Girls play close game against Panthers

The Lady Outlaws battled hard in the second half on the road against the Redmond Panthers, but came up four points short in the 52-48 loss on Friday, January 8.

It was a tough first two quarters for the Outlaws, and as teams headed into halftime Sisters was down by 10 with a score of 27-17.

The Lady Outlaws refused to quit, and came out hard in the second half. They fought back and outscored the Panthers 31-25, and at one point tied the game. Sadly, they came up short by four.

Sisters gave up six three-point baskets, and missed some crucial free throws.

Nina Horner had a big night and finished with a double-double. Horner scored 12 points for the Outlaws and pulled down 16 rebounds, seven of which came in the fourth quarter. Her 16 rebounds broke the previous school record of 14.

"Nina demonstrated excellent rebounding technique the entire game, especially on the defensive end," said Coach Casey Pallister. "It was the kind of leadership by example that I think really rubs off on other players."

Olivia Stewart also finished the night with a double-double. Olivia scored 20 points, was eight-for-11 from the free-throw line, and she had 10 rebounds.

"Olivia is always hungry to finish," said Pallister. "She follows every shot she takes and just doesn't quit. She had a number of second-chance opportunities, and got to the foul line often because of that. She continues to be a strong force from the line for us.

"This was a great experience for our players," said Pallister. "They experienced a lot of adversity and stayed together as a team, and that will serve us well down the road."

Three days earlier, the Outlaws were crushed 51-13 by North Marion at home in Sisters.

The Outlaws struggled to handle the Huskies' press from the beginning, and failed to keep their spacing and make solid passes. Numerous turnovers resulted, due to errant passing.

On a bright note, the Outlaws were excited to welcome back senior guard Bethany Bachmeier, who has been out due to two ACL tears over the last two years.

Pallister said, "I think the girls are still working on becoming confident with their offense, but they are improving step by step."

Sisters was to play at home against Douglas on Tuesday, January 12. On Friday, the Outlaws will play at home against Sutherlin in the first league game of the season.