Sidney Teams Sweep North Platte in Home Finale

SIDNEY - The Sidney Lady Raiders and Red Raiders closed out their home schedule in dominant fashion Tuesday night, sweeping North Platte in a doubleheader at the Cabela’s Athletic Facility.

Lady Raiders 64, North Platte 32

The Lady Raiders turned relentless defensive pressure into offense, forcing 31 North Platte turnovers and converting them into 36 points in a convincing 64-32 victory.

The win was a stark contrast to the teams’ previous meeting, when Reagan Nesbitt sank two free throws with 8.7 seconds remaining to lift Sidney to a narrow 37-36 win in the Sidney Holiday Shootout.

This time, there was a lot less drama. Sidney never trailed, jumping out to a 14-4 lead after the first quarter. Laramey Misegadis took control in the second period, pouring in 13 of her game-high 25 points to help extend the advantage. The Lady Raiders carried a 32-17 lead into halftime.

Sidney continued to build the cushion in the second half, holding the Bulldogs to just 15 points after intermission. The lead ballooned to 37 points at 64-27 in the fourth quarter as the Lady Raiders outscored North Platte in every period.

Kierra Schrader added 14 points for Sidney, while Reagan Nesbitt contributed nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Six-foot freshman Norah Wurl led North Platte with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

With the win, Sidney improves to 16-5, while North Platte falls to 5-18.

Red Raiders 68, North Platte 27

The Red Raiders rebounded from a sub-par performance in last Friday’s overtime win with one of their most complete efforts of the season, rolling past North Platte 68-27.

Sidney set the tone early, scoring the game’s first eight points. Alek Doty sparked the fast start with eight first-quarter points as the Red Raiders raced to a 19-9 lead after one period.

Balanced scoring fueled a big second quarter. Seven different Sidney players found the scoring column as the Red Raiders extended their advantage to 40-19 at halftime.

Sidney dominated defensively in the second half, holding North Platte to just eight total points over the final two quarters. The 40-point running clock was initiated with 4:36 remaining in the game.

Kash Knobbe led three Red Raiders in double figures with 21 points. Doty finished with 15, and Keian Kaiser added 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. North Platte junior Logan Hayes paced the Bulldogs with 10 points.

Sidney improves to 9-13 on the season, while North Platte drops to 5-18.

The Raiders conclude their regular season Friday on the road at Alliance. The girls game tips at 5:30 p.m., followed by the boy’s game at 7 p.m. Fans can listen live on 98.7 FM The Big Boy, online at thebigboy987.com, or on the News Channel Nebraska app.