Girls hoops take fifth at tournament

The Lady Outlaws basketball team finished fifth at their home Holiday Tournament which was held Thursday through Saturday, January 2-4. Philomath took first place, Banks was runner-up, and Henley finished third.

Sisters, in their first game of the tourney, defeated Creswell 36-35 in an exciting matchup that came down to the final seconds.

The Outlaws were up 13-8 at the close of the first quarter but were held to just three points in the second. Cierra Mann grabbed an offensive board and hit a jump shot for the Outlaws' only bucket in the quarter. At the half Sisters was down by one, 17-16.

It was neck-and-neck throughout the third quarter, but Sisters edged ahead to take the lead at 25-23. The game stayed close to the very end. Savannah Spear hit a huge three-pointer with four minutes left on the clock to put the Outlaws on top by three.

Creswell came back to within one point with 16 seconds left in the game.

Jacobie Petterson was fouled and sent to the free-throw line. Jacobie, with a calm and steady hand, downed both her shots to secure the win.

"Prior to tonight's game we'd had a couple of really tight games, and I think that prepared me for tonight," Petterson said. "Our program motto is that we win or lose from the free-throw line and that was my motivation as I stepped up to take those two shots. After the shots fell it gave us a boost for the next few seconds and made me tighten up my defense even more."

Of the game, Spear said, "We felt confident throughout the game, not only in our play but in each other as a team. We controlled the tempo and never lost sight of where we wanted to be."

"We knew we'd done our job and done it well," said Petterson. "The win was a push in the right direction to be the team we want to be."

Petterson led the Outlaws with 15 points in the game, including one three.

Coach Julianne Horner said, "Jacobie led the team with emotion and physical play. She was our energy and team leader."

Spear finished with 11 points, including three from behind the arc. Mann tallied six points and pulled down 10 rebounds and Claire Henson added four points.

Sisters lost 44-38 on Friday in the quarterfinals against Banks.

Teams played even the first two quarters of the contest. At the half the Outlaws held a one-point lead, 18-17.

The Outlaws allowed Banks three easy transition buckets at the start of the third quarter and just couldn't close the gap. The Braves outscored the Outlaws 27-20 in the second half and recorded the victory.

"That short mental lapse in the third kept us from catching back up," said Horner.

Petterson scored 11-points followed by Spear who recorded eight. Mann tallied five points, Henson pitched in for five and Boston Moore added four.

Spear said, "We came out strong and held our composure, yet we couldn't seem to find our rhythm for shots. The loss just made us realize and stay motivated to work hard on all our flaws."

The Outlaws fell 44-33 against Henley on Saturday to end the tourney with a fifth-place finish.

Sisters got off to a rough start and were held scoreless for the first six minutes, but turned it around at the end of the quarter with a strong move to the basket by Cierra Mann and a free-throw shot from Claire Henson.

The Outlaws took complete control in the second quarter and outscored the Hornets 19-9. Spear hit two big shots from behind the arc that shifted the momentum in Sisters' favor. At the half Sisters held a 22-20 advantage.

Sisters kept to their game plan in the third quarter and got good looks at the basket but just could not get their shots to fall.

"Henley did a great job of getting defensive boards and not allowing us two shots," said Horner.

The Outlaws were forced to foul in the fourth, but Henley made their shots and secured the win.

"I was so proud of the composure we showed as well as the pressure we were able to put on Henley," said Horner. "They are the fourth-ranked team in the state and we played great with them."

Horner was especially pleased with her team captains and their fine performances.

Horner said, "Our team captains, Claire Henson, Savannah Spear and Jacobie Petterson, did an outstanding job leading the team inside and outside throughout the tournament. Claire's presence and strength underneath forced the teams we played to have to work harder than they were prepared for and her leadership and 'student-of-the-game' mental strength wais a huge asset to the team.

"Savannah hit some big threes this tournament and has helped keep the pressure on defense to keep other teams from getting out and running," added Horner. "She has been the spark that has kept our team playing at a high level.

"Jacobie is the player I would have voted MVP for the tournament," said Horner. "She charged at the teams we played and made them foul her, going 14/18 from the free-throw line during the three-game tournament. Jacobie was the top-scoring player each game and led with power and passion for the game. Her actions and words are always in alignment and positive toward her teammates and the teams we play against. She will work harder than anyone on the floor and encourage her teammates to keep working. Her play is positive and contagious."

The Lady Outlaws will play at home against Mt. View on Thursday, January 9.