Girls basketball faced adversity in holiday tournament

The girls basketball team hosted their holiday tournament Monday through Wednesday, December 28-30. Mazama, Banks, Madras, Estacada, Marshfield, La Pine and Henley joined Sisters for the annual event. La Grande came out on top with a first-place finish, Mazama was runner-up, and Banks finished third.

The Lady Outlaws started out slow in the first quarter of their game against Estacada on Monday, and trailed the Rangers 13-4 to close out the first quarter. Sisters outscored Estacada 32-26 the remainder of the game, and outscored them 12-2 in the final period, but it wasn't enough to recover from their first-quarter deficit.

The Outlaws had a lot of good looks inside around the basket, but struggled to convert shots. They also struggled from the line, and only went 19/35 from the stripe.

Sisters was short a few players due to the holidays, but Olivia Stewart and Nina Horner stepped up and led the charge. Stewart finished the game with 18 points and Horner added 11.

"I am very proud that the girls never gave up, and fought through adversity," said Coach Casey Pallister. "It was nice to see a total team effort, and it being a close game was a great experience."

Sisters got stung badly by the Hornets in their second game, and lost the contest 60-30. The Outlaws played a good first half, and only trailed by six with the score at 28-22 as teams entered the half, but they fell apart in the second half.

Henley changed up their defense in the third quarter, and the Outlaws struggled against it. Sisters only put up eight points in the period, and then were held scoreless in the fourth. The Hornets kept knocking down the points and won by 30.

Olivia Stewart led the Outlaws with 17 points, including one three-pointer. Stewart was also 10/12 from the line.

The Outlaws' younger players put forth a good effort. Molly Winter and Mia Cook each chipped in four points in the game, and Meaghan Greaney worked hard to get some great rebounds.

"Mia played the entire game and never backed down," said Pallister. "We were really impressed with her effort."

Sisters lost 52-26 against Marshfield in the final game of the tournament. The Outlaws played a strong first half, but struggled against the Pirates' zone in the second half. Sisters dribbled too much against Marshfield's press, which led to numerous turnovers, and way too many baskets for the Pirates in transition.

"We are learning through experience every time we play, and it's great to see some of our younger players improve every game," said Pallister. "Sydney Head played very physical and strong for us today. I was proud of her toughness."