Outlaws crowned champs at tourney

The Outlaws won all three of their games at the annual Sisters Holiday Tournament held Wednesday through Friday, December 28-30.

With the sweep, the Outlaws earned the tournament crown. Madras was runner-up, and Henley finished third.

Sisters knocked off Baker 56-46 in their first game of the tourney. The Outlaws started the game with a superb defensive effort and held the Bulldogs to just nine points in the first half, which put Sisters up by 17 with a score of 26-9.

The Outlaws built their lead in the third quarter, and were up by 21 as teams entered into the final period.

In the final quarter, Baker's guard, Brad Zemmer, exploded and scored 14 of his 21 points in the fourth.

Coach Rand Runco said, "We learned a valuable lesson. We settled down, stopped their run, finished the job and beat them by 10."

Keegan Greaney did a great job of containing Zemmer early in the game. Sisters' backcourt also did a nice job and got the ball inside to the Outlaws' big men early. Greaney, Ben Saba, Jake Larson and Noah Richards all defended well.

Offensively, the Outlaws had strong scoring from the perimeter and shot well from the stripe. They also hit the boards fairly well, and Tanner and Tyler Head, Ty Horner, and Greaney, all stayed after it on the glass.

Sisters hurt the Bulldogs inside, with Horner scoring 14 points and playing huge on the defensive boards. Tyler Head and Greaney both had 10 points in the game, and Saba added eight.

The Outlaws went 10-for-15 from the free-throw line.

Next, Sisters faced a very tough and scrappy Henley squad who presses and attacks the rim with five guards on the court. The Outlaws beat the Hornets by 14, and handed them their first loss of the season.

Runco said, "This was our best team effort of the season and was similar to a South Albany team we faced a week before. We used what we learned and systematically broke their press, and scored steadily throughout the game."

The contest was a battle the entire way. Sisters overcame early fouls and showed their depth, with key players coming off the bench and playing well.

Noah Richards came in and handled pressure and had seven points, including a three-pointer, which came at a critical moment in the game. Tanner Head came in with important minutes and also played well.

Sisters handled the Hornets' press down the stretch, held off their run, and recorded the win.

Jack Berg had a huge game, hit four shots from behind the arc, and grabbed six boards.

Horner played big in the third and fourth quarters, with 12 of his 16 points coming in the second half.

Ty finished the game with a double-double, 16 points and 12 rebounds. Tyler Head recorded 10 points and seven boards, and Berg had 12 points and eight boards.

"I feel the key was really trusting each other in press offense and our defensive effort," said Runco. "The boys that came off the bench did a fantastic job handling pressure, keeping turnovers down and building a lead, as Keegan (Greaney) and Ben (Saba) were both in foul trouble."

The win placed the Outlaws in the championship match against Madras, where the Outlaws came out on top 55-47.

Madras came to play, and the game was definitely a battle. All of the Outlaws' 12 first-quarter points came in the paint, and at the close of the first quarter the Outlaws trailed the White Buffs 13-12.

Sisters lost the second quarter by seven and were down 30-22 at the half.

Runco told The Nugget that compared to the night before, the Outlaws were a step slow and looked flat.

The Outlaws came out in the third with increased energy, were more aggressive, and according to Runco made an effort to play harder. Sisters quickly caught the White Buffs in the third and then battled to the end.

"We had poorly timed turnovers that Madras converted on, but we kept playing hard," said Runco. "The last few minutes the boys really played hard, attacked the glass, and a series of boards in the last few minutes were key, with Ty (Horner), Keegan (Greaney), and Tyler Head hammering the

glass."

Two huge boards, with put-backs by Horner, and two free-throws by Horner pulled the Outlaws into the lead. From there, the Outlaws' guards took good care of the ball and held onto the lead until the final buzzer.

Sisters outscored Madras 20-11 in the fourth quarter. The Outlaws went 18/26 from the stripe, and were 10/12 from the field in the final period.

Greaney stepped up his game after the first quarter and got all of his 16 points in the final three quarters. Horner also scored 16 points, Saba contributed eight, Tyler Head scored seven, and Berg added six.

Runco said, "Defensively, our guards - Saba, Richards, Berg, and Larson, did a good job containing and closing on Madras in the third and fourth quarter. It was a good battle and another chance for us to learn and improve for league.

"It was a great game and fun for us to hold onto our tournament championship. It was an entire team effort with different players showing up each night."

Sisters was to play at home against Redmond on Tuesday, January 3. The Outlaws will travel to Burns on Friday, January 6.