Lady Outlaws have tough debut on hardwood

The girls' basketball team suffered a 14-45 loss in their first game of the season against Stayton.

Stayton returned six players from their state championship team and were just too much for the young Lady Outlaws team to handle.

Coach Kevin Cotner said: "Throughout the game we saw glimpses of what is possible, but consistency is going to be the key for us. We need to play consistent ball for 32 minutes on the offensive end, and we need to eliminate mental mistakes. As a team we have to find a way to get the ball in the hoop and not squander opportunities given to us."

On a positive note Kianna Jimenez had six blocks on the night and, Cotner was very impressed with the poise of sophomores Nicolle Meadors, Susan Reuttgers and Danelle Allen.

"Playing on the road against the defending state champions is a tough way to start the season, and these girls (Meadors, Reuttgers and Allen) went toe to toe and never seemed to waiver," said Cotner.

Cotner told The Nugget that as the season progresses and the lineup works itself out, he believes his players will respond to the challenges of their tough schedule.

"This is a very coachable team, and I'm excited to see how they respond and adopt their roles on this team," said Cotner.

The Outlaws will host Cascade on Friday, December 7.