Bearcats Sweep Raiders on Senior Night
The Scottsbluff Bearcats completed a sweep of Sidney on Saturday night at the Cabela’s Athletic Facility, edging the Sidney Lady Raiders 52-51 before the Scottsbluff boys pulled away for a 69-54 win.
SIDNEY - The Scottsbluff Bearcats completed a sweep of Sidney on Saturday night at the Cabela’s Athletic Facility, edging the Sidney Lady Raiders 52-51 before the Scottsbluff boys pulled away for a 69-54 win.
In the girls’ contest, Scottsbluff came out firing, jumping to an 11-3 lead in the first quarter. Sidney settled in after the slow start and outscored the Bearcats in each of the final three periods, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
Trailing 50-49 late, Sidney senior Kierra Schrader was fouled by Chesney Joplin with 19.8 seconds remaining. Schrader calmly knocked down both free throws to give the Lady Raiders a 51-50 lead.
Scottsbluff answered on the ensuing possession, as Ava Reed drove the baseline and finished with 4.8 seconds left to put the Bearcats back in front, 52-51. Sidney used its final timeout with 1.2 seconds remaining, but Lilee Weiser’s long three-point attempt came up short at the buzzer.
Weiser led Sidney with four three-pointers and 15 points. Freshman Chesney Joplin paced Scottsbluff, hitting five of eight attempts from beyond the arc and finishing with 17 points as the Bearcats improved to 12-8. Sidney fell to 14-5.
The boys’ game opened with momentum swings, as Scottsbluff scored the first five points before Sidney rallied to take a 20-19 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter proved decisive. With Sidney trailing just 28-27, Scottsbluff closed the half on a 15-2 run over the final 4:50 to build a 43-29 lead at intermission. The teams played evenly after halftime, but the Bearcats maintained control to secure the 69-54 victory.
Keian Kaiser led Sidney with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while brother Kale Kaiser added 10 points and nine boards. Rylee Meininger poured in 26 points to lead Scottsbluff, and Nate Kelly posted a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Sidney dropped to 7-13 on the season, while Scottsbluff improved to 16-3.
The Sidney Lady Raiders and Red Raiders will host the Chadron Cardinals on Friday, February 13. Tipoff for the girls’ game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., followed by the boys’ game at 7:00 p.m.
Both games can be heard live on 1340 AM/95.7 FM Cheyenne County Country, online at thebigboy987.com, or on the News Channel Nebraska app.