SCOTTSBLUFF – Sidney struggled out of the gate but rallied for a 56-49 semifinal win over Gering in the Girls B-8 Sub-District Monday night at Scottsbluff High School. The Lady Raiders will face Scottsbluff in the Sub-District championship game at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday at Scottsbluff High School. The top-seeded Bearcats punched their ticket into the final with a 68-37 win over Alliance.

Junior Carleigh Pszanka opened the game with a three-pointer to give the Gering a lead they would maintain for the entire first half. The Bulldogs started the game with an aggressive zone defense that stymied Sidney throughout much of the first quarter. Gering led by as many as 8 points in the first period and held a 14-9 advantage heading into the second quarter.

Sidney started to find their stride in the second period, outscoring Gering 11-7 to narrow the Bulldog margin to just 21-20 at halftime.

Whatever head coach Tyler Shaw said to the Lady Raiders in the locker room during the break apparently did the trick. Sidney took the lead early in the half and didn’t look back, amassing 21 points to take a double-digit lead through three quarters, 41-31.

Gering senior Sydnee Winkler, who finished with a game-high 21 points, attempted to get the Bulldogs back in the game, in the final period, but her efforts fell short. The Lady Raiders made their free throws down the stretch for the 56-49 win and a spot in Wednesday’s championship.

Junior Gabby Fortner led Sidney with 16 points while Reese Riddle added 15 in the win,