Fallon boys hoops looks to snap two-game skid

With the first half of the 3A East season in the books, the playoff picture for the Greenwave basketball team is starting to take shape.

After winning two of its first three 3A East games, the Greenwave boys basketball team returned from Elko County on Saturday empty-handed. Fallon fell to defending 3A state champion Elko, 76-56, on Friday before losing the next day against Spring Creek, 67-60.

With the weekend sweep, Fallon finished the first half of the league season at 2-3, but with its 4-1 record against the 3A West, the playoff picture still shows the Greenwave dancing next month.

Crossover games in the 3A North’s points system count double because the teams face each other only once. The top team in each division gets a playoffs bye and the remaining four spots are decided by total points.

Currently, the automatic byes would go to 3A East leader Fernley (17) and either North Valleys or Wooster (each has seven points) of the 3A West, while the remaining four spots belong to Elko (11), Lowry (11) and Fallon (10).

Fallon entertains Lowry on Friday at 7:30 p.m. to begin the second half of the 3A East slate before traveling to South Tahoe on Saturday to finish its crossover schedule.

In its first meeting with the defending state champion, Fallon’s Brady Alves scored a game-high 17 points and hit three 3s, with sophomore Braeden Sorenson cashing three treys as well and reaching double figures with 14 points.

Junior Baylor Sandberg brought Fallon to within one in the first quarter on an old-fashioned three through a foul on the offensive glass, but Elko pushed its lead to four on a free throw and pull-up trey. Fallon sophomore Trevor Hyde scored with great position in the middle, but Elko hit another trey for a 20-13 lead.

Alves then brought the Fallon faithful to a thunderous roar at the buzzer, cashing in with a bomb from near midcourt and pulling the Wave to within four, at 20-16.

Elko quickly increased its lead to double digits in the second quarter before outscoring Fallon 19-8 in the period with a tip-in just before the buzzer, opening a 39-24 advantage at the break.

Elko opened the second half on a 9-0 run before junior Carter Paul hit a 3-pointer. The Indians led by 22 going into the final quarter after they won the third quarter, 16-9.

In Fallon’s loss to Spring Creek, Sorensen led the team with 15 points, senior Shawn McAlexander added 13, and Alves had three as the Greenwave shot 33 percent from the field, including 19 percent from 3-point range. Paul led the team in rebounding with 10 to go with two steals, while Alves had a team-high four steals and five assists.

The Elko Daily Free Press' Anthony Mori contributed to this story.