Torrid free throw shooting nudges Raiders past stingy Ogallala squad

Without the benefit of a single field goal in the final eight minutes,Sidney still managed their most productive offensive quarter of the night to break open a close contest at Ogallala on Friday night.

On the strength of 15-for-18 foul shooting in the fourth, the Red Raiders claimed a 41-34 victory over the Indians in a non-district game. Sidney finished the game with a record of 7-5 while the loss dropped the hosts to 5-7.

“That’s the difference between winning and losing,” said Raiders Head Coach Tyler Shaw of the Raiders foul shooting. “If we shot this well from the line in those two games last week we lost by three points, we could very well have won them both.”

Sidney was locked in a tight game with the Indians from the start. While Ogallala held the advantage after both the first and second quarters, Sidney managed to eke out a razor thin lead after three. When the inbounds pass opened the final stanza, the game was still very much in doubt.

Ultimately, the Indains were undone by the frequency with which they fouled their guests with the game on the line.

Unfortunately for Ogallala it wasn’t just one Raider who had the touch at the line. It was a team effort. In the fourth quarter five different Sidney players scored from the foul line: Cody Rowley, Maddie Stafford, Sarah Mahr, Katelin Cole and Abbi Porter.

With Sidney holding a 26-25 lead after three, Rowley was the first Raider sent to the line in the fourth. She set the tone by dropping in both ends of a one-and-one. While Ogallala’s Maaika Mestl ansered Rowley with two from the floor, Sidney scored the next 5 points on three trips to the line. Stafford and Mahr added a pair each to another one by Rowley.

“It’s a tough environment to win in; it’s very close quarters here,” said Mahr.

“Yes,” agreed Porter. “Everthing seems right on top of you.”

Despite dim lighting and tight confines, Sidney seemed little fazed when crunch time came.

While Cole contributed 7 free throws in 8 attempts during the fourth, she didn’t hit her first until just 2:20 remained in the game. While Mestl roused the home fans by nailing a late three pointer, Cole more than nuetralized her effort. She deposited four foul shots in the final 26 seconds.

“I think there’s been some frustration with us lately,” said Rowley. “This week in practice I think we all came out harder than usual.”

While the Raiders took over the game from the foul line in the final frame, they opened the contest with a missed freebie in the first minute. But free throws by Mahr and Porter and a field goal by Mahr accounted for the Raiders first-quarter scoring. Though Emily Mahr made a late steal, Sidney couldn’t convert and left the visitors in a 6-4 hole at the end of one.

Sarah Mahr converted an offensive rebound to open the second quarter. But the period turned out to be a draw, with both teams accounting for 13 points. The even trade left Sidney carrying its two-point first quarter deficit into the locker room at the half.

During the period, however, the hosts began pulling away from the Raiders, at least momentarily. Midway through the second, Ogallala took their largest lead of the game at 17-10.

Sidney responded to this deficit by tying their longest uninterrupted run of the contest. A 7-0 run, that started with two Rowley free ones, tied the game at 17 with 1:03 to go.

With scoring contributions from Rowley, Mahr and Cole, Sidney opened the third quarter with another 7-0 run.

Later Maddie Stafford, who didn’t miss in four trips to the foul line during the game, gave an indication of events to come by sinking both ends of a one-and-one. But Stafford was followed by 4 points from the Indians’ Shelby Walsh to leave Sidney with just a single point advantage after three.

“We’re sharpening up our offense and paying more attention to the little things,” said Porter. “We want to make sure we all battle to the end.”

Cole’s seven conversions from the free-throw line in the final quarter helped her to the top of the scoring sheet for Sidney with 15 points. Mahr and Rowley dropped in 8 points each and Porter 6.

Girls Basketball

Sidney 41

Ogallala 34

Friday

SIDNEY 4 13 9 15 - 41

OGALLALA 6 13 6 9 - 34

Raiders Scoring

Katelin Cole 15

Cody Rowley 8

Sarah Mahr 8

Abbi Porter 6

Maddie Stafford 4