Outlaws basketball winning streak comes to an end

The Outlaws posted a 63-53 victory at home over Elmira on Tuesday, January 21, and with the win over Burns in non-league the previous Friday, made it four straight wins in a row. The winning streak came to an abrupt halt on Friday, January 24, when they fell 45-64 on the road to top-ranked Pleasant Hill (PH).

On Tuesday against Elmira, Garrett Sager got the scoring started for the Outlaws with a spinning left-handed layup just 40 seconds into the opening quarter. Sisters quickly jumped to a 10-2 advantage on baskets from Sager, Will McDonnell, Kale Gardner, and two free throws from Landen Scott. The lead didn’t last as the Falcons stormed back on a 15-4 run to end the quarter and put the Outlaws down 14-17.

The Falcons scoring continued as they started the second quarter on a 6-2 run. The Outlaws’ defense responded and only allowed them five additional points in the quarter. Sisters went on a big 17-5 run of their own that started with a back door layup from Gardner. The score tied at 24-24, and then Bodie Schar hit back-to-back buckets to give the Outlaws a four-point lead at 33-29 as teams headed into the half.

Sisters scored on the initial out-of-bounds play to start the second half when Gardner found Kieren Labhart posting up for a left-handed hook. Gardner hit the team’s only three-pointer of the game with two minutes left in the period. At the close of the third the Outlaws held a 48-42 lead.

The Outlaws were up by six at the start of the final period and the Falcons were never able to get any closer. Scott scored the first four points of the quarter, the first two from the foul line and then a floater in the middle of the key. Sisters’ defense buckled down and made some key stops, and limited the Falcons to just one shot. The Outlaws went on to win by 10.

Scott led the Outlaws with 18 points. Gardner was a big contributor as he scored 15 points, pulled down nine boards, and recorded seven assists. Labhart scored 12 points, and McDonnell added six points, four rebounds, and four assists. Schar, Sager, and Oliver Bernhardt added four points each.

Coach Chad Rush said, “I was very pleased with our defensive effort in this game. The Falcons are a team that likes to get into the lane and use their quickness and speed to create easy layup opportunities. While we knew we could not keep them from getting to the lane, we did do a good job of not giving up on the play and continued to play defense and force a tough shot.

“I was also pleased with the poise and grit our team showed in the first half,” added Rush.  “Seeing themselves down seven points and not having any momentum in the game, the team was able to trust in their defense to start making the stops and then execute on offense to swing the momentum back to our side. This will pay off down the road as we continue to face challenges and setbacks in league play. Now, we can lean back into this game and remember what it took to get the job done.”

Friday’s contest was a showdown between the Outlaws and PH, both 3-0 in league play, and the Billies ranked No. 2 in the state. 

The Billies scored the first basket of the game, and then the Outlaws took a 3-2 lead when McDonnell connected on the first of his five three-point field goals of the game. Unfortunately, that was the only lead the Outlaws had in the entire game. The Billies went on a 16-5 run and the quarter ended with Sisters down by 10 at 8-18.

PH kept their offense going in the second quarter, and put up 20 points compared to the Outlaws’ 11. McDonnell scored five of Sisters’ points. At the half the Outlaws trailed 19-38.

The Outlaws didn’t quit, but continued to battle in the third. Neither team scored for the first two-and-a-half minutes of the final quarter. At that point the Billies connected on a layup at the rim to go up by 28. Gardner scored Sisters’ first points of the quarter on the ensuing possession with a tough turnaround jumper in the middle of the key.

Later, McDonnell hit his fifth three-pointer of the night, and Scott followed with a long ball of his own a minute later. Those points were the last field goals the team would score in the game as the remaining five points for the Outlaws came from the foul line.

McDonnell led the team with 19 points and six rebounds and was five-for-seven in his three-point attempts. Gardner scored 11 points, had five rebounds and three assists and Scott finished with seven points and three assists. Labhart added six points and four rebounds.

Rush said, “This was a tough game for us. We knew the Billies would be a tough fight for us, they came out even more efficient on offense than we thought they would, and shot 60 percent from the field for the game. I thought we battled hard, even when we got down early in the game. That is something we can be proud of as we continue league play.”

Despite the loss, the Outlaws remain in second place. Sisters was to play at La Pine on Tuesday, January 28, and wrap up the first round of league play. They will play at home against Harrisburg on Friday, January 31.