The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

The Lady Outlaws won both their games this past week to make it three wins in a row. Sisters defeated the visiting Sweet Home Huskies 35-26 on Tuesday, December 19, and a day later posted a 35-34 win on the road at Estacada.

In Tuesday’s action the Outlaws got off to slow start. They struggled to find their shots against the Huskies’ extended zone and missed the shot attempts they did have. They finally scored midway through the quarter on a three-point shot from Nora Thorsett, which was their lone score of the quarter and put them down 3-9 at the close of the period.

Coach Paul Patton said, “One of the reasons we were out of sync is that our senior captain, Ila Reid, went down with a sprained ankle and missed most of the quarter.”

Reid did return to the game after getting her ankle taped, but was not at 100 percent for the remainder of the game.

In the second quarter, Paityn Cotner got the Outlaws’ scoring going with two free-throws, followed by a bucket from Maggie Lutz, closing the gap to 7-9. It was nice to have Lutz back on the court after missing the last three weeks due to a sprained elbow, and her presence gave the team an added spark.

Midway through the quarter Lutz scored on a give-and-go bucket assisted by Shae Wyland. The score remained close and with two minutes left in the quarter Audrey Corcoran hit a three-pointer to tie the game 13-13. The score was knotted up again at 14-14 off a free-throw from Corcoran, but the Huskies scored a bucket with 26 seconds left and at the half the Outlaws trailed by two 14-16.

Sisters’ best offensive and defensive play came in the third quarter. Ila Reid led the team with six of her eight points, and Jorja Christianson hit a long ball from behind the arc. The Outlaws led the entire quarter and held the Huskies to just three points. Sisters turned their two-point halftime deficit into an eight-point lead, 27-19, to close out the period.

The Outlaws went cold at the start of the fourth, and the Huskies capitalized and scored the first five points of the quarter to make it a 27-24 game. With approximately three-and-a-half minutes left in the game, Lutz hit a three-pointer for Sisters’ first points of the quarter and extended the Outlaws’ lead to 30-24. Reid scored a layup and Cotner hit a three to finish the Outlaws’ scoring with 50 seconds left on the clock. The Huskies hit one of two from the stripe and the game ended in a win for the Lady Outlaws.

Patton said, “I was pleased that we were able to play 10 girls in the game and that seven of them put points on the board. Getting Maggie Lutz back was a huge boost for us, not only for her scoring but her rebounding and hustle plays.

“I was impressed with Ila Reid’s toughness after rolling her ankle and continuing to play while in obvious pain,” added Patton. “Shae Wyland stood out again for her rebounding and shot blocking.”

Reid and Lutz each scored eight points for the Outlaws, Corcoran recorded six, and Cotner tallied five. Christianson and Thorsett added three each, and Wyland pitched in for two points, plus seven boards and three assists. Lutz also recorded seven boards in the contest.

A day later the Outlaws traveled to Estacada and got off to a great start, despite Reid being unable to play due to her ankle injury from the previous game. Corcoran converted some defensive steals into transition layins and Lutz hit a nice three-pointer. Sisters was aggressive on defense, held the Rangers to five points, and finished the period on top 11-5.

The second-quarter teams played even. Sisters got long balls from Corcoran, Cotner, and Christianson. Unfortunately, Lutz, who had just returned from an elbow injury the previous game, went down with an ankle injury with just a couple of minutes left in the period. Estacada was able to keep pace with the Outlaws and made a few tough shots to stay close. At the half, Sisters was on top 23-17.

Patton said, “Even though our lead was just six points at halftime, we felt like we were the better team and that we could keep control of the game if we kept up the defensive pressure and moved the ball on offense.”

Wyland carried the tea, scoring all of the Outlaws’ six third-quarter points on drives to the basket, and put-backs on offensive rebounds. The loss of Lutz disrupted the Outlaws’ rhythm a bit, and the Rangers went on a 6-0 run in the quarter and cut Sisters’ lead to two, 29-27, as teams headed into the final quarter.

The final period was intense, a nail-biter at the end. Teams traded baskets and the Rangers got to within one point, 33-32, with approximately three minutes left in the game. Corcoran missed a three, rebounded her own ball, and put it back in with a mid-key jumper to give the Outlaws a bit of breathing room. After a couple of turnovers on both ends and a couple of big blocked shots by Wyland, the Rangers got the ball to their 6-foot-1-inch post, who scored on a close-range bucket to pull to within one with 40 seconds left on the clock.

Sisters was able to maintain possession for the remainder of the game. Estacada was forced to foul. Unfortunately, the Outlaws’ attempts at the stripe failed, but Wyland and Corcoran made great efforts to pull down the rebounds and run time off the clock. The Outlaws squeaked by with a one-point win.

Corcoran led the team with 13 points, eight rebounds, and nine steals in the contest. Wyland scored eight points and was a beast on the boards with eight offensive and 10 defensive rebounds, and she also dished out three assists. Cotner recorded five points, Lutz scored four, Christianson hit a three, and Thorsett added two.

Patton said, “This was a gutsy win for us considering that we were without one of our senior starters for the whole game and another for the entire second half. The younger girls stepped up and made just enough plays to allow us to hold on to the lead down the stretch.

“Audrey (Corcoran) had a superb game directing the action as our point guard, leading us in scoring and grabbing some key rebounds,” Patton added. “Shae (Wyland) also stood out with her rebounding and by scoring eight of our 12 second-half points.”