Creek. We have to make sure that we go out and execute or they will give us problems. As I always tell the girls, we are just focusing one game at a time.”
