Outlaws teams lose on the road

The boys and girls basketball squads both lost their games on the road at Harrisburg on Friday, January 13; the boys in a 50-38 loss and the girls a 60-40 loss.

In the boys matchup, it was a close first quarter that ended in a 10-10 tie at the close of the period. The Outlaws switched up their norm and, instead of coming out in a man-to-man defense, came out in their 1-3-1 zone. That worked at times, but the Eagles had strong outside shooting and hit two three-pointers in the quarter. Sisters’ offense had several strong shots inside the paint and at one time the Outlaws held an 8-3 lead, but the Eagles tied it up to close out the quarter.

Coach Chad Rush said, “In the second quarter the Eagles switched to an extended matchup zone, and that caused us to struggle to find our rhythm offensively.”

The Eagles hit four long balls in the second quarter and outscored the Outlaws 12-6. Harrisburg finished the half with 18 of their 22 points coming from behind the arc. At the half Sisters trailed 16-22.

Rush said, “The Eagles’ strong shooting forced us to switch to our man-to-man defense. We knew we would have to force pressure as the Eagles are a very methodical team that is patient and poised on the offensive end. As a result the Outlaws came out trapping ball screens and handoffs to try and force pressure, which did cause some turnovers.”

The Outlaws continued to struggle to finish shots against the aggressive Eagles’ zone. Landon Scott scored five of the Outlaws’ eight points, including a three-pointer just a couple minutes into the period.

Sisters continued to apply pressure to the Eagles in the final quarter, but the Eagles remained patient and poised. The Outlaws were forced to foul and stop the clock, but the Eagles hit their shots at the line. They went 14-21 at the charity stripe on the night, and the Outlaws didn’t have a chance to get back in the game.

Scott led the team with 11 points, seven rebounds, and two steals. Adam Maddox-Castle put up 10 points, and Kale Gardner recorded nine. Mehkye Froehlich recorded six points and three assists, and Jessey Murillo added two points and pulled down eight boards.

Rush said, “We knew tonight was going to be a tough game if we let Harrisburg get the lead. With the style of play they play, we knew we would have to try and force tempo and turnovers. When we got down in the second half, that became even more important.

“I once again credit the guys for their grit and feistiness as they continued to battle and work all game. This was disappointing as we felt that is a game that got away from us. We will look to bounce back with two home games this week and keep plugging away at our goal of making the league playoffs.”

The Outlaws will play at home against Pleasant Hill on Wednesday, January 18, and at home again on Friday against Creswell.

The Lady Outlaws also suffered a loss. Once again they were shorthanded due to illness, with four players out sick and two others ineligible to play. Only eight girls were able to make the road trip, and three of those with very little varsity experience.

Sisters had a very good first quarter, starting their experienced players, Ashlynn Moffat, Ellie Mayes, Haleigh Froehlich, and Josie Patton. At the close of the quarter they only trailed by one, 15-16.

The second quarter was a completely different story, as the Outlaws had several defensive lapses and turnovers, which allowed the Eagles to rack up 25 additional points.

Sisters kept it a bit closer in the second half, but they just couldn’t recover from the second-quarter deficit.

Moffat played well for the Outlaws and led the team with 10 points. Froehlich scored eight points, and Mayes, Schar, and Norah Thorsett added six points each. Moffat, Froehlich, and Patton had to play pretty much the entire game due to the Outlaws’ limited number of substitutes.

Coach Paul Patton said, “It’s very frustrating that we have not been able to put our best team on the court at all this season due to recurring bouts of sickness.”

The Lady Outlaws will play at home against Pleasant Hill on Wednesday, January 18, and at home again on Friday against Creswell.