Fallon races past Lowry to secure second place in Northern 3A

WINNEMUCCA — The last time the Lowry High School boys basketball team and Fallon met, the Greenwave were completing a last-minute comeback in the Northern 3A regional semifinals in Reno last February. Fallon eventually won in overtime and the state championship a week later.

The two rivals got back together again in Winnemucca on Friday night, with Fallon earning a convincing 75-47 win. The Greenwave moved into sole possession of second place in the Northern 3A at 8-1, while the Buckaroos dropped to third place at 7-2 and 10-5 overall.

“When I walked into the locker room at pregame, the boys were really hyped up,” coach Chelle Dalager told KKTU sportscaster Larry Barker. “We had some good practices and received good senior leadership.”

Dalager said Lowry has a good program and is well coached.

“I have a lot of respect for them,” she said. “To have a win on the road here is big for us.”

Fallon turned around and headed west to defeat Hug, 60-43, on Saturday in Reno. Fallon improves to 10-6 overall.

“We came out and missing shots and started feeling sorry for ourselves,” said LHS coach Chad Peters. “We changed everything we do. We know how to play with a lead and how to play on top. We don’t know how to grind it out and battle from behind. It’s frustrating for the coaching staff and it’s frustrating for the kids. We work hard, but you have to work hard with a purpose. If you don’t work with a purpose, it’s going to get ugly fast.”

The teams traded early buckets, as Lowry collected field goals from Klay Garner and Kobe Stoker, while Elijah Jackson and Toby Anderson countered for Fallon. Anderson had six of Fallon’s 15 points in the first quarter, as the Greenwave led 15-8 after a 3-pointer by Avery Strasdin.

Lowry got as close as 15-10 in the second quarter, after a bucket by Preston Snow, who was returning from an injury. However, it was the Jackson and Samuel Robertson show from there to halftime. The Fallon duo combined for 16 points in the second quarter. Jackson had 11 points, off of three 3-pointers and he finished with a game-high 32 points. Robertson also knocked down a 3-pointer, as the Greenwave outscored the Buckaroos 20-11 to lead 35-19 at the break.

The Buckaroos’ JJ Backus and Snow did their best to keep Lowry within striking distance in the third quarter as the duo combined for 16 of Lowry’s 22 points. Backus and Snow each knocked down a 3-pointer and Backus was 6-of-6 from the free throw line.

Jackson remained hot for Fallon as well, as the senior added nine more points for the Greenwave. Thomas Steele got in the act for Fallon in the third quarter with seven points.

“It doesn’t hurt that Elijah hit some pretty tough shots,” Dalager said. “He is an amazing athlete.

She said when teams defend him or face guard him, Jackson still scores.

“There is not a person in the league that can control his jump shot,” she said.

The Greenwave led by as many as 21 points at 50-29 in the third quarter, when the Buckaroos went on a 7-1 run to close the gap to 56-41. That was as close as Lowry got, as Fallon started the fourth quarter 13-2 spurt to lead 69-43.

Backus paced Lowry with 20 points, going 12-of-12 from the foul line. Stoker added nine points, Snow seven, Anthony Gildone five, and Alex Ruiz, Chance Huitt and Klay Garner two points each.

Steele added 14 points for Fallon, Strasdin 11, Robertson and Anderson seven each and Matthew Davis four.

Dalager said players came off the bench and had good games. She noted Samuel Robertson’s key shots and rebounds.

With the first half of the Northern 3A season nearly complete, Elko leads the league at 9-0, followed by Fallon (8-1) and Lowry (7-2). South Tahoe is fourth at 5-3 and Fernley (4-5) and Truckee (3-5) are fifth and sixth, respectively.

Fallon travels to Sparks on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. game. The Greenwave host Fernley on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.