Lowry's Matthew Casalez comes down with a rebound in Friday's home game with South Tahoe.
If there is anything we have learned in the first two weeks of the season, the Lowry High School boys basketball team is going to be a fun group to watch.
With new coach Brandon Eastman and long-time assistant Dave Schwartz helping, the Buckaroos have shown new excitement on the floor, after struggling the past few years to find a cohesive unit.
That was no different last week, as Lowry took on three Northern 3A West opponents.
The Buckaroos cruised to a 55-26 road win over Truckee on Wednesday, Dec. 11, but lost to weekend games by a combined five points. Lowry made its home debut on Friday, losing 61-57 to South Tahoe and lost 58-57 in overtime to North Valleys in Reno on Saturday.
Lowry 55,
Truckee 26
Lowry’s trip to the California mountains was all but done after eight minutes of play with a 23-2 lead after eight minutes of play. The Buckaroos led 42-6 at halftime, as the remained of the game was played with a running clock, as part of the NIAA mercy rule.
Lowry scored just 13 points in the second half, taking its foot off the pedal and slowing down its pace from its usual get up the floor quick pace.
Senior Matthew Casalez led all scorers with 18 points to go with three steals and a block.
Lowry's Trevor Crawford goes up for a shot.
Brent Kenison added eight points, sophomore Byron Jimenez knocked two 3-pointers for six points, along with three assists.
Senior Kayd Garner contributed four points, three rebounds, an assist and steal and Txema Bengochea had three points.
Jovanny Cuevas, Angus Boyles, Luis Mendoza and Trevor Crawford had two points apiece. In all, 10 Lowry players scored on the night.
South Tahoe 61, Lowry 57
In Lowry’s home debut on Friday night, the Buckaroo crowd got on its feet quickly off of 3-pointers by Jimenez and Casalez to start the night. South Tahoe quickly came back with seven straight points to lead 7-6, when Lowry netted the next eight points. Casalez ended the Viking run with a 3-pointer and Jaden Jimenez added five straight points, as the Buckaroos eventually led 14-11 after eight minutes of play.
Both offenses took a break in a low-scoring second quarter, as Lowry erased a 16-14 deficit and led 22-18 after back-to-back 3-pointers from Byron and Jaden Jimenez. Lowry took a 24-20 lead into the break.
Two baskets by Byron Jimenez and a free throw from Bengochea forced South Tahoe to take a timeout with 5:47 left in the third quarter, trailing 30-23.
Three-pointers By Crawford and Byron Jimenez kept Lowry in front, until the final seconds of the third quarter, where the Vikings scored the last four points, including a 3-pointer with :02 left to tie the game at 43-43.
South Tahoe carried that momentum to the fourth quarter and capped off a 9-0 run to go up 48-43 with 7:14 to play.
Lowry fought back and trailed 50-49 with 4:09 left, as Crawford hit a jump shot as the shot clock expired. South Tahoe used a steal to score the next four points, when Byron Jimenez nailed to shots to 55-54 with just over a minute to play.
The Buckaroos got no closer, as the Vikings stretched its advantage to five and holding on for the four-point win.
Byron Jimenez paced Lowry with 22 points, with Casalez and Jaden Jimenez adding 15 and 12, respectfully. Crawford had seven points and Bengochea had one point.
North Valleys 58, Lowry 57
In a second last-second contest as in many days, Lowry saw a late lead get away. The Buckaroos held a three-point advantage with under 20 seconds to play, when the Panthers converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to tie the game at 48. Lowry had a chance to win in regulation but could not get the shot to fall.
North Valleys grabbed the lead in overtime and led 58-54, when Jaden Jimenez knocked down a 3-pointer with seconds to play. Lowry had one final chance to win, with under a second to play but a tip shot off an inbounds play did not fall.
Lowry (1-4) hosted Battle Mountain on Tuesday and results were not available at press time.
The Buckaroos travel to Burns on Friday and Crane on Saturday.