Outlaws remain undefeated on the hardwood

The Outlaws boys basketball team continued their dominance in the Sky-Em with two more wins.

Sisters easily handled the Huskies at Sweet Home to record a 73-38 win on Tuesday, January 31. On Friday, the Outlaws earned a 52-25 win at home against Junction City to push their league record to 7-0.

Sweet Home ran a frantic press system in Tuesday's game, trapped everywhere on the court and forced an

uptempo game.

Coach Rand Runco told The Nugget that the Outlaws had practiced against this type of defense. Sisters had several press offenses and used their height to get the ball inbounds and then into the hands of Jalen Miller in the middle of the court. Miller handled the pressure and found the Outlaws' big guys under the basket.

Sisters' defense did a great job of controlling the Huskies penetration and didn't allow them to take the three-point shots that they love to take. In their previous game the Huskies hit 12 three-pointers, and the Outlaws held them to just four three-pointers the entire game.

Runco was pleased with his team's performance.

"Our on-ball defense was excellent," stated Runco. "Our perimeter players were outstanding against the drive, and they handled the pressure in the back court. They were constantly double-teamed and had to make great decisions with the ball and they did it. Miller completely disrupted their offense with 12 tipped balls."

The Outlaws recorded 22 offensive boards on the night and shot over 65 percent from the field. As a team, Sisters tallied 25 assists.

Eli Harrison was top scorer with 31 points, followed by John Erickson, who finished with 14 points. Bryce Alderman put up nine points, and Bryce, along with Ryan Gridley and Bryan Boswell, did a great job on the glass.

Three days later the Outlaws faced a completely different style of play. The Junction City Tigers (JC) played a very slow execution style of offense.

Harrison had the touch in the first quarter and dropped in seven straight points to help boost Sisters to an 11-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Outlaws put on a press to speed up the tempo, and at the half pulled to a 30-12 advantage.

The Outlaws outscored the Tigers by nine in the second half to secure the victory.

Erickson scored 17 points, pulled down six boards and dished out eight assists. Harrison tallied 15 points, Boswell recorded eight points and eight rebounds, and Chase Goff contributed six offensive boards on the night.

Runco said, "I was pleased with our mental focus, and our defense really did the job."

Sisters' win over JC puts them at 7-0 in league play, one game ahead of rival Cottage Grove. The Outlaws are firing on all cylinders, and according to Runco have a shot at a state title.

The Outlaws will play at home against Cottage Grove on Friday, February 10, with tipoff set for 7:15 p.m. The following Tuesday, February 14, Sisters will travel to Elmira and then will wrap up league play at home against La Pine on Friday, February 17.