Four games and three days into the season, Douglas High head boys basketball coach Keith Lewis got to see a little bit of everything from his team.
The Tigers were able to put up some points when their offense was clicking (84 points in a season-opening win), and showed the ability to fight back into contention in a game (Douglas closed an 11-point deficit to a 3-point loss in game two).
Douglas also showed it could play physical basketball to wear down opposing teams (The Tigers outscored Lowry 36-24 in the second half Saturday morning), and showed that it can keep that physical basketball under control (The Tigers made it to the foul line for 38 shots in their finale).
However, it was the Tigers inability to convert at the charity stripe that cost them the game Saturday night.
The Tigers shot just 17-of-38 from the line, which proved to be the major difference in a 64-54 loss to Fairview High School out of Boulder, Colo., Saturday night in the fourth round of the Carson Valley Classic at Douglas High School.
"Those free throws weren't so free tonight," Lewis said. "That's the game. A 10-point ball game like that, if we even would have shot respectably from the line, we would've won. The whole game could've changed on that."
Douglas' 45 percent shooting at the line was a rather large blemish on what otherwise was a fairly solid night for the squad.
"In terms of aggressiveness and just in the way we played, I thought it was our best game of the tournament," Lewis said. "We didn't back down to a very good team. The kids were out there playing hard. Just in terms of evaluating the tournament as a whole, we made strides and we beat some good teams.
"A lot of these guys are just getting their feet wet, but they are right there."
Fairview gradually built an 11-point lead, helped in part by four big 3-pointers from guard Kevin Dux, but the Tigers were able to answer midway through the third quarter with four sophomores on the court.
Sophomore forward Nate Whalin hit a jumper to spark an 11-2 run to close out the quarter in which sophomore center Keith Olson contributed seven points and sophomore Mike Gransbery culminated with two of his own to draw the Tigers within two.
"When we went on that run we had four sophomores and a senior on the court," Lewis said. "That really goes to show how deep we are and what we are capable of doing."
The Tigers' couldn't extend the run into the fourth, however, as both teams went on a two-plus minute scoring drought to open the period. Douglas wouldn't get any closer than two as Fairview's Nick Anastas scored five points to distance his squad.
"We should've been able to close the gap, we had our chances," Lewis said. "You have to give Fairview credit. They knocked their shots down and they had some very tough guards."
Olson led all scorers with 23 points while Skylar McNabb added 11 and Whalin chipped in 10.
Douglas now gets a week off before playing in the Rail City Classic in Sparks starting Dec. 15.
"We need to continue to work hard and continue to be a team and continue to push each other," Lewis said. "That is our challenge to them right now, so that when we get into these game situations, it's easier."
DOUGLAS 67, LOWRY 54
Olson scored 28 points to lead the Tigers.
Douglas had 11 players put points on the board with sophomores Nate Whalin and Mike Gransbery scoring nine and eight points respectively.
The Tigers utilized a 9-1 run late in the third quarter to distance themselves from the Buckaroos and used an 8-2 run late in fourth to put the game away.
Reese Kizer and Joe Nady each had good games defensively for the Tigers.
