TAYSIAN WILLIAMSON (11) LOOKED FOR AN OPENING IN THE MONROE DEFENSE. Tom Page/For The Chronicle
Despite three players contributing double-doubles, the Lowell boys dropped an 82-79 overtime Central Valley Conference basketball decision Saturday to visiting Monroe.
Mason Wendt finished with 23 points and 18 boards, Jason Stratis 17 points and 11 rebounds and Bryce Pickett 11 points and 13 boards, but the Red Devils couldn’t overcome a 12-30 effort from the foul line including 9-25 in the first half.
Pickett, Stratis and Wendt are all at least 6-4 and had a height advantage over the Dragons whose tallest player is 6-1.
Wendt scored 11 points including a pair of rebound baskets and a three point play and Stratis 10 in first quarter as Lowell opened a 22-15 lead.
Monroe rallied to tie the game at 25-25 and trailed 37-34 before closing the half with 11 straight points to take a 45-37 lead at the break.
Trailing 50-45 with 5:16 remaining in the third quarter, the Red Devils held Monroe to two points during the rest of the period and put together an 11-2 run to open a 56-52 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Pickett scored six of the 11 points and Taysian Williamson capped the spurt with a three-pointer.
Back-to-back three point baskets by Carson Gardner gave Lowell a 68-56 lead with 3:55 left in the game.
After the Dragons closed to 68-62 down Pickett hit a jumper for a 70-62 lead.
Monroe took advantage of turnovers and missed free throws to rally from eight points down in the final 30 seconds to force overtime.
A driving basket by Gardner gave Lowell a 75-73 lead in the overtime, but the Dragons scored six straight points to take the lead for good.
Garner and Williamson with nine points apiece, Carter Wendt six and Ian Sotomayor two rounded out the scoring.
