By Dave Belcher
Moapa Valley Progress
With a 16 game win streak, Lowry came to the State Basketball Finals on Saturday to win it all and give them their first state title since 2002. Moapa was coming off a close shave against South Tahoe the night before. Lowry went into the game with a 17-7 record. Moapa was 16-11.
Moapa got off to a slow start. Will Thacker made a five footer and a two point Lowry lead. Weiss then tied the score up with a layup.
Lowry then jumped out to a 6-2 lead. Thompson was fouled on a drive to the hoop. He missed the first then made the second. Thompson scored a layup. Then Lowry did. Cooper hit a ten footer and Watters got a steal who feed it to Thompson who hit a “3” ball and gave Moapa their only in the half at 10-8. Thompson scored 6 of Moapa’s 10. Cooper and Weiss each had 2 a piece and Lowry led 10-12 after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Millikan scored six points. Lowry had two fast break bombs for lay ups. Lowry was hustling for balls. Moapa scored 11 points as their shots weren’t falling like the night before. Thompson had a “3” ball and two driving lay ups. Cooper also had two lay-ups to round out Moapa’s scoring. Moapa was down eight at the half 21-29.
To start the third, Cooper drove and dished the ball to Weiss who hit a lay up. Thacker scored for Lowry then Watters hit a “3” ball. Lowry came alive as they went on a run and built a 14 point lead at 44-30 with three minutes to go in the 3rd.
Then came the T.V. time out. It was during that time out that Coach Larsen reached out a flipped the switch called Defense. The three Moapa guards (Lewis, Thompson and Watters) used quickness and speed and swatted, picked and intercepted nearly everything Lowry did to move the ball. That last 2:42 in the third looked like a shark pool. Panic filled the eyes of the Buckaroos’each time the saw the three and the high pressure that ensued.
The quarter ended 40-44 Lowry. There was blood in the water though.
The feeding continued as the 4th quarter started. A Lewis steal. Then a Cooper steal and lay up. A Watters steal and Thompson “3” ball and Moapa had the lead again 45-44.
Snow hit a “3” for Lowry and gave the Buckaroos’ their last lead. The Lowry faithful then closed their eyes. Snow drove the lane and was called for an offensive foul. Then a Thompson steal and Lewis lay up. A Watters “3” ball. A Cooper driving lay up missed, but he was fouled. He made two free throws.
Another T.V. time out. Moapa was on a 17-5 run since the 2:42 mark in the third and Moapa led was 57-49 with three minutes.
Lowry’s last hoop came with Snow hitting a “3” which banked off the glass; a last gasp of desperation before they went under for good.
Thompson made two free throws with: 27 seconds left. Watters hit two free throws with: 17 seconds left. Riley Solomon got the last point when he made the second of two free throws with: 10 seconds.
With the Final horn the feeding frenzy ended with the final score at 68-56 and the Moapa Valley Pirates the State Champions. The Moapa side was roaring. The Lowry side was looking for survivors trying to gather them in for first aid and comfort.
Josh Thompson led Moapa with 25 points. Hayden Cooper had 23. Dakota Watters had 10. Kelan Weiss had 5 but that didn’t give credit to him or Casen Lewis who scored 4 and their contribution made during the defensive feeding. Riley Soloman got 1 point.
When all was said and done it was a 38-12 final eleven minutes of the game for Lowry.
