The Lady Outlaws lost a pair of closely contested games over the Jan. 19-20 weekend.

Against the Union High School girls – who had won eight straight games and make up the top basketball team in the Blue Mountain Conference – Enterprise High School fell short of an upset Jan. 18 in its 45-43 setback. A day later, the Outlaws absorbed a similar outcome and fell to the Pilot Rock High School Rockets, 37-32.

The defeats set the Outlaws’ overall record back to 9-7. They have a 3-4 mark in the conference.

“Both ballgames were heartbreakers, but at this point in the season, we don’t sit around and mope,” coach Mike Crawford said.

Each night, the Outlaws carried a small lead into the final quarter. Even after the opposition moved ahead, the local girls had chances to win in the closing seconds. At Union, trailing by two points, the Outlaws’ junior forward Tricia O’Leary missed three shots from the free-throw line with no time on the clock.

Poor shooting carried over to the next day in their game against the Rockets. The Outlaws made just 10 of 67 field-goal attempts and just 11 of 29 from the foul line.

Junior forward Kayla Foster scored nine points, more than any other Outlaw, while sophomore Summer De Spain had five. O’Leary and sophomore Sarah Butterfield both managed four points.

The Outlaws hosted the Elgin High School Huskies Jan. 22. The game was scheduled too late to be included in this edition of the Chieftain.

Next, Enterprise has two more games at home. The Heppner High Mustangs come Jan. 25. The Mustangs beat the Outlaws Jan. 12.

Enterprise hosts Stanfield High School Jan. 26.