Girls hoops wraps up league play

The girls basketball squad split their games last week and wrapped up league play with a 4-6 record.

Sisters defeated Junction City (JC) 51-45 at home on Tuesday, February 16, and two days later fell 50-34 to the Falcons at Elmira.

Sisters honored seniors Olivia Stewart, Nina Horner, and Bethany Bachmeier prior to tip-off in the Outlaws' last home game of the season.

The Outlaws played a consistent game in terms of control and poise against the visiting Tigers - areas they have been working hard on all season.

Sisters jumped out and took an early lead and closed out the first quarter with a four-point advantage. The Outlaws extended their lead in the second, and entered the half on top 28-21.

The Outlaws gave up a large lead in the second half of the contest, but fought back and defeated the Tigers by six.

Seven of the Outlaws players contributed in the scoring effort. Olivia Stewart had a great night, and brought consistent scoring every quarter. Olivia led the team with 20 points, including one three-pointer. Stewart also was deadly at the line and finished 11/12.

"Olivia played three different positions," said Coach Casey Pallister. "As usual, she played with a lot of grit and determination. She played the entire game without a sub, which has often been the case this season."

Nina Horner got into foul trouble early in the game, but came back in and finished the night with 10 points. Horner went a perfect four-for-four from the stripe.

"Nina had several blocks and rebounds," said Pallister. "She handled the ball, and made crucial shots and free-throws down the stretch."

Rylee Weber also had a good night on the hardwood. Weber contributed 10 points, and she converted many of her steals into lay-ins.

Hogan Hernandez and Jules Meeter played tough on both ends of the court, and they both grabbed a number of rebounds.

The Outlaws also had solid play off the bench.

"Meaghan Greaney and Sydney Head came into the game in the fourth quarter and played fundamental basketball at a time when we needed a lot of control," said Pallister. "I think that helped us push back into the lead."

Pallister added, "Above all, we had great senior leadership - the kind you hope to see at a senior night basketball game."

Sisters shot the ball well from the freethrow line. The Outlaws were 77 percent from the stripe, compared to the Tigers, who were 33 percent.

"The freethrow shooting was a huge boost, and we had even scoring across quarters from a large number of players," said Pallister. "We will need all of that, along with a tougher defensive effort, when we face Elmira on Thursday."

In Thursday's game against Elmira, the Outlaws were never able to get into their offense, and made way too many mistakes. The Falcons held the lead from start to finish.

"Our biggest hurdle this year was on the offensive end," said Pallister. "In games where we had less balanced scoring, we struggled a lot, and this was one of those situations. Elmira had a large presence inside, as well as good guard play, and we weren't able to match that double whammy. We knew it was going to be a challenging game, but I'm proud the girls fought hard in

league."

Olivia Steward scored 17 points in the game, and went 9-for-12 from the freethrow line.