Lowry's Isabel Upton drives through two Churchill County defenders during the semifinal of the Northern 3A Regional Championship on Friday afternoon at Fernley High School.
The cardiac kids didn’t go quietly, as the Lowry High School girls basketball team was looking to capture a fourth consecutive 3A state championships, beginning at the Northern 3A Regional Championships last weekend in Fernley.
The Lady Bucks rallied from double-digit deficits in the last two seasons to come back and win state titles in Lawlor Events Center in Reno and almost did the same on Friday afternoon in Fernley.
In a contest of huge momentum swings, Lowry cut a 11-point lead by Churchill County to four points late in the first quarter but the Greenwave held on for a 61-55 win, creating a new champion for the first time since 2020.
Lowry finished the year at 15-8 and was attempting to join a list of teams that won four straight including McQueen (1996-99), Lincoln County (1997-2000), Mineral County (2002-03) and Centennial (2002-05).
When Lowry hosted Churchill County on Jan. 31, that contest featured a number of wild runs.
The two rivals did the same on Friday in a contest that was physical and chippy at times.
Lowry's Natalee Formby passes the ball to a teammate.
The Lady Bucks provided the first blow, with the first eight points of the game, off two baskets by Britain Backus and a 3-pointer by Maura Braatz.
The Greenwave scored their first points at the 5:32 mark of the opening quarter on a 3-pointer, then proceeded to score the next eight points to go in front 11-8.
A short jump shot by Natalee Formby and an old-fashioned 3-point play by Backus put Lowry back in front 14-11, when Churchill County tied the contest with a 3-pointer.
The Greenwave capped off a 7-0 run with the first four points of the second quarter to go in front 18-14. In a good game in whatever you do, I can do better, the Lady Bucks came back with the next 10 points.
Aided by a 3-pointer from Backus and a steal and coast-to-coast layup by Formby.
With 90 seconds left in the first half, Backus knocked down a 3-pointer and as time expired Audry Mason sent the Lowry fans into a frenzy with a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Lady Bucks a 35-24 advantage at halftime.
That excitement lasted for the 10 minutes of the break, as Churchill County held Lowry scoreless for the first six minutes of the third quarter and rallied for 14 straight points to lead 38-34. A free throw by Braatz with 2:06 left in the third quarter provided the first points of the quarter.
Formby sent the crowd into a buzz once again, nailing a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to give Lowry a 43-42 lead. A free throw by Matti DeLong tied the game at 44 in the fourth quarter, when the Greenwave rallied for an 11-0 run to build the double-digit advantage.
Lowry was forced to foul late in the game but fought back within 56-52 with 1:20 to play after a 3-pointer by Backus but got no closer.
Britain Backus drives to the basket for a shot against Churchill County on Friday.
In her final game as a Buckaroo, Backus finished with 32 points, including three 3-pointers. She was also 9-of-11 from the free throw line.
The senior scored 14 of Lowry's 21 points in the second quarter.
Backus will play for the University of Nevada next year, signing with the Wolf Pack earlier in the season.
Formby, a senior as well, knocked down the two 3-pointers and finished with 10 points.
Braatz added eight points, Mason three and Matti DeLong and Green one each.
Lowry 45, South Tahoe 38
Lowry traveled to South Tahoe on Monday, Feb. 10, for the opening round of the regional tournament. The Lady Bucks had to fight for the seven-point win, using a 15-5 run to escape with the victory.