Dawgs Come up Short in Ortonville

The Milbank Area Bulldogs lost the battle with its rival, the Ortonville Trojans, January 24, in Ortonville. The final score was 72-54.

The Trojans scored on nearly every possession early in the game while the Dawgs struggled to hit the hoop. The Bulldogs fought back to cut the deficit to just six points at the end of the first quarter, but continued to trail 49-29 at the midway mark. In the second half, Ortonville outscored Milbank Area by only two points, but time ran out before the Bulldogs could get any closer.

“They have a nice team and they really took it to us at the start of the game,” stated Bulldog Head Coach Matt Bastian. “I thought we did a good job early executing offensively, but we just couldn’t get any stops. We had some good individual performances, but obviously it’s a team game and we need to get everybody playing their best at the same time.”

Jonny Ash led the Bulldogs with 14 points and 2 rebounds. Nate Bien tallied 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. Cody Dockter added 9 points, five rebounds, and 1 steal. James Weber contributed 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal. Preston Morton had 6 points and 1 board.

Also adding to the team totals for Milbank Area were: Mitch Quade, 3 points and 10 rebounds; Matt Lenards, 3 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists; Derrick Aho, 2 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal; Riley Wollschlager, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 3 steals; and Jake Fox, 1 rebound.

Milbank Area went 19-of-45 from the field for 42 percent shooting. The Bulldogs finished with 30 rebounds, 12 steals, and 6 assists. They committed 14 turnovers.

Ortonville made 56 percent of its shots – firing in 29 of 52 attempts. The Trojans secured the win with 30 rebounds, 13 steals, and 9 assists. They committed 12 turnovers.

The Bulldogs will be back in action Monday, January 30, when they host the Morris Area Tigers at the Milbank Armory.

Junior James Weber.