Lowry shocks Fernley to win back-to-back state championships
RENO — About the only people that gave the Lowry High School girls basketball a chance to beat Fernley in Saturday’s NIAA 3A A State Championship game at Lawlor Events Center in Reno was the squad itself and the Buckaroo fans in the stands.
The Vaqueros beat the Lady Bucks by a combined 52 points in three previous games this season.
After losing the regional championship 57-39 a week ago, Lowry went back to the drawing board.
The Lady Bucks drew something special, as Lowry shocked Fernley 58-53 to win back-to-back-state titles and the eighth crown in school history, which is eighth most in the state of Nevada. Lowry also ended Fernley’s 29-game win streak.
The Lady Bucks ended the year at 26-4 and are 53-7 during their state title run over the last two years.
“I don’t even know what to say or where to start,” said LHS coach Chelsea Cabatbat. “That might be one of the best wins in program history. Everyone contributed and we needed that. We didn’t have the easiest season. We were sick most of the year, we had only nine or 10 girls, we had injuries. We had a lot going on emotionally. These girls came to practice every day, wanted to get better and believed in our system and what we do. We went back to the drawing board and tried some new stuff. That didn’t work, so we just went back to what we do best, went to a half-court man and played great defense. It may not be the funnest thing to do in practice but defense wins you championships.”
It may go unnoticed in the scorebook at times, but Cabatbat pointed to Kailey Franklin and her play in the last couple weeks and all year.
The coach noted that Franklin, a senior, was pivotal in shutting down Jaelece Wasson, one of the Vaqueros’ best players.
“She is my MVP, my Buckaroo and has been through the worst of worst and through hell this year,” said the coach. “All year she has been so positive and taught me about life. She came in everyday with a positive attitude and got the girls excited. Tonight, she made a couple big shots and then shut Wasson down the entire night. Kailey did such a fantastic job of making Wasson throw up crazy shots.”
Franklin knocked down the opening basket of the game along the baseline, when Fernley answered with eight straight points.
The senior knocked down another short jumper that cut the Vaquero lead to 8-4.
Trailing 18-10, Lowry scored the final six points of the opening quarter on two old-fashioned 3-point plays, by Savannah Stoker.
The junior finished with 31 points. Her two-game total of 55 points was the third most by a girls player in state basketball history.
Fernley buried a 3-pointer at the start of the second quarter, when Bryce Brinkerhoff hit a jumper and Stoker nailed a 3-pointer to close the gap to 23-21. Brinkerhoff returned after getting hurt against North Valleys in the regional semifinal.
“Bryce came in and did some big things for us,” Cabatbat said. “The girls came in and hit big shots when we needed it. The effort by the entire team was amazing.”
Britain Backus and Stoker combined to score Lowry’s final 12 points of the first half to give the Lady Bucks a 30-27 lead at halftime — one they would not relinquish.
Lowry scored the first seven points of the third quarter, behind a 3-pointer from Backus and baskets by Stoker and Brinkerhoff.
Fernley ended the run with a 3-pointer with 4:20 left in the third quarter, but a basket by Backus and two free throws pushed the Lowry advantage back to 41-32.
It got tense for Lowry at the start of the fourth quarter, as Backus went down to the floor holding her knee after driving to the basket.
After a short delay she went to the bench. Lowry led by nine points at the time, when Fernley came back to cut the deficit to 48-43.
With her knee taped up, Backus got back on the floor, but the Vaqueros made a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 48-46 with 3:48 to go, when Brinkerhoff hit a short jumper the next time down the floor for Lowry.
Fernley hit another 3-pointer and trailed by a point at 50-49 with 3:15 to play.
Both teams traded free throws and Lowry led 52-51 with under two minutes to play when Fernley missed a layup to take the lead. Lowry got the rebound and Brinkerhoff nailed a jumper from the baseline to give Lowry a 54-51 lead with just over a minute to play.
Fernley cut the gap to a point once against at 54-53, but Stoker made four free throws with 25 and 11 seconds, respectively to secure the win.
“Savannah and Brit are amazing basketball players offensively and defensively,” Cabatbat said. “At first, I didn’t know how bad Brit was hurt. All I could here was Bryce saying you are going back in the game, you are going back in. Savannah hit some huge free throws at the end. That is why we practice them every day when we are tired and can’t move anymore.”
Lowry 52,
Moapa Valley 44
Lowry beat Moapa Valley 52-44 the previous night to reach the championship game. The Lady Bucks never trailed in the contest and opened up a 14-6 lead in the first quarter.
Lowry led 27-15 in the second quarter after buckets by Brinkerhoff and Backus.
After seeing the advantage drop to 33-26 at halftime, Lowry built a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter and never looked back. Stoker and Backus paced Lowry with 24 and 16 points, respectively.
Franklin added six points, Hernandez four and Brinkerhoff two.
Lowry graduates five seniors off the squad.
“You can’t win state championships without everybody,” Cabatbat said. “We moved a couple JV players because we were so depleted and they contributed. It just an exciting time for us.”