Boys basketball ropes in the Cowboys

Sisters tallied a 59-45 victory against Crook County (CC) on Friday, December 5, in their first outing of the season.

Several of the Outlaws have new roles on the floor, and all played well. The team attacked the basket and nine players scored points.

It was a tight start but Sisters held on to close out the first quarter with a 15-13 lead. The Outlaws outscored the Cowboys 15-6 in the second quarter and pushed to a 30-19 advantage at the half.

Sisters was able to get early fouls on Seth Kessi, the Cowboys' best scorer. However, when he went out of the game, Blake Bartels, who is also Crook County's quarterback, took over and the Outlaws had trouble stopping his penetration to the basket. Bartels kept CC in the game in the first half. He went to the line 12 times and also put the Outlaws' guards, Steen Johnson, Keegan Greaney, and Ben Larson in foul trouble.

Logan Schutte did a nice job of slowing down Bartels, and Coach Rand Runco told The Nugget that Logan is becoming a very good ball defender.

Sisters held Bartels to zero points in the third quarter, thanks to strong defensive play by Schutte and Hayes Moore.

In the final quarter, Sisters switched to a zone, which disrupted the Cowboys' offense and allowed the Outlaws to stretch out the lead. A few turnovers closed the gap, but Sisters was able to extend the lead at the end.

Nine players contributed in the big scoring effort. Junior Hayes Moore finished with 12 points and five assists, and senior Tysen Gill tallied 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Connor Schaab recorded nine points and seven rebounds, and sophomore Keegan Greaney had eight points and four boards. Ben Larson added six points and four boards.

Overall, Runco was pleased with the Outlaws' first game.

"It was nice to get our first game in, and we played with really good energy," said Runco. "Our defense held the Cowboys to a pretty low shooting percentage, and we did a nice job on the defensive boards for the most part, but we did have a tough time stopping their penetration. We really did a nice job sharing the basketball and attacking the basket. We need to tighten up the defensive end and continue to move forward with our unselfish offense.

"We face some of the best guards in the state this season and I believe our perimeter defense and controlling the boards will be a key for sure. Schaab, Gill, and Isaac Mackenzie are going to be key to our success in controlling the paint. Also, our offensive transition has improved and allows us to get some easy buckets. This group runs the court well, and it should be a fun season."

The Outlaws were to play at home against Madras on Tuesday, December 9. Sisters will play at Lebanon on Thursday, December 11. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.