Outlaws edge out Harrisburg

The Lady Outlaws edged out Harrisburg 34-33 at home on Thursday, February 2, which gave them back-to-back wins for the first time this year.

Sisters felt that the Eagles were a team they could compete with, but they were again short Josie Patton (concussion) and Ellie Mayes (sprained ankle), who were still unable to play, and they knew the game would be a challenge. The team was also playing with three or four girls who had missed practice due to illness days before the game.

The first quarter got underway, and the Outlaws got baskets from three different players. If they could have done a bit better from the charity stripe (one for six), they would have had the lead. Sisters played solid defense and focused on a couple of the Eagles’ players who they knew to be good shooters, and at the end of the first period it was knotted up 7-7.

Sisters’ tough defense continued in the second quarter and they held the Eagles to just five points. The Outlaws’ offense picked up, led by Jenna Lake’s five points, and they entered the half with a 17-12 advantage.

The Outlaws’ offense stalled a bit in the third period, and they were only able to score once, a three-pointer from Lake. On the flip side, the Eagles’ offense heated up with one of their key shooters, Ali Holland, making three shots from behind the arc. Harrisburg closed out the quarter up by six.

Holland hit another three at the start of the fourth to extend the Eagles’ lead to nine, and things looked bleak for the Outlaws. The tide started to turn back in the Outlaws’ direction when Ashlynn Moffat hit a three, and Lake and Haleigh Froehlich got buckets in the paint to pull the Outlaws to within striking distance.

The Eagles hit another shot to go up 31-27, but then Hadley Schar banked in a shot from just inside the top of the key and pulled Sisters to within two points. Schar then stole the ball and converted that into a breakaway lay-in to tie the game at 31.

Sisters’ defense continued make things difficult for the Eagles, particularly in taking away their pick-and-roll game. With approximately a minute and a half left on the clock, Delaney McAfee hit a huge three-pointer to put the Outlaws on top 34-31.

Teams traded possessions with no baskets scored before the Outlaws took the ball on the side on an out- of-bounds play after a time- out. Strangely enough, Lake suffered a calf cramp upon receiving the inbounds pass that caused her to fall to the floor and lose possession of the ball.

A Harrisburg player scooped it and dribbled toward their basket, where she was chased down by Shae Wyland, who deflected her shot. Unfortunately, one of the Eagles’ teammates was close behind her and was able to corral the rebound and put it back to pull Harrisburg to within one.

Sisters was able to get the ball over the top of their full-court press a couple of times in the closing seconds, but couldn’t get their shots to drop. The Outlaws’ defense held strong, with a key shot-block by Froehlich, and a forced errant pass that allowed them to hang on and record the narrow victory.

Lake led the Outlaws with 12 points on the night. Schar contributed eight points, and Shae Wyland added five. Moffat, Froehlich, and McAfee all pitched in with three points each.

Coach Paul Patton said, “It was a joy to see the team celebrating a victory after all the setbacks we’ve faced this season due to injuries and illness.”

Sisters was to play at Pleasant Hill on Tuesday, February 7. They will also be on the road at Creswell on Thursday, February 10, and then wrap up league at home on Monday, February 13, against La Pine.