Outlaws advance to first round

The Outlaws had to match up against Junction City on Tuesday, February 23, in a seeding game, since both teams tied for a second-place finish in Sky-Em play. The game would determine which team would represent the league in the second- and third-place positions.

The Outlaws lost 55-20 to the No. 6-ranked Tigers. After the first quarter the Tigers held a 4-2 lead. Both teams put forth strong defensive efforts, but neither team shot the ball well.

Coach Rand Runco told The Nugget that it was a very physical contest, and no calls were made. Sisters only had eight possessions the entire first quarter. The Outlaws went one-for-six with one turnover.

Sisters held their turnovers to three in the first half, but could not put the ball in the bucket. No fouls were called the entire first quarter, and only three in the half. The Outlaws went two-for-18 from the field in the half, and most of the shots they drove to the rim.

The same scenario followed in the third quarter, and the Outlaws continued to fall behind. Sisters finally started to get to the line in the final period, and scored 15 of their 20 points in the quarter, but still lost the contest by 24 points.

"It was disappointing after coming off two great wins, but we regrouped and got ready for playoffs," stated Runco. "We learned some valuable lessons and moved on."

Four days later, the Outlaws gave an outstanding effort on the road against the North Bend (NB) Bulldogs, and recorded a 44-39 victory. NB is a huge school with a big team, and they are one of the best defensive teams in the state. The Bulldogs were second behind Marshfield in their league.

The Outlaws were short-handed, as Steen Johnson was unable to play due to an elbow injury, but Ben Saba and Jack Berg both stepped up to fill his role.

Runco said the Outlaws faced plenty of adversity, but hung tough throughout the game.

Sisters trailed the Bulldogs 11-7 to close out the first quarter, but caught them in the second and took the lead. At the half, the Outlaws trailed by three, 20-17.

The Outlaws came out strong in the third, outscored NB 15-12 and headed into the fourth with the lead. Sisters cranked up their defense, hit their freethrows down the stretch and won by five.

Tyler Head, Keegan Greaney, and Hayes Moore each had 11 points in the game. Scott Waddell scored seven points, and Jack Berg added five. Moore also dished out five assists. Rebounds were spread throughout the entire team.

"Our defensive effort was excellent, holding them to below 40," said Runco. "It was really a team effort, and keeping them off the glass was a great effort. They were a load and hit the glass extremely hard. We were so impressed with our grit and toughness down the stretch."

The Outlaws will face the Henley Hornets in the first round of state playoffs on Saturday, March 5.