Lions pounce in second quarter against Outlaws

The Outlaws fell 60-40 in a road game at Cottage Grove on Tuesday, December 14.

Sisters came out aggressive at the start of the contest and jumped to an early lead thanks to two buckets at the rim from Adam Maddox-Castle. Max Palanuk also hit two long balls from behind the arc, which gave the Outlaws a one-point lead, 14-13, to close out the first period.

The second quarter proved difficult for the Outlaws. The Lions switched defenses and came out in a 1-3-1 zone. Sisters struggled to figure out the zone and committed five turnovers in the quarter, which allowed the Lions to get out in transition and score easy buckets. Cottage Grove outscored Sisters 20-8 and the Outlaws founds themselves down 22-33 as teams entered the half.

Sisters started the third quarter with a 1-2-2 zone and were able to slow the Lions down. Unfortunately, they committed six turnovers in the period and the Lions won the quarter 14-11.

In the final quarter, the Outlaws played even with the Lions until the final minute of the game. The Lions made several free throws and also some fast-break layups to win the quarter 13-7 and record the victory.

Palanuk led the Outlaws with 16 points, followed by Maddox-Castle and Jesse Murillo, who scored six points each. Noah Pittman contributed four points and Jamen Schwartz, Ricky Huffman, Taine Martin, and AJ Scholl added two points each.

Coach Chad Rush said, “This is a game that will provide great growth for our team. We showed in the first quarter that we can compete with a quality team like Cottage Grove, and that will give us confidence as we move forward. Equally, the numerous turnovers and lack of execution against a zone defense will help us learn what we need to do the next time we face a defense like that.”

The Outlaws’ record is currently 2-3. They were scheduled to play at Burns on Monday, December 20. Sisters will then take a short break and resume play at home at the annual Sisters Holiday Tournament, which will be held Tuesday through Thursday, December

28-30.