KEARNEY – The Sidney Lady Raiders completed a successful weekend with a win over a top five ranked opponent for the second year in a row at the Girl’s Basketball Showcase at Kearney High School. Last season it was a 57-54 victory over top-ranked Lincoln Christian and this year an impressive 53-39 drubbing of number five rated Arlington.

Sidney opened a challenging weekend on the road against a talented Broken Bow team that entered the contest sporting a 7-3 record. The Lady Raiders, who had cruised through their last four games after an overtime loss to highly ranked Wyoming 4A Cheyenne East, trailed the Indians by as many as seven points throughout the first three quarters of the game. Sidney’s first lead came on a Ryan Dillehay three pointer with 6:50 to go in the game, 31-29. However, the lead lasted just 19 seconds as Broken Bow senior Gabby Staples answered with a three of her own to put the Indians back on top 32-31.

In the fourth quarter, Lady Raider junior Kierra Schrader went 2 of 3 from the floor and 3 for 3 from the free throw line to score half of her game-high 14 points in the final period, including a driving layup to give Sidney their second lead of the night with 9.8 second remaining. Sidney held on to escape with a 39-38 win and improve to 9-3 on the season.

Sidney was led by Kierra Schrader’s 14 points while Ryan Dillehay added eight points and Kayla Westby chipped in seven points in the win. Junior Charlee Meyers paced the Indians with 13 points.

On Saturday the Lady Raiders competed for the third time in four years in the Girl’s Basketball Showcase hosted at Kearney High School. The showcase features a day consisting of eight games that include some of the top teams from across the state and beyond.

Sidney faced Arlington, the number five ranked team in the News Channel Nebraska ratings, in the third game of the day. Kierra Schrader picked up where she left off Friday night in Broken Bow, scoring six of the Lady Raiders 12 first quarter points, to keep Sidney within striking distance 14-12 after one period.

Schrader combined with senior Carli Black to score 12 of Sidney’s 16 second quarter points as the Lady Raiders held Arlington to just seven points in the period to give the Lady Raiders the lead at intermission. Trailing the Eagles 21-20 with 2:09 remaining in the second quarter, senior Zoe Christensen score all four of her points in the game to fuel a Lady Raider 8-0 run to end the half, 28-21.

Sidney’s defense continued to stymie Arlington after the break as the lady Raiders opened the half on a 9-2 run to take their biggest lead of the day 39-23 with 4:37 remaining in the third period. Although the Eagles closed to within eight points midway through the final period, Sidney finished the game on an 8-2 run to secure a 53-39 victory. Sidney improved to 10-3 with the win while Arlington fell to 10-2 with the loss.

For the second game in a row the Lady Raiders were paced by Kierra Schrader with 18 points. Ryan Dillehay chipped in seven points in the win. Juniors Emerson Timm and Macy Wolf led three Eagles in double figures with 12 points. Senior Britt Nielsen chipped in 11 points for Arlington.

Sidney 39, Broken Bow 38
SIDNEY- Ashlynn Weinbender 0, Jordynn Schnell 0, Kierra Schrader 14, Carli Black 3, Ryan Dillehay 8, Taylor Sprenger 2, Kayla Westby 7, Rylan Misegadis 0, Zoey Christensen 0, Lilee Wieser 2, Reagan Nesbitt 3
BROKEN BOW - Madlyn Diederichs 4, Charlee Myers 13, Gaby Staples 9, Halle Quinn 4, Izabelle Tibbs 2, Anslee Campbell 0, Jayden Gaffney 3, Janae Marten 3

Sidney 53, Arlington 39
SIDNEY - Ashlynn Weinbender 0, Jordynn Schnell 3, Kierra Schrader 18, Carli Black 6, Ryan Dillehay 7, Taylor Sprenger 0, Kayla Westby 5, Rylan Misegadis 3, Zoey Christensen 4, Lilee Wieser 4, Reagan Nesbitt 3
ARLINGTON - Emerson Timm 12, Macy Wolf 12, Hailey O'Daniel 2, Valeria Carvajal 2, Libby Hegemann 0, Lauren Pittman 0, Britt Nielsen 11