Top-ranked McCook shuts down Raiders

McCook High School’s boys basketball team holds down the top spot in the statewide Class B poll, ad the Sidney Red Raiders got a first-hand look Saturday evening at Cabela’s Athletic Facility.

Using a stiff defense and getting 15 points from do-it-all senior Cody Wudtke, the Bison rolled to their ninth win in 11 tries by clipping SHS, 47-36.

“They are an outstanding team,” SHS coach Erik Kohl said. “They do a lot of things well. One thing you didn’t see tonight was their ability to shoot outside, because we did an outstanding job defending the perimeter.”

What Kohl and the Raiders did see was McCook’s ability to limit the opposition.

“Not many teams score a great deal against them,” Kohl said. “We held them to 47 points, and I felt if we did that, we might have a chance. They get more than 50, they are awfully hard to beat.”

Sidney (6-5) held two leads at the outset, that being 2-0 and 4-2 on baskets from Logan Lewis and Sam Arterburn, respectively. That all ended when Wudtke, a 6-3 leaper who is entertaining college offers in both basketball and football (receiver), got going.

Wudtke scored six points in the first quarter, when McCook grabbed an 8-4 lead.

Sidney managed two ties in the second period, the last time at 14-all on a floater from Paxton Ehler at the 4:14 mark. McCook closed the half out on a 6-3 move, capped by a buzzer-beating, back-door layup from Lucas Post.

SHS, down just 20-17 at intermission, stumbled out of the gates to open the third period, and the Bison took full advantage, reeling off the first nine points of the second half.

Mack Alspaugh hit a runout layup and a 3-pointer and Wudtke added a layup, leaving the visitors ahead, 29-17. The third quarter ended with McCook’s Austin Cherry being fouled deep off the left hash, after shooting a 3-point shot.

With the clock stopped, Cherry calmly sank all three free throws, and the Raiders were in a 35-23 hole to start the final period.

“McCook did a good job holding for the final shot in all three quarters,” Kohl said.

SHS managed to trim the deficit to single digits, as Lewis, Lane Harvey (3-point basket) and Casey Mabey (three-point play) rallied the Raiders from 15-point arrears, 40-33.

Sidney got a steal and had a chance to do more trimming, but threw the ball away in transition with 4:12 remaining.

“Everything had to go right for us there,” Kohl said. “It just didn’t happen.”

McCook then hit seven of eight free throws in the final 3:25 to preserve the victory.

Wadtke, who on numerous occasions went high above the rim to snag rebounds, led all scorers with 15 points, Cherry adding 10 and Alspaugh eight.

Harvey knocked down eight points to pace Sidney.

Kohl said his team played well in defeat.

“You don’t like to say a loss is a good one, or whatever,” Kohl said, “but we’ve played some good teams so far. We lost to Omaha Skutt, and now this one. I am still concerned about our rebounding; McCook was plus-16 on us, and you don’t see that in just one game. But McCook has some talented athletes.”

Sidney on Friday night hosts Ogallala, then travels next-door Saturday to meet its neighbor Kimball.

McCook 47, Sidney 36

McCook 8 12 15 12-47

Sidney 4 13 6 13-36

McCook (47): Cherry 2 5-5 10, Wadtke 7 0-0 15, Post 3 0-0 6, Backer 1 4-6 6, Alspaugh 3 1-2 8, Detty 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 10-13 47

Sidney (36): Harvey 3 1-3 9, Ehler 2 2-3 7, Lewis 3 1-1 7, Mabey 2 1-1 6, Arterburn 2 0-0 4, Castner 0 0-2 0. Totals 13 5-10 36

3-point goals – McCook 3 (Cherry, Wadtke, Alspaugh), Sidney 5 (Harvey 2, Lewis, Ehler, Vowers). Team fouls – McCook 10, Sidney 12.