Lady Outlaws tally three wins

The Lady Outlaws wrapped up a packed week with wins over Summit, Redmond and Churchill to push their pre-season record to 4-0.

Sisters started their week with a 64-59 victory over Summit on Tuesday, December 4. The win marked the first time in school history that the Lady Outlaws have defeated the Storm.

The Outlaws started off a bit slow at the start of the contest and made just two shots in the first quarter. The Storm was on fire and hit three shots from outside the arc and two buckets to hold a 13-5 advantage over the Outlaws at the end of the period.

Sisters charged back in the second quarter. The Outlaws hit their shots from the field and were a perfect 6/6 from the line. Sisters outscored the Storm 19-17 and closed the gap to just six points with a score of 30-24 at the half.

Coach Julianne Horner said, "We felt we did not start the game well and needed to control the tempo of the game. The girls knew we needed to get out on their shooter, Heinly, and make her earn every shot."

Sisters' defense had a strong third quarter performance with 10 boards and zero turnovers. The Outlaws were able to tie it up at 42-42 to close out the third period. Players showed confidence and poise and took the ball right to the hoop, which put Summit in foul trouble.

In the final quarter the Outlaws converted 10-14 from the free-throw line as well as 12 points from the field. Taylor Nieri pulled down an offensive board with just over one minute left on the clock and was sent to the line. Nieri made her shots and put the Outlaws up by five. Summit was unable to convert from the line, and the Outlaws logged the win.

"This game was tough but the girls did a great job on defense," stated Horner. "Summit has the best pure shooter I have seen at this level. Heinly made six threes and only missed two the whole game."

"We were able to keep pressure on them, move the ball and take control even though the score was tight throughout the second half," added Horner. "The girls never lost their intensity and worked well as a team. Taylor's (Nieri) court awareness, team free throws of 21/25 and the whole team working together won the game for us."

Cassidy Edwards led the team in scoring with 24 points. Edwards also recorded five rebounds and three assists. Nieri finished with 15 points, 14 boards, two assists and two steals and was a perfect 6/6 from the line.

Savannah Spear tallied 10 points, pulled down eight boards, dished out three assists and was 6/7 from the line. Claire Henson contributed six points and five rebounds and Jacobie Petterson added seven points in the scoring effort.

Sisters was back on the court one day later and posted a 46-39 win at Redmond. The Outlaws jumped out, took an early lead and closed the first quarter on top 18-9.

The Outlaws scored seven points in the second quarter, five of them coming from the line. At the half Sisters held a 25-14 advantage.

"We were having a tough time getting the ball into the basket in the second quarter," stated Horner. "Our legs were tired from playing back to back, we could not find our rhythm and this let Redmond in the door."

Sisters came out strong in the third quarter, drove to the basket, made their shots and were up by 16 at the close of the period.

Taylor Nieri was the center of attention in the final quarter. Nieri scored her 16th point of the game to break the school record of all-time points scored. Taylor currently has 776 career points under her belt.

The Outlaws called a time-out, congratulated Nieri, caught their breath and put fresh legs on the

floor.

Sisters started to foul, put Redmond on the line and let Redmond close the gap to six points. In the final minutes the Outlaws prevailed and beat the Panthers by seven.

"Redmond is a good team and kept pushing to the basket," said Horner. "We were fortunate they were not able to convert at the free-throw line."

Nieri led the scoring effort with 19 points and 11 rebounds and was 11/12 from the line. Spear and Edwards each tallied nine points and Petterson added five.

The big difference in the game was at the free-throw line. Sisters converted 18 of their 27 shots and Redmond was only able to make six of 19 attempts.

"I am proud of the girls in their composure and how hard they played with tired legs on a back-to-back night this early in the season," said Horner.

Sisters tallied their third win of the week with a 48-41 victory at Churchill on Friday. The Outlaws had a hard time getting the ball to fall through the net at the start of the contest and missed their first nine attempts. On the flipside, their defense was great and gave Churchill lots of grief.

After a time-out, Nieri immediately made two back-to-back buckets to get the Outlaws started. At the half Sisters held a narrow 16-14 advantage.

The game became very physical in the second half. Horner told The Nugget that the Outlaws handled the pressure with grace and did not get caught up in the high level of physicality.

Sisters wore Churchill down, and the Lancers were not able to keep up with the Outlaws' pace. The Outlaws were sent to the line repeatedly but with the interruption found it hard to keep in an offensive rhythm. Churchill hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 30-30 at the end of the third quarter.

With less than one minute left on the clock, Harley Rowe stole a pass and dished the ball over to Nieri who was fouled and sent to the free-throw line. Nieri was poised and confident and hit her shots to clinch the Outlaws' win.

Horner said, "Harley (Rowe) stepped in once again and was solid on her determination to win. She kept her composure, slowed the pace down and passed it to Taylor, who got to the free-throw line. This was a full team win. It took everyone staying calm in a very physical game for the win."

Sisters was 26/38 from the line. Nieri led the Outlaws with 26 points. Taylor also pulled down five boards and had four steals in the contest. Edwards finished with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals. Petterson added seven points, three assists and three steals.

On top of the Outlaws' three wins, Cassidy Edwards was named Player of the Week for Central

Oregon.

The Outlaws will travel to the Gladstone Tournament on Friday and Saturday, December 14 and 15.