The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

The young Lady Outlaws squad battled hard throughout league, and in their final contest at home against Sweet Home, their hard work, grit, and determination paid off. Sisters snapped their losing streak with a 45-39 win over the Huskies.

In the first quarter, Sophomore Payden Petterson scored seven points, and Josie Patton added four to give the Outlaws an 11-6 advantage. The Huskies tied it up 17-17 in the second to close out the first half.

Sisters had a slow third quarter and only put two points up on the scoreboard, and at the end of the third trailed 19-24.

“We told the girls to just keep believing in themselves and keep attacking on the offensive and defensive end,” said Coach Brittaney Brown.

The girls did exactly that, and scored 26 points in the final period. With the Outlaws down by two, Petterson hit a three-ball and was fouled. She made the shot at the stripe, and the four-point play was the start of a great run by the Outlaws. Hallie Schwartz and Emma Lutz followed with triples of their own, and the Outlaws held on for the win. In the final quarter Sisters was solid from the free-throw line and made 14 of their 17 attempts.

Petterson led the scoring effort with 24 points, 11 coming in the fourth quarter.

Petterson commented on the win.

“This was a well-deserved win for us,” said Petterson. “Everyone worked so hard and played to the best of their ability. The seniors showed their leadership on the court, and they will be greatly missed. This was a game where we really connected as a team.

“At the beginning of the game we said we were going to play for each other, and that’s what we did. I’m so grateful to Brittaney (Coach Brown) and Tom (Neibergall) who kept encouraging and pushing us from the sidelines. This was a great way to end the season, and it felt like a turning point for us. I can’t wait for the next couple of years with this team and coaches.”

Josie Patton scored 10 points, Schwartz scored all seven of her points in the fourth, and Emma Lutz pitched in with four points. Patton, RylieReese Morgan, and Josie Aylor controlled the boards and gave an all-out effort to secure the ball.

Patton and Schwartz also shared their thoughts on the Outlaws victory.

“Going into the game there was already a lot of energy, and we brought that into our game,” said Patton. “On the court we worked for each other and we knew we had to play hard because it was the last game of the season. We didn’t give up on any play and we made it happen because we played as a team.”

Senior Schwartz stated, “Our win against Sweet Home was huge because it ended the season on the highest note. We played our hearts out and really worked for each other out there. I think knowing that this was our last chance to play with this same group of girls is what resulted in our victory.”

“It was truly a terrific effort by our girls,” said Coach Brown. “We defended, and we used our physicality. The proudest moment of all is how our girls stuck together with confidence and positivity throughout the entirety of the season. It was a very special moment for our program to get that win after coming back in the fourth quarter. We are all so happy that the girls got the win; they truly deserved it.”