Girls basketball takes third at Holiday Tournament

The Lady Outlaws earned a third-place finish at the annual Sisters Holiday Tournament, held Thursday through Saturday, December 27-29. LaSalle defeated LaGrande in the championship game to take top honors.

Sisters started the tournament with a 67-43 win over Ridgeview on Thursday. The Outlaws started a bit sluggish but battled back in the second quarter. Sisters put pressure on Ridgeview and forced the Ravens to turn the ball over. The Outlaws outscored Ridgeview 22-11 in the second quarter and at the half held a 31-15 lead.

The Outlaws continued to apply pressure on Ridgeview in the third quarter. Jacobie Petterson went 6/6 from the free-throw line, which took the wind out of the Ravens' sails.

Sisters got all their players time on the court in the final period.

Taylor Nieri led the Outlaws with 22 points, three assists and five steals. Jacobie Petterson tallied 15 points, three assists and six steals, and Savannah Spear contributed 11 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Claire Henson recorded eight points, and Cierra Mann added six.

Coach Julianne Horner said, "This was definitely a team win. We are getting better and stronger each time we play, and that is the makings of a great team."

Sisters had a rough time against LaGrande on Friday, and lost the contest 45-30. The Outlaws were held scoreless the first four minutes, which set the tone for the remainder of the game.

Sisters couldn't hit their shots, and at the half the Tigers were on top 26-11.

The Outlaws were able to outscore the Tigers 13-6 in the third period, but struggled offensively in the final period, only putting six points on the scoreboard.

Nieri scored seven points, pulled down six boards and grabbed six steals on the night. Spear tallied six points and Petterson added five.

"We definitely had glimpses of really good basketball tonight, but we just need to be able to make our shots," said Horner. "We see what we need to work on and I am confident in the team that we will correct what we need to and get back on track before league starts."

The Outlaws wrapped up tournament play on Saturday with a 49-42 win over Redmond for a third-place tourney finish.

Sisters played strong defense and made their shots on offense to garner a solid 15-6 lead against the Panthers at the close of the first quarter.

The Outlaws got into foul trouble in the second period which led to role changes on the court. Sisters struggled to maintain their rhythm due to the high number of fouls that were called, but managed to hold onto the lead and at the half were still on top with a score of 26-21.

Thirty-seven fouls were called in the first half, and Sisters entered the third quarter a bit tentative, unsure of how the fouls would be called. With four minutes left in the quarter, Nieri hit three buckets and gave Sisters the momentum. At the close of the third the Outlaws held a 34-27 advantage.

In the final period the Outlaws went 7/13 from the line while Redmond was only 1/2. Sisters held on to the lead and won the game by

seven.

Nieri finished the game with 16 points, four rebounds and five steals followed by Spear who tallied 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and five steals.

Petterson recorded six points and three steals and Claire Henson added four points and five boards.

"We played much smarter defensively and kept our hands off so that we did not send them to the foul line," stated Horner. "I was very proud of the entire team and their composure and hard work."