8 Wednesday, December 21, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Lady Outlaws post two wins in hoops Sisters Country birds By Douglas Beall By Rongi Yost Correspondent Correspondent The Lady Outlaws basket- ball team tallied two wins this past week to push their record to 3-1. Sisters defeated La Pine 38-35 at home on Tuesday, December 13. The squad was unable to make their annual trip to the Seaside Tournament due to the severe weather conditions, but were able to pick up a game against Crook County on Saturday. The Outlaws came from behind and beat the Cowgirls 27-25. In Tuesday’s matchup against La Pine, the Outlaws came out cold and couldn’t get their shots to fall. They trailed the Hawks 20-11 at the half, going only four- for-20 from the field. Sisters was a differ- ent team in the second half. They lost their nervous jitters and made their shots. The Outlaws worked together as a cohesive unit, looked for the open person, and tightened up the defense. Sisters outscored the Hawks 27-15 in the sec- ond half and recorded the win. Alexis Stewart scored 11 of the Outlaws’ 17 third- quarter points. Stewart finished the con- test with 17 points. Amanda Smith recorded eight points, and Rylee Weber tallied seven. Smith and Weber each pulled down eight rebounds, and both did a good job on the boards. Sydney Head also did a good job on the glass and added six rebounds. Gracie Sundstrom, at 5 feet 10 inches, started the game for the Outlaws, got lots of minutes on the court, and recorded three blocks. Coach Alan Von Stein said, “It was truly team play. The girls are starting to trust their teammates and trust the offense and defense that we are running. I’m extremely PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK Amanda Smith had the hot hand for the Outlaws. proud of the girls. They are unselfish and are coming together as a team, but we still have lots of work to do.” Sisters came from behind to tally their 27-25 win over Crook County on Saturday. The Outlaws once again started the game very slow, and only shot eight percent in the first half. They came out stronger in the second half, and shot 20 percent from the field and 41 percent from the free-throw line. The Outlaws were down 21-17 at the close of the third, came from behind and outscored the Cowgirls 10-4 Wishing you holidays fi lled with warmth and smiles! Ben Crockett 410 E. Cascade, Sisters (Corner of E. Cascade & Larch) , D.D.S. p 541-549-9486 f 541-549-9110 410 E. Cascade Ave. • P.O. Box 1027 • Sisters, Oregon 97759 Hours: Mon., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Tues.-Wed., 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thurs., 7 a.m.-3 p.m. in the final quarter to earn the win. Smith had a great game for the Outlaws. Amanda put up 11 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, and had two steals in the contest. Weber scored six points and Olivia Hougham added six. Sundstrom played a strong game and had six steals. Sisters was scheduled to play at Culver on Tuesday, December 20. The Outlaws will host their annual Sisters Holiday Tournament Wednesday through Friday, December 28-30. The red crossbill [Loxia curvirosta] is a variably col- ored species with a unique bill where the tips of the bill overlap to enable them to open conifer cones and seeds. With this skill, in seasons of plentiful cone production, they may breed year-round. Red crossbills are usually found in small flocks from 6 to 30 birds. They occasionally feed on aphids in deciduous trees, and some wild berries are also in their diet. The bills can cross in either direction, which in turn dictates which direction they feed on the seed cones. With at least 10 differ- ent subspecies, each group uses slightly differ- ent flight calls to help identify and separate the different types. Monogamous pairs form within flocks, and the female will build the nest high on a horizontal branch within a conifer tree. A cup of grass, Red crossbill. bark strips, and twigs begins the structure of the nest, which is then lined with feathers, lichens, and hair. A typical nest contains three whitish-with-reddish- streaks eggs, which are incubated for 12-16 days. The female and brood are fed by the male for five days and then the female joins the male in the feeding of the hatchlings for 18-22 days, at which time the young fledge. The young birds’ bills are not crossed at birth, but cross as they grow, and by 45 days they can begin to extract the seeds from cones. A group of crossbills is called a “warp” or a “crookedness.” H u r r y , S a l e E n d s Hurry, Sale Ends N e w Year’s Y e a r ’ s Eve! E v e ! New PHOTO BY DOUGLAS BEALL 25% OFF SIGNATURE SERIES PLU t S o up $500 REBATE on energy-saving, motorized window-coverings. CCB Licensed #197715 | Bonded 541-788-8444 FREE CONSULTATIONS www.BudgetBlinds.com