Gretna East pulls away from Sidney 54-41 in state tournament opener

LINCOLN, Neb. — Gretna East used a strong third quarter and a dominant presence inside to defeat Sidney 54-41 Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Nebraska Class B Girls State Basketball Tournament at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Sidney (19-6) led 10-8 after the first quarter and carried a 25-26 deficit into halftime after a competitive opening half. Gretna East took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Raiders 16-6 to build a double-digit lead heading into the final period.

The Griffins added a 12-10 edge in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Gretna East controlled the paint throughout the game, scoring 32 points inside compared to Sidney’s 16. The Griffins also capitalized on turnovers, turning Sidney’s 23 giveaways into 27 points.

Madi Shelburne led Gretna East with 15 points, while Elayne Graver added 12. Heather Wadsworth and Justice Love each scored nine points, and Taryn French chipped in six.

Sidney was led by Laramey Misegadis with 11 points. Reagan Nesbitt added nine points, Jordynn Schnell scored five, and Kierra Schrader and Lilee Wieser each finished with four.

The Lady Raiders shot 35.9% from the field and made 6-of-19 three-pointers. Sidney held a slight rebounding advantage, 31-30, but struggled with ball security throughout the game.

Gretna East finished 19-of-48 from the field and converted 13-of-17 free throws.

Sidney closes its season with a 19-6 record after making its 20th appearance in the Nebraska state girls basketball tournament.