Raiders Start New Year 1-2

Sidney's Red Raider basketball team had a busy start to 2019 with two games on the road against Kimball and Gering, then a Saturday matchup against McCook at home. On Thursday, the Red Raider team that had struggled to open the season looked to put all the elements together against a Longhorn team that had similarly struggled in the early going.

The Red Raiders started slowly as the Longhorns went up 6-to-2 while Sidney struggled with turnovers and missed shots. The Raiders had difficulty against Kimball's 1-3-1 defensive set, resorting to long jump shots and three pointers that missed, but were able to score enough to narrow the deficit to 13-to-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The second period started with Sidney starting to chip away at the Longhorn's lead, aided by Kimball's inability to convert free throw attempts. Sidney went on a 5-to-0 run, and by the three minute mark took the lead 15-to-14. Even with 13 turnovers in the half, Sidney would go into the intermission up 19-to-17, limiting Kimball to just four second quarter points.

The second half started with Sidney going on a 6-to-2 run, but Kimball was able to edge back into the lead near the end of the quarter, 29-to-28, until Sidney senior Arik Doty drained a three pointer at the close of the period to send the Red Raiders into the fourth up 31-to-29. Sidney's offense started to gain momentum, and went on a 13-to-2 run that effectively ended the game. The Red Raiders were able to score inside and and convert their free throws while the Longhorns had difficulty scoring, even when getting multiple attempts off of offensive rebounds. The game ended in a 44-to-33 Sidney victory, with senior Alex Jallen leading the Raider's scoring with 16 points.

On Friday, Sidney traveled to Gering to take on the Bulldogs, hoping momentum would help them take advantage of a rival that had not played a game since December 15. This game started similarly to the the previous night's contest, with the Red Raiders being down 13-to-7 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Sidney's offense started getting their shots to fall and quickly fought back against the Bulldogs. After a steal and coast-to-coast layup by junior Skylar Heineman followed by two more points by senior Alec Maddox, the Red Raiders took the lead 20-to-19.

Sidney was able to build a 35-to-30 lead in the closing moments of the second period, but the Bulldogs went on a 5-to-0 run at the end of the half to go into the intermission tied at 35. Both teams played well out of the break, but Gering started to getting the shots they missed in the first half to fall in the third quarter, and were able to build a five point lead at the end of the period to go up against Sidney 49-to-44.

The final quarter started with Sidney trying to gain ground via the three pointer, but after missed shots by Doty, senior Carlos Lucero, and junior Eli Ahrens, the Red Raiders found themselves trailing 56-to-44, prompting a timeout at 6:42 by Sidney head coach Austin Lewis. Turnovers and missed shots stopped Sidney's comeback attempts, while the Bulldogs were able to control the boards and convert their opportunities resulting in a 65-to-57 loss for Sidney. Seniors Alex Jallen and Arik Doty had 18 points and 14 points in the defeat.

On Saturday, Sidney hosted the McCook Bison and after a good start the Red Raiders were ahead 5-to-2 after a Heineman three pointer. The teams battled and traded points, with the score being knotted at 13 early in the second quarter. McCook's offense settled in and built a 20-to-15 lead in the second quarter until Doty nailed a three pointer to bring the Raiders back within two. Again, Sidney turnovers proved costly as Sidney could not keep pace, and the Bison slowly pulled away from Sidney in the second half, earning the victory in a low-scoring contest, 46-to-33.

Sidney head coach Austin Lewis was pleased with the results he's starting to see with the team, saying, "I'm happy we were able to pick up a win in Kimball, and played pretty well against Gering and McCook. I have been pretty happy with our defensive efforts, but we are still trying to make up ground in the scoring department. We are doing a better job of picking our shots and running a good offense, and I hope to see us to continue to improve."

The Red Raiders next host Ogallala on Friday night at the Cabela's Performance Center at Sidney High School.