Lady Raiders run past Cheyenne South

While its offense wasn’t clicking on all cylinders, the Sidney High School girls’ basketball team made sure that Cheyenne South could hardly get the ignition to turn.

Playing near shutout basketball in the first half, Tyler Shaw’s club didn’t get one phase of its game to complement the other until midway through the fourth quarter of a 37-15 semifinal victory Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the Cabela’s Holiday Shootout.

Sidney (7-1) will meet 10-0 and unbeaten Douglas (Wyo.) at 1:30 p.m. today for the championship. However, getting there was akin to pulling teeth for SHS, which struggled at times offensively against South’s 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone looks.

And, as much as the Raiders love getting out in their transition game, the Bison many times slowed the flow of the game.

“South did a good job defending the outlet,” Shaw said. “Our transition points were hard to come by, and that is what we thrive off. We played one of our best defensive games of the season, holding them to four points at the half, and limiting their best player – Jasmin Waters – to five points.”

SHS scored the game’s first seven points, and led 9-1 after one period against South’s 2-3. The Lady Raiders limited the Bison’s offense to a lone free throw from Waters with 1:37 left in the opening frame.

Jeni Heeren scored four points in the first quarter, when the Lady Raiders were struggling to find offense.

“That’s what Jeni is supposed to do,” Shaw said. “There are going to be nights when the other team is trying to shut down Karissa (Segelke), and we have to find offense in other ways.”

The second period was none kinder to South, as Dani Noble made a foul shot with 4:51 left in the first half, and the Bison’s only field goal came in the waning moments of the period when Lexie Apodaca converted a bank shot off the left side with 24.9 seconds showing.

Sidney’s first-half damage came from Segelke with a half-dozen points, while Heeren and Sarah Mahr both put in a pair of baskets. Heeren finished with eight points for SHS.

SHS was a tad sluggish in the third period, and was outscored by South, 9-5, to have the lead sliced to 23-13. But the third stop proved to be the end of South’s chances.

Sidney allowed just two points the rest of the way, and outscored the Bison, 14-2.

Shaw emptied his bench in the final two minutes.

Segelke led all scorers with 10 points, and took the lead in the girls’ scoring race with 31 points in two games. Heeren added eight, Sarah Mahr seven. Stephanie Dickinson led South with seven points.

Shaw knows his club has a tough ahead of it today.

“Douglas will be in the running for the Class 3A title in Wyoming,” Shaw said. “They aren’t tall, but they are strong and have four good seniors. They got a test in their semifinal game (46-43 win against Hershey) but they have been in that situation. We will have to play good defense, and a low-scoring game would be to our benefit.”

SHS 37, South 15

South 1 3 9 2-15

SHS 9 9 5 14-37

SOUTH (15)

Dickinson 3 1-2 7, Noble 0 1-2 1, Waters 2 1-2 5, Apodaca 1 0-0 2, Myers 0 0-0 0. Totals 6 3-6 15.

SHS (37)

Segelke 3 4-4 10, Heeren 4 0-0 8, Mahr 3 1-1 7, Linneman 2 1-2 5, Malzahn 1 0-0 3, Rowley 1 1-4 3, Stafford 0 1-2 1. Totals 13 10-15 37

3-point goals – SHS 1 (Malzahn). Team fouls – South 16, SHS 7. Fouled out - Myers