Lady Bulldogs Defeat Ortonville Trojans

The Milbank Area Lady Bulldogs avenged an earlier loss this season to the Ortonville Trojans by defeating them 56-51 in basketball action February 14, at the Milbank Armory. The Dawgs’ record stands at 12-7 for the season.

Milbank Area got out to a solid start and held a 17-10 lead at the end of the opening period. They remained ahead 26-17 at the midway mark.
In the second half, Ortonville fired in 26 points to take the lead 43-37 heading into the final stanza. The Lady Bulldogs, however, pumped in 19 points and held Ortonville to just eight. Milbank Area claimed the victory at 56-51.

“I thought we started off the game doing a nice job on both sides of the floor,” commented Milbank Area Head Coach Brian Pauli. “We made a couple of mental mistakes which kept us from extending the lead at the half. The third quarter was a struggle on the defensive end. We gave up too many dribble penetrations and second chance opportunities, but we made enough plays to close out the game.”

Caryssa Mielitz dumped in 27 points, snared 8 rebounds, and had 3 assists to set the pace for the Lady Bulldogs. Gabbi Cummins tallied 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 5 steals. Molly Rick contributed 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 assist. Taylor Thue added 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Also scoring for the locals were Mackayla Schuelke with 2 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals and Sophia Seffrood with 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot. LaChasity Finley had two rebounds and two steals and Mikaela Hoeke added one blocked shot.

Milbank Area went 23-of-52 from the field for 44 percent shooting. The Lady Bulldogs secured the win with 27 rebounds, 16 steals, 11 assists, and 2 blocked shots. They committed 13 turnovers.

Ortonville made 47 percent of its shots from the field – 21 of 45 attempts. The Trojans had 28 rebounds, 13 steals, 5 assists, and 1 blocked shot. They committed 17 turnovers.

Senior players and their parents were recognized for their years of contribution to the program. Players completing their final year of high school basketball are: (l. to r.) Mackayla Schuelke, Caryssa Mielitz, Karlee Mertens, and Mikaela Hoeke.

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