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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2017)
Wednesday, February 1, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 15 Outlaws continue winning streak By Rongi Yost Correspondent The Outlaws posted two more wins last week to push to a 4-1 record in Sky-Em play. Sisters defeated the Tigers at Junction City (JC) 30-25 on Tuesday, January 24, and three days later posted a 39-34 home win over the Elmira Falcons. Sisters started off strong in their game against the Tigers on Tuesday, got the ball just where they wanted it, and held a 9-5 lead to close out the first quarter. Af ter s ever al fouls, the Outlaws had to switch defenses, which allowed JC to hit three timely shots from behind the arc. The Outlaws struggled offensively in the second period, and missed several inside shots and open looks. At the half, Sisters trailed the Tigers 18-13. In the second half, the Outlaws cranked up their defensive pressure and forced many turnovers, but missed too many transition buckets to break the game open. On the flip side, Sisters attacked the basket, got the ball inside, and forced the Tigers to foul. Sisters missed shots down the stretch and were only six- for-14 in the final quarter, but held on to win by five. Ty Horner put up 14 points, Keegan Greaney recorded eight, and Ben Saba added four. The Outlaws played tough defense throughout the con- test and did not foul. Sisters only gave the Tigers six free- throw shots on their home court. “We had to play right to the end,” said Coach Rand Runco. “I was really proud of our toughness at the end and we found a way to get it done. It was an important win on the road and kept us in good league standing. We just need to keep improving.” Three days later, Sisters defeated the Falcons by four in another close contest. Elmira entered the game just one game down from Sisters in league play, and came ready to fight to stay in the playoff hunt. The Falcons are a scrappy team and do a great job on the glass, and the Outlaws knew the game would be tough. Sisters was able to domi- nate the game inside, but the Falcons kept striking with their three-point shots. The Outlaws penetrated, got the ball inside to their bigs, and transitioned out of their defense with aggression, only to have it dwindle away due to the Falcons’ three- point shots. “We did not seem to have our usual energy and struggled closing on shoot- ers in the second quarter,” said Runco. “Offensively, we missed some good opportuni- ties, as we rushed some good looks.” At the half, the Falcons were on top 23-21. The second half turned into a dogfight. Sisters clamped down on their defense and held the Falcons to 11 points. The Outlaws managed to score 18 points in the half and posted the win. Runco said, “Offensively, we continued to be in a rush, SPRING SPORTS REGISTRATIONS OPEN! Sign up today for… Mountain Biking Lacrosse Softball Baseball Track & Field Fall MS Soccer 1750 W. McKinney Butte Rd. | 541-549-2091 View activities & classes and register online! www.SistersRecreation.com SNO CAP MINI STORAGE Sisters Industrial Park 157 Sisters Park Dr. • 541-549-3575 www.SistersStorage.com • State-of-the-art Security Technology • Sizes from 5x5 to 12x40 • Individual Gate Codes • Long-term Discounts • On-site Manager and were trying so hard we did not execute good offense. When we share the ball and trust each other we are very good on both ends. Sometimes, the boys are try- ing so hard they forget to share the ball the way we need to. When we reverse the ball and hit the open guys, we are really good. We need to share the ball for four quar- ters. If we do that and play good defense, we are a really tough team to beat.” Horner led the team with 14 points, Greaney scored seven, and Saba and Jack Berg tallied six. Ben, Noah (Richards), Jack, and Jake (Larson) really worked hard defensively to get to shooters in the second half to stop their perimeter play. — Coach Rand Runco For the second time in the week, the Outlaws shot only 61 percent from the stripe. Runco noted several play- ers that excelled on defense. “Jack (Berg) did a tre- mendous job on one of their best players, and Keegan (Greaney) and Ty (Horner) were a huge presence inside, and stopped many drives. PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK Ty Horner, leading scorer for the Outlaws. Tanner (Head), Keegan, Ty and sophomore Zach Anderson all did a nice job on the glass. “Ben, Noah (Richards), Jack, and Jake (Larson) really worked hard defensively to get to shooters in the second half to stop their perimeter play.” Runco is very pleased with the team chemistry, and stated the Outlaws improve with every passing week. “This is a super-fun team to coach. The key to our improvement and standing is how hard the team is practic- ing. We have a tremendous group of players that are all working hard, and several of those are not getting the playing time, but are working hard for the team goal. The quality of these young men is very impressive.” At the end of the first round of league play, Sisters, Cottage Grove and Sutherlin are all tied with a 4-1 record. Runco told The Nugget that the league has very good, experienced coaches and they expect it will be a fight to the end. Sisters will kick off the second half of league play on Friday, February 3, at Sweet Home. The following Tuesday, February 7, Sisters will play at home against Cottage Grove, and then will travel to Sutherlin three days later.