Hoopsters notch first league win

The Sisters High basketball team won its first league game on Friday, January 28, downing Stayton 77-70.

"It was another classical capital conference game," said coach Rand Runco. "This time we finally came out on top."

Dusty Macauley continued to be Sisters' top scorer with 21 points; Evan Owens had 13. The Eagles' Ryan Cupp was the game's leading scorer with 25 points.

The Outlaws held a 12 point lead heading into halftime but squandered it during the third quarter. The game headed into the fourth quarter with the score reading 49-46.

In past games the Outlaws have broken down and been torn apart by teams late in the game. Not this time. The Outlaws repeatedly changed their defensive styles and began to force Eagle turnovers.

"We still had too many mental lapses," Runco said "But it has improved lately and that gave us our win today."

Mental lapses cost the Outlaws an upset win over the Sweet Home Huskies earlier in the week. The Outlaws were within one at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but they couldn't hold on and went down 57-47.

Sisters has suffered five league losses this season and many games have been decided in the fourth quarter. The turnaround against Stayton bodes well.

"Before players would try to force shots, now they are executing the system and shots are starting to fall," Runco said.

"These guys work real well together and they know their roles on the team; it is when they try to play outside themselves that they get into trouble."

Sisters is 1-5 in league play this year; for shot at a playoff berth the Outlaws would have to win the rest of their games.