The Lowry High School boys basketball team fought through the final week of the regular season two pick up two wins in three games to secure the No. 3 seed from the Northern 3A East in this week Northern 3A Regional Championships in Winnemucca.
The Buckaroos ended the regular season at 14-10 overall, 5-5 in the Northern 3A East and 11-5 in the Northern 3A.
“I wish we were the No. 2 seed but we had one bad weekend on the road and that cost us,” said LHS coach Chad Peters. “We win one game that weekend and we are a No. 2 seed and don’t have to go through Elko in the semifinals. If you would have bet me at the beginning of the year that this team would be where they are and playing like they are I would tell you that you are crazy.”
Lowry 55,
South Tahoe 43
Lowry closed out its stretch of games with the Northern 3A West when it hosted South Tahoe on Wednesday, Feb. 9. The Buckaroos were without Peters coaching and players Iysis Arriola and Zach Fernandez.
“The biggest thing we did, is come out and play without Iysis and Zach and played one of our best games of the year,” Peters. “They are one of the top teams in the West and we swept the West this year, which was one of our goals.”
Lowry overcame a 13-point deficit in the first half to beat the Vikings 55-43. South Tahoe scored nine of the first 11 points of the night, as Ismael Magana scored all six of the Buckaroos’ first-quarter points.
South Tahoe led 16-6 after eight minutes of play and that advantage grew to 19-6 after the Vikings opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer.
The margin grew to 24-11, when Isaac Danner took a steal and converted a layup, which started a 13-0 run to close the first half.
Moments later, the Vikings frustration led to a technical foul that changed the momentum. After Jordan Bills made 1-of-2 free throws on the technical foul, Lance Brinegar made back-to-back 3-pointers to close the gap to 24-22. Brinegar also knocked down a shot at the halftime buzzer to tie the game at 24 and close out the 13-0 run.
In a low-scoring third quarter, Brinegar made his third 3-pointer of the night to give Lowry a 31-29 lead. South Tahoe claimed the early momentum in the fourth quarter, breaking a 31 tie when Cal Peters was called for his fourth foul just 29 seconds into the quarter.
The Vikings did not convert the 3-point play but got the rebound and finished off another old-fashioned 3-point play to lead 35-31.
Lowry junior Marcos Rodriguez took over in the pain from there, scoring six points to give Lowry the lead back at 39-37.
A reverse layup by Brinegar with 3:35 kept the Lowry at three points when South Tahoe hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 41 with 2:28 to play.
The Buckaroos scored the next points off a basket by freshman Matthew Casalez, two free throws by Giovani Sapien and a basket by Bills with 60 seconds to play. South Tahoe scored its final points to make the score 47-43, but Sapien quickly added two free throws. Danner added two late baskets increased the lead to 53-43 and Lowry closed out the games with free throws after a second technical foul on South Tahoe.
Magana paced Lowry with 14 points and Brinegar joined in him in double figures with 13. Bills netted nine points, Danner seven, Rodriguez six, Sapien five and Peters one.
Lowry 60,
Spring Creek 48
Lowry closed out its regular season home schedule this past Friday night and beat Spring Creek 60-48 to complete the season sweep of the Spartans.
Brinegar scored 12 of Lowry’s 16 points in the opening quarter, making three 3-pointers.
However, the Spartans made the game close, staying with in three points of the Buckaroos in the first quarter. Spring Creek finished last in the Northern 3A East at 0-10.
Brinegar opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer but Lowry made just one more field goal in the quarter, a shot by Danner. Spring Creek did not do much on offense as well, as Lowry led 21-19 at the break.
The Buckaroos pulled away in the third quarter, as Bills caught fire from behind the arch and made two 3-pointers and had 10 points in the third quarter. Peters added a pair of buckets to push the lead to 38-26.
Lowry saw that double-digit lead go away with less than two minutes to play, as Spring Creek rallied to trail 50-48.
That was as close as the Spartans got, as Brinegar answered with a 3-pointer and on a third attempt Peters put back a shot to give Lowry a 55-48 lead. Bills added three free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
Brinegar had a team-high 18 points and Bills and Peters joined him in double figures with 13 and 10, respectively.
Danner had eight points, Rodriguez five, Sapien four and Magana two.
“I am so proud of the growth of this team,” added the coach. “The growth they have made on the floor and as young men. Their confidence is so much better. Senior night is so tough to play. You can’t judge them on senior night. There are a lot of teams that are done today. We are still playing. I love this team and I love my seniors. This my senior class.”
Elko 70,
Lowry 24
Lowry ended the regular season on Saturday afternoon and lost 70-24 to rival Elko. Elko scored the first 11 points of the contest and Lowry did not score until there were 51 seconds left in the opening period.
Justin Scott knocked down a 3-pointer for Lowry and Sapien made a pair of baskets, but Elko caught fire from the field with a 33-point second quarter to lead 46-11 at the half.
Scott led Lowry with five points, Sapien had four, and Arriola, Bills and Casalez had three points each.
Lowry will face either South Tahoe or Wooster in the opening round of the Northern 3A Regional Championships in Winnemucca. South Tahoe and Wooster played a make-up game on Monday.
If Lowry wins that game, it would play the winner of Elko and Sparks on Friday the Winnemucca Event Center at 6:15 p.m.
The championship game is set for 4:15 on Saturday.
