The Douglas High boys' basketball team is sure getting its fair share of close games to start the season.
Through five games, the Tigers have had three come down to the final shot. That includes Tuesday night when McQueen's Joe Serro hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to lift the Lancers to a 59-58 win in Minden.
Douglas had a shot bounce in and out from 3-point range at the buzzer.
"Basically, every time we're on the court, whether it be in practice or in games like this, it is a learning experience," Douglas coach Corey Thacker said. "Almost all of our kids are getting their first extensive varsity experience in these games, so it is a steep learning curve. What they have to understand is that if we can take care of these learning experiences and get better from them, the wins and losses are going to kind of take care of themselves."
Serro led all scorers with 20 points and three 3-pointers, including 13 in the fourth quarter alone. He also hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer going into halftime to give the Lancers a 27-25 lead.
The game ended up much closer than it appeared it would at the close of the third quarter.
Douglas' CJ Marcotte hit a driving layup 15 seconds into the second half and it was 8 minutes and 9 seconds before the Tigers managed another field goal.
It was Marcotte who ended the drought, sinking a clean 3-pointer 14 seconds into the fourth quarter.
McQueen scored 12 points in the third to take a 39-35 lead, but Douglas went 8-of-11 from the free throw line during the same stretch to keep the game close.
The Lancers were called for a remarkable 13 fouls in the third quarter and put Douglas into the double-bonus just 4 minutes and 10 seconds into the second half.
"We're looking at getting inside somehow," Thacker said. "We have to get the ball in the key either through the post or attacking the rim and one of the benefits of that is we are going to get to the free throw line more often.
"We're averaging 23 free throws a game so far, and that's where we want to be. We were able to get inside like we wanted tonight and got some good inside-outside looks. There were also times tonight when we showed we can play together and other times we didn't."
Marcotte's 3-pointer to open the fourth sparked a quick 7-0 run to open the fourth that put Douglas back up 42-39.
Nick Hales and Parker Robertson each had baskets in the run.
"We had some guys step up and get us some momentum there," Thacker said. "As a group, they did things right and got us some good looks at the rim."
The teams then traded 4-0 runs and matched basket-for-basket much of the rest of the way.
With McQueen leading 53-51 with 1:38 left, Marcotte hit another 3-pointer for the 54-53 lead. He made another basket 42 seconds later to give Douglas a three-point lead but a Serro 3-pointer tied the game up with 45 seconds left.
Robertson sank a pair of free throws with 25 seconds left to give the Tigers their final lead before Serro's last minute heroics.
Robertson led the Tigers with 14 points while Michael Whalin had 11 and Marcotte had 10.
Hales and Tyler Hoelzen each finished with four, Tim Rudnick and Jorey Scott each had three and Daniel Brady, Cale Pete and Austin Neddenriep each had two. Garret Getty rounded out the Tiger scoring with a first-quarter free throw.
Douglas dropped to 1-4 on the season and will take on Dayton at 6 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the Carson Valley Classic at Douglas High.
