Lady Outlaws win third straight game

The Lady Outlaws gave La Pine a big surprise, upsetting the Hawks 48-37 in a league battle on the road on Tuesday, January 12. Three days later Sisters demolished the Billies 59-16 at Pleasant Hill (PH).

It was a tight first quarter at La Pine, and the Lady Outlaws got on the Hawks' heels early. At the close of the period La Pine held a one-point lead, at 9-8.

Coach Kevin Cotner told The Nugget that the team's goal was to stretch the Hawks out, get them away from the hoop and neutralize their zone defense. They did just that, which put La Pine in an unfamiliar situation, man-to-man defense. From there, the Outlaws spread them out and attacked the seams.

At the half Sisters had pushed to a 21-17 lead.

Sisters had a rough third quarter on offense and just couldn't finish. The Outlaws got to the hoop, but the shots wouldn't fall. But on defense it was a different story. The defense held strong and limited La Pine to just four points in the quarter.

"As far as defense goes it was our best quarter, in that we held them to four points and denied them any opportunity to climb back into the game while we were struggling offensively," said Cotner.

The Outlaws got their offense rolling again and put the game away in the fourth quarter.

Cotner gave credit to La Pine for making some fourth-quarter adjustments that he said were tough for the Outlaws to stop.

"I thought our girls were very patient and made great decisions down the stretch," said Cotner. "They were able to pass up some scoring opportunities that we could have forced, to pull the ball out and take more time off the clock."

Sisters held La Pine's standout player, Cassie Conditt, to seven points in the game.

Chelsie McConville racked up 19 points for the Outlaws, including two threes, and Susan Ruettgers added 11.

"Chelsie (McConville) had a great night for us," said Cotner. "She attacked the hoop and continues to shoot the ball well for us. Susie (Ruettgers) was just a workhorse for us, and the combination of Susie and Bert (Nicole Meadors) pinching down on Conditt is what ultimately was the game changer for us."

McConville said, "We played so well as a team, and it was such a big win for us. Playing as a team was the reason we won. We hit the open man and made unselfish plays. Danelle (Allen) and Susie (Ruettgers) both set me up for easy baskets. Danelle had good court vision, and when I made backdoor cuts she made great passes, which allowed me easy lay-ins. And, Susie kicked the ball back out to me for open three-point shots."

Three days later the Lady Outlaws notched their third straight win when they defeated Pleasant Hill 59-16.

Sisters jumped out to an early 16-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. The Outlaws pushed to a 37-12 advantage at the half. The Billies only scored two points in the third and at the close of the quarter Sisters was up by 34 points at 48-14. The Outlaws closed out the fourth quarter and recorded the win.

Sisters had a great all-around game and were able to focus on their execution and fine-tune some of their defensive schemes. Every player on the roster got valuable minutes on the court, and every player put the ball in the basket.

Marin Allen scored 11 points for the Outlaws, and Brittany Birkeland added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Hannah Boles pitched in for five points.

"We got some great minutes from our second unit, Hannah (Boles), Brittney (Birkeland), Whitney (Hanson), Elise (Herron), Taylor (Nieri) and Taylor (Walker), who came in and really just kept the momentum going," said Cotner. "I was very pleased with the confidence and poise that our second group played with."

Tuesday, January 19, the Lady Outlaws face the Tigers of Junction City at home. The game determines who will take sole possession of second place in league standings. The Outlaws are currently 3-1 in league.