Lady Bulldogs Remain Positive Despite Setbacks

The Milbank Area Lady Bulldogs high school basketball team has battled adversity this season but maintains a positive attitude as they suffered a close 61-56 loss to the Ortonville Trojans Tuesday, February 16, on the road. Milbank Area holds a 5-14 record with one regular season game remaining.

The teams were evenly matched throughout the first half with the scored knotted up evenly at 37-37 at the midway mark. The Lady Bulldogs played a solid offensive game in the first half and went 15-for-32 from the field for 47 percent shooting.

Midway through the second half, Milbank Area hit a cold shooting streak and did not have enough time to overcome the deficit.
“I was pleased with our team attitude and effort the whole game,” mentioned Milbank Area head coach Joe Frederiksen. “We had a hard time making some baskets in the middle of the second half and we could not quite recover from that.”

Three players scored in double figures for the Lady Bulldogs. Caryssa Mielitz produced a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds. She also collected three steals. Molly Rick followed with 13 points, three rebounds and one assist. Mikayla Street tallied 10 points, six boards, two assists and one steal in the contest. Mikaela Hoeke chipped in with four points, three rebounds, one steal and one assist while Shelby Hooth added three points and three rebounds. LaChasity Finley had three points and one rebound, and Shea Hooth scored two points.

Also contributing to the totals for Milbank Area were Karlee Mertens, one rebound, and Cara Berkner, three rebounds and one assist.
Milbank Area shot 42 percent from the field, hitting 22 of 52 attempts on the night. The Lady Bulldogs wrapped up the game with 39 rebounds, five steals, five assists and 15 turnovers.

Ortonville had three players score in double figures. Rachel Hoernemann fired in 26 points while Jaiden Conroy added 18 and Hope Hasslen, 11. The Trojans made 39 percent of their shots from the field, making 21 of 54 attempts. They won the game with 36 rebounds, five steals and 11 turnovers.

Milbank Area will host Deuel Thursday, February 18, in its final game of the regular season. The locals will head into tournament play Tuesday, February 23, with the Region 1A tournament in Britton. Watch The Valley Express for a tournament preview and matchups.

Junior Varsity – The Milbank Area junior varsity team suffered a close 31-27 loss to the Ortonville Trojans Tuesday, February 16. The team will have one game left to play Thursday, February 18.