The Milbank Lady Bulldogs continue to see improvements on the basketball floor despite two recent losses. Milbank fell just short to Groton Area on... Lady Bulldogs Keep Improving

The Milbank Lady Bulldogs continue to see improvements on the basketball floor despite two recent losses. Milbank fell just short to Groton Area on Thursday, February 20, and dropped to Sioux Falls Christian on Saturday, February 22.

Milbank 35, Groton Area 41
Milbank fell just short at 41-35 to Groton Area in Northeast Conference girls basketball action Thursday, February 20, on the road. The Lady Bulldogs battled to the end in a very close contest with the Tigers. Milbank trailed 6-9 at the end of the first quarter. The team produced equal points in the second period, so Milbank remained behind at 12-15 at halftime. Groton outscored the Lady Bulldogs 18-12 in the third quarter to widen the gap to 24-33 heading into the final stanza. The Lady Bulldogs came roaring back to outscore the Tigers 11-8 in the final quarter, but it was not enough to secure the win.

“I thought for most of the game our defense was pretty solid,” stated Bulldog head coach Brian Pauli. “There was a stretch in the third quarter where Groton was getting some easy baskets, but overall the defensive effort was there. Offensively, we were moving the ball effectively and getting the ball to the correct sports. Now, it comes down to putting the ball through the hoop.”

Maurina Street led Milbank with 15 points, one rebound, and one blocked shot. Jaecy Engebretson followed with 12 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocked shots. Madi Thue tallied four points, eight boards, three assists, and one steal. Lindsey Mertens chipped in two points, one rebound, and one steal. Isabella
Anderson added two points, three rebounds, one assist, and two steals. Also contributing to the totals for Milbank were Hallie Schulte with three rebounds and Tracy Pillatzki with one one board.

Milbank hit 15-of-44 from the field for 34 percent shooting. The locals were 3-of-5 from the charity stripe, but just 2-of-19 from three-point land. The Lady Bulldogs grabbed 37 rebounds, had 11 assists, six steals, and three blocked shots. They committed 16 turnovers.

Groton made 27 percent of their shots from the field, hitting 14-of-53 attempts. The Tigers ended with 37 rebounds, one assist, five steals, and 13 turnovers.

Milbank 36, Sioux Falls Christian 57
Milbank traveled to Sioux Falls Saturday, February 22, and suffered a 57-36 loss to Sioux Falls Christian in non-conference girls basketball action.

“In a lot of phases of this game, I thought we did a pretty good job,” said Pauli. “Moving the basketball in and out, handling their press – unfortunately, we weren’t able to score consistently enough to keep up.”

Milbank trailed by just two points at 15-17 at the end of the opening period. SF Christian outscored the Lady Bulldogs 19-8 and had the 23-36 advantage. Milbank struggled to score in the third quarter and produced just five points. They remained behind at 28-47 heading into the final stanza and could not overcome the deficit.

Street and Engebretson each scored 14 points to lead the Lady Bulldogs. Engebretson snared nine rebounds and had one assist and one steal. Street grabbed seven boards and had five steals. Mertens, Anderson, Schulte, and Tatum Berry scored two points apiece.

Milbank made 25 percent of their shots from the field, making 13-of-53 attempts. The Lady Bulldogs finished the game with 34 rebounds, 12 steals, nine assists, and 21 turnovers.

SF Christian made 22-of-49 from the field for 45 percent shooting. They wrapped up the win with 36 rebounds, 18 steals, four assists, three blocked shots, and 21 turnovers.

Staff Writer

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