Raiders Rebound With Wins Over Chadron, Holdrege

Sidney's Red Raider Boys Basketball team shook off their loss against Scottsbluff on Saturday, February 4, and took away two big wins this week, putting down Chadron on Friday at the Sidney Middle School and then defeating Holdrege at home on Saturday.

Sidney's wins move their record to 17-and-5 on the season, and the Raiders look to be playing their best basketball right as the season winds down to post-season tournament play.

Friday was Throwback Night, and the games were played in the smaller confines of the Middle School gym. The gym was loud for both games, and the Chadron teams battled hard in the pressure-filled atmosphere, but came out on the losing side in both contests.

For the boys, after the Cardinals scored the first points, Sidney senior Jaeden Dillehay and junior Isak Doty ramped up the aggressiveness and started scoring for Sidney in the paint. The Red Raiders were able to post a 15-to-13 lead at the end of the first period after senior Micah Schneider buried a three to tie the game then sophomore Landon Riddle put up two more. The Raiders then went on a run in the second period and hit a few three-point shots to take a 37-to-29 lead into the half.

Sidney did a great job holding Chadron senior standout Xander Provance to just 16 points, limiting him to mostly shots under the boards and shutting him down in the perimeter. Provance did pick up a lot of rebounds and was tough against the Sidney offense all game.

Sidney was able to keep the pace going and build on their lead in the third quarter, and entered the final stanza up 54-to-41. The Raiders did not let up in the fourth quarter, and went 6-for-8 at the free throw line down the stretch to come away with a 72-to-60 win. Sidney had four score in double figures, led by Dillehay and Doty with 15 points each.

On Saturday the Red Raiders returned to the familiar court of the Sidney High School gym, and hosted the Dusters from Holdrege. The Raiders started hot, with freshman Alek Doty putting up five points in the first period and the Sidney squad bolting out to a 20-to-11 lead at the end of the first period. Sidney again kept up the scoring pace, and the Raiders opened a ten point 33-to-23 lead at the halftime intermission. The Sidney defense continued to foil the dangerous Duster attack through the second half, limiting Holdrege's leading scorer Jackson Hinrichs to just three points in the second half. Sidney rode their double-digit lead through the rest of the game and came away with a 56-to-43 win.

On Friday the Red Raiders host Alliance in their final regular season game.