Ryan Stockard and the Fallon boys basketball team visits Dayton today and hosts Lowry on Saturday in a pair of critical Northern Division I-A league games.
A pair of losses has put the Fallon boys basketball team in a delicate position.
The Greenwave, who fell 59-36 at Lowry on Saturday and 50-47 to Dayton on Friday at home, now sit tied with the Dust Devils for fourth in the Northern Division I-A. The losses drop Fallon to 3-3 in league play, 4-7 overall, and looking up at Dayton and third-place Spring Creek (4-3, 5-8).
“Dayton was a fun basketball game … and they played a very good game,” Fallon coach Brad Barton said. “Lowry on the other hand, is a good basketball team. We had to play a perfect game and we didn’t do that. We just didn’t execute in the second half.”
The Wave, though, beat Spring Creek earlier in the season and will face the Spartans on Jan. 24.
In the meantime, Fallon has two critical games Friday and Saturday at Sparks and South Tahoe. The Vikings are also in the playoff hunt as South Tahoe is also 3-3 in league play.
“Dayton put us in a situation where we can’t lose those games we’re supposed to win,” Barton said. “We’re preparing for Sparks and fix those turnovers and defense.”
Another trial for Barton’s club, though, is travel. Fallon’s next four games are on the road and leaves little room for losses at Sparks, South Tahoe or Spring Creek.
“We’re going to have to learn how to play well on the road,” Barton said. “We know how important these games are (this weekend).”
Against Dayton, the Wave could not stop Austin Fletcher and Bernardo Macias, who scored 24 and 17 points, respectively. Macias’ early 3-pointers carried the Dust Devils to a 17-12 first quarter lead.
Fletcher, meanwhile, bullied his way inside and also used his outside shooting to lit up the Wave.
Beau Marshall cut Dayton’s lead to 41-40 with a free throw, but free throws by Fletcher and a jumper by Macias pushed the lead to five.
A pair of free throws by Marshall and a basket by Jeff Evett sliced the lead to 48-47 with 40 seconds left.
Macias hit the game-clinching shot off a pass from Fletcher, who was not fouled on the inbounds pass, drove the lane and dished to the 6-foot-3 senior under the basket. Macias’ free throw missed and Fallon’s Connor Richardson was fouled by Fletcher with 5 seconds left to prevent a game-tying 3-pointer.
Richardson missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and the Wave was unable to get off a 3-pointer as time expired. Jeff Evett led Fallon with 16 points.