Lowry's Kayd Garner goes up to block a shot against Elko on Saturday.
As it has been much of the year, the Lowry High School boys basketball team has battled its opponents tough but just haven’t found a way to close out a contest for a win.
That was the case this past weekend in Winnemucca, as Lowry held leads over Spring Creek and Elko but dropped both in the end.
The league-leading Spartans pulled away in the second and third quarters for a 69-50 win on Friday and Elko claimed a 60-37 victory on Saturday.
With three games left in the season, the Buckaroos are 1-6 in the Northern 3A East and 6-12 overall.
Lowry's Jovanny Cuevas passes the ball to a teammate against Elko on Saturday.
Spring Creek 69, Lowry 50
The hot shooting of the brother duo of Byron and Jaden Jimenez combined for 11 of Lowry’s 15 points in the first quarter, as the Buckaroos led 15-14 after eight minutes. Byron knocked down two 3-pointers and Jaden had one.
The Spartans quickly shook off the deficit with the first eight points of the second quarter and led by nine points at 30-21 after a four-point possession.
A 3-pointer by Matthew Casalez allowed Lowry to trim the deficit to 33-26 at the break.
A sluggish start to the third quarter has been a problem for the Buckaroos this season and the Spartans came out with eight points in the opening minute to lead 41-26 and force Lowry to use an early timeout.
Spring Creek led 54-24, when Kayd Garner hit a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter and Lowry was within 16 points in the fourth quarter after a 3-pointer by Conner Nelson but that was close as the Buckaroos got.
Jaden Jimenez was the leading scorer with 12 points, with Byron Jimenez and Casalez added 10 points apiece.
Jovanny Cuevas scored six points, Garner five, Amador Guzman three and Bent Kenison and Luis Mendoza two each.
Elko 60, Lowry 37
On senior day on Saturday afternoon, Lowry held Elko to just three field goals in the first quarter, while lead 11-9 after eight minutes of play.
The Indians netted the first eight points of the second quarter and never trailed again, as Jaden Jimenez scored all five of the Buckaroos points in the second quarter.
Lowry didn’t score until the 1:41 mark of the period.
Garner, a senior, did his best to keep Lowry within range with seven third-quarter points, as the Buckaroos kept the deficit at seven points.
Elko pulled away in the fourth quarter with a 22-10 run.
Jaden Jimenez scored a team-high 13 points, Garner added eight, Byron Jimenez seven, Angus Boyles four, Mendoza and Nelson two each and Kenison one.
The home finale for the Buckaroos is this Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Churchill County. It is Winterfest and Hall of Fame night.