DUFUR guard Kayla Bailey (2) pesters Damascus Christian post player Ashlynn Jones during the first half of Friday’s non-league girls’ basketball game played in Dufur. The Rangers lost to Damascus by a 44-33 margin.
DUFUR guard Kayla Bailey (2) pesters Damascus Christian post player Ashlynn Jones during the first half of Friday’s non-league girls’ basketball game played in Dufur. The Rangers lost to Damascus by a 44-33 margin.
DUFUR – Just because the Dufur Rangers have started the season with a 0-5 record, Coach Jack Henderson and sophomore guard Alexus Outlaw want the players to be patient with the process.
They feel there are gains being made on every possession.
“I am very confident that we can turn the corner with this team,” Outlaw said. “As long as we try harder, play harder, practice harder and focus more in the games and not dwell on some of the mistakes, we can be a good team. We cannot worry about what went wrong, we need to get it in our minds that we are going to do better next time.”
In two recent games, the Lady Rangers played home contests against Damascus Christian and Nixyaawii and ended up on the losing end in each.
Dufur lost 44-33 to Damascus Christian on Friday, and then lost 62-25 to No. 11-ranked Nixyaawii Monday.
In that game against Nixyaawii, the Golden Eagles led 20-8 after one quarter, and hit three 3-pointers and six two-pointers on their way to a 21-4 run for a 41-12 halftime lead.
Nixyaawii then outscored Dufur 21-13 in the second half.
In the third quarter, point guard Sydney Reed dropped two field goals and two free throws as part of a eight-point output, as the Dufur defense held Nixyaawii to three fields.
Still, the Golden Eagles led 51-20 entering the final period.
“Nixyaawii is tough, top-four team in the state,” Henderson said. “We need to continue to work hard and improve to prepare for our league season.”
Mary Stewart led Nixyaawii with 15 points, and both Sunshine Fuentes and Desiree Maddern added 12 points apiece, as the team finished with 25 field goals, seven from 3-point territory, and shot 5 for 11 from the free throw line.
For the Rangers, Reed tallied 12 points, Outlaw added four and the trio of Kayla Bailey, Chloe Beeson and Emily DePriest scored two points each.
Friday against Damascus, Dufur trailed 25-18 at halftime, and inched to within four points twice in the third quarter, the last time coming on a rebound and putback by Laticia Macias with one minute and 38 seconds left.
Damascus fought off the Ranger rally in the fourth quarter, using a 12-0 run in the first 4:13 to increase their lead to 44-26.
Reed hit two free throws, DePriest tacked on a 3-pointer, followed by a rebound and a putback to make up the final margin.
All told, Dufur hit 11 field goals and went 10 for 12 from the line, as Reed led with her 10 points.
DePriest had nine points, Macias added six and Outlaw and Morgan Brumley notched four points apiece.
“We did rebound and defend better, and our post game showed some improvements,” Henderson said. “Overall, the girls are still trying. We just need to work on the fundamentals.”
Dufur (0-5 overall) next hosts the 1A Hoop Classic starting on Dec. 28 with its first game against Pacific (1-7) at 3 p.m. on Monday.
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