The Outlaws boys hoopsters suffered a heartbreaking 44-43 loss at home against Burns in their preseason opener on Tuesday, November 30. Two days later they fell 36-27 on the road against Riverdale.

In Tuesday’s action against the Burns Hilanders, Sisters jumped out with the first bucket of the game, but then first-game jitters set in, and the Hilanders went on a 12-0 run. At the close of the period the Outlaws trailed 7-16. Landon Scott scored five of the team’s seven points, including a three-pointer near the end of the quarter.

The second quarter was more of the same, and at one time the Outlaws found themselves down by 14. Hudson Beckwith hit a three from the baseline off a Jessey Murillo assist with less than a minute left in the half, to bring the score to an 11-point Outlaws deficit (19-30) at the break.

The Outlaws came out in the third quarter with energy and focus and went on an incredible 18-0 run.

Kale Gardner started the scoring when he drove to the hoop and scored, and the Outlaws dominated play from that point on.

Points came from Scott, Mehkye Froehlich, Diego Silva, and Adam Maddox-Castle, and points came from all over the court: fast breaks, reverse lay-ins, offensive put-backs and jump shots.

Sisters aggressive defense caused numerous steals and forced turnovers by the Hilanders, which led to some easy points around the basket.

Gardner scored all of his eight points in the quarter to lead the Outlaws scoring effort. With less than a minute left, Burns hit a three, their only score of the quarter.

At the end of the third, the Outlaws were on top 39-33.

Burns came back at the start of the fourth and held the Outlaws scoreless for the first four minutes, and took a one-point lead. The clock kept ticking down and Maddox-Castle had a chance to win at the buzzer after taking a missed free-throw from Burns the length of the floor. Unfortunately, Maddox-Castle missed the contested basket at the rim. Sisters only managed to score four points in the period, and all four came from Silva.

Scott led the Outlaws with 12 points, followed by Silva who scored nine, and Gardner who put up eight. Maddox-Castle finished the night with four points and three steals. Froehlich and Beckwith both scored three points, and Murillo and Taine Martin added two points each. Murillo led the team with nine rebounds.

Coach Chad Rush said, “I was extremely proud of the boys tonight. After struggling in the first half and getting down by as many as 14 points, the team showed its grit and competitiveness by going on that 18-0 run in the third quarter. That level of intensity and execution is what we will focus on as we move forward to our next game.”

On Friday the Outlaws made the long trek to Portland and matched up against Riverdale Mavericks

Jessey Murillo scored four of Sisters’ first-quarter points, and Landon Scott hit a triple near the end of the period to cut the Mavericks’ lead to three, 11-14, to close out the quarter.

The second quarter was very difficult for the Outlaws and they only managed to score three points, all from Maddox-Castle.

Sisters shot only eight percent in the second quarter and committed five turnovers. Defensively, the Outlaws held the Mavericks to just eight points and to 28 percent shooting, and forced them to take some difficult shots. At the half the Outlaws trailed 14-22.

The Outlaws’ shooting woes continued in the third quarter, as they shot just seven percent.

Sisters started the final quarter with an 11-0 run in two-and-a-half minutes, and cut Riverdale’s lead to four (27-31). The Outlaws came out with full-court pressure and caused the Mavericks to commit some unforced turnovers and to rush their shots.

Scott got the scoring going with a steal and a layup in the first minute, and then Gardener scored the next four points with back-to-back lay-ups. Scott hit a long ball off a Maddox-Castle assist, which caused Riverdale to call for a time-out as they saw their 15-point lead quickly disappearing and momentum in the Outlaws’ favor.

Gardner scored another layup with 5:30 left on the clock, and the Mavericks called another timeout, as they saw their lead cut to four. But the Outlaws wouldn’t score again. The Mavericks stopped the Outlaws from scoring and went on a 5-0 run to close out the contest.

Gardner finished the night with 10 points and nine rebounds. Scott scored eight points and pulled down 10 boards. Murillo tallied four points, and Maddox-Castle added three.

Rush said, “This game was another struggle for us offensively, as we just couldn’t convert our shots into points. Defensively, we continue to show what this team is capable of in forcing difficult shots and causing turnovers. Good teams are not defined by what they do in success, but rather how they respond to adversity. I am looking forward to seeing how this team moves forward through this adversity.”

Sisters was scheduled to play on the road at Jefferson on Tuesday, December 6. They will play at home against Culver on Friday, December 8, and then travel to Santiam Christian for a tournament on Saturday.