Sidney's slow start mars first round effort

After going on an offensive tear in its final game before the holiday break, the Sidney Red Raiders girls baskeball team struggled to find that same explosive touch on their return to the court Thursday night.

With an offense that failed to generate a point until Abbi Porter's layup after 13:20 had elapsed in the game, Sidney dropped its opening round contest in the Cabela's Holiday Shootout 35-27 to the Central City Bison at the Cabala's Athletic Facility. The Raiders record slipped to 4-2 while the Class C1 Bison's record advanced to 6-3.

While the Raiders struggled to get going offensively in the early stages of the game, the momentum slowly began to change in the second half. Trailing 6-0 after one quarter and 12-5 after two, the action heated up in frame three.

Sidney opened the period on an 6-2 run, with help from a Maddie Stafford free throw, a Sarah Mahr duece and a trey by Katelin Cole. After allowing a layup to the Bison's Abby Maresh, Sidney scored the next 5 points to finally pull even with 2:50 left in the third period. Again the offensive production came from Cole and Mahr, only this time it was Mahr who hit from downtown.

With 1:42 left in the third Sidney took their first lead of the game at 19-18 when Mahr was again true from behind the arc. But Central City finished the frame with 5 unanswered points to reclaim the lead they would never again relinquish.

"We usually do start out slow for some reason," said Porter. "They're a good team and maybe we struggled because we haven't faced the 1-3-1 defense before. I don't think we were ready for that."

Though the Raiders managed to get within four points on several occassions in the final quarter the equalizers continued to elude them. A hard overhand pass from Cole to Mahr provided one of the highlights of the final eight minutes, but Raiders fans were given few chances to get excited in the waning moments.

"We weren't able to match their momentum late in the game," said Maddie Stafford. "Once we caught up to them we knew we were as good as they were. But even then they seemed to be one step ahead of us."

When Porter finally dropped in Sidney's first basket, she was followed just 35 seconds later by a Cole three pointer which she banked off the glass. The 5-0 run to end the half put the Raiders just seven behind at 12-5.

"With six days of practice I don't think we were stale," said Cody Rowley. "After a while I think we get tired of playing each other. We need to work harder in practice."

Mahr and Cole were scoring leaders for the Raiders with 14 and 10 respectively. Including Porter and Stafford, only four Raiders hit the scoresheet.

The Raiders loss sends them to the consolation match against the Hershey Panthers who suffered their first loss of the season last night. Hershey (7-1) was dropped by the Laramie Plainsmen 40-30. The Raiders will take on the Panthers at the Sidney Middle School Gym while Central City and Laramie will do battle at the high school. Both games are slated for 3:45 p.m.

In the bottom portion of the bracket, Cheyenne South handled Chase County 43-31 despite being shutout in the second quarter. Gering survived a scare from Gothenburg with a 48-45 win in overtime. This afternoon Chase County will meet Gothenburg at 2 p.m. at the middle school. Gering will do battle with Cheynne South in the high school at the same hour.

Girls Basketball

Central City 35

Sidney 27