If you look at the scoreboard from this past Friday’s game between the Lowry High School varsity basketball team and Dayton you would see the final score at 53-10.
Despite a 43-point win, the Lady Bucks were not completely happy with the outcome and are still looking to improve and hit their stride.
“We are okay,” said LHS coach Jesse Zamudio. “It was a long week for us. We have some bumps and bruises and a lot of us didn’t feel the greatest.”
A week after knocking down seven 3-pointers in a blow out win at Fallon, Lowry rarely took a long-distant shot against Dayton and didn’t have a 3-pointer on the night.
Lowry used its defensive pressure from the start to build a 6-0 within the opening minute of the game off of baskets by McKenzi Petersen, Savannah Stoker and Jovi Kuskie.
Stoker scored 14 of her game-high 22 points the first eight minutes of play. The sophomore surpassed the Dust Devils’ total in the first quarter.
“We all feel the expectations that are on us,” Stoker said. “We all want to work hard to reach our goal at the end of the season. We have a target on our back and everyone is going to give us their best game.”
The Lady Bucks continued to pour it on in the opening period, picking up easy baskets from Hannah Whitted, Mia Hernandez, Stoker, Petersen and Kuskie.
Lowry (10-3 overall, 2-0 Northern 3A East) led 26-6 after the first quarter and held Dayton scoreless in the second quarter.
Alexandra Barocio and Kailey Franklin added to the scoring attack late in the first half, as Lowry led 36-6 at the break.
“We are not where we want to be right now,” Kuskie said. “I think there is still room for improvement. We have grown a lot since the beginning of the season but we still haven’t played our best.”
The Lady Bucks added the first seven points of the third quarter, after an opening layup by Emily Backus and two buckets by Stoker.
Dayton’s scoreless streak hit nearly 12 minutes, before scoring with 4:28 to play in the third quarter. That was the only points for the Dust Devils in the quarter. The Lowry lead grew to 51-8 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Stoker was the lone Lady Buckaroo in double figures with 22 points, while Franklin added eight. Petersen netted six points, Kuskie and Hernandez four each and Whitted, Barocio, Backus, Alexis Olson and Megan Cook two each.
“We have a solid group of players,” Kuskie said. “The couple trips to Las Vegas really brought us together. It is an entire team effort for us right now.”
“Everyone stepped for us,” Stoker said. “It is just not the starting five. Everyone does their part to contribute.”
Lowry’s scheduled game against Fernley on Saturday was postponed due to Covid within the Fernley program. The game will be rescheduled for a later date.
Lowry is scheduled to travel to Spring Creek on Wednesday in a battle that will determine the top spot in the Northern 3A. Spring Creek and Lowry are Ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the 3A by MaxPreps. The Spartans are ranked No. 7 in the state and Lowry No. 11. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
Lowry is back home Friday to play Wooster at 6 p.m. and Elko travels to Winnemucca on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip.
“We have some real tests coming up,” Stoker said. “The schedule is going to get tougher but we look forward to playing tough games.”
