Milbank Area traveled to Sioux Falls January 14, to compete in the 2017 Sanford Pentagon Heritage Classic. They faced undefeated Lennox. The Lady Bulldogs... Lady Bulldogs Split In Recent Hoops

Milbank Area traveled to Sioux Falls January 14, to compete in the 2017 Sanford Pentagon Heritage Classic. They faced undefeated Lennox.
The Lady Bulldogs trailed 9-4 at the end of the opening quarter. Milbank Area battled back and outscored the Oriels by two points to cut the deficit to 19-16 at the midway mark. The Dawgs struggled in the third period and put up just 7 points. Lennox added 12 to their total to lead 31-23 heading into the final stanza. The final score was 44-37.

“We started the game a little slow offensively,” said Milbank Area head coach Brian Pauli. “We put a few good minutes together toward the last of the first half, but in the end we turned the ball over too much.” Milbank committed 23 turnovers; Lennox committed 14.

Caryssa Mielitz led the Lady Bulldogs with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot. Mikaela Hoeke contributed 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. Gabbi Cummins tallied 5 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. Taylor Thue added 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Molly Rick chipped in 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Karlee Mertens contributed 2 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist. Mackayla Schuelke made 1 rebound and Sophia Seffrood grabbed 5 rebounds.

Milbank Area hit 31 percent of their shots from the field – making 13 of 42 attempts. The Lady Bulldogs finished the game with 39 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals, 1 blocked shot, and 23 turnovers.

Lennox went 16-of-50 from the field for 32 percent shooting. They won the game with 29 rebounds, 10 steals, 6 assists, 1 blocked shot, and 14 turnovers.

Milbank Area traveled to Castlewood Tuesday, January 17. The Lady Bulldogs defeated the Warriors 43-38 in non-conference action.

Milbank Area held a slight 12-11 advantage after one quarter of play. The battle continued in the second quarter with Castlewood pushing ahead at 23-22 at the halfway mark. The Lady Bulldogs struggled in the third quarter and added just five points to their total. Castlewood widened the gap to 33-27 heading into the final stanza, but the Lady Bulldogs took charge. They poured in 16 points in the fourth quarter while holding the Warriors to just five points. Milbank Area clinched the victory at 43-38.

“Credit to the girls for hanging in there and finding a way to get a win,” Pauli stated. “We struggled shooting, but did an excellent job of rebounding those misses to give ourselves extra chances.”

Mielitz led the locals with a double-double – 19 points and 19 rebounds. She also added two assists and one blocked shot. Cummins followed with 11 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Rick dropped in 5 points, snared 3 rebounds, and had 2 steals. Hoeke added 3 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Seffrood chipped in 3 points and 4 rebounds. Thue had 2 points, 1 rebound, and 2 steals. Schuelke contributed 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Mertens had 1 rebound and 1 assist.

Milbank Area went 13-of-46 from the field for 28 percent shooting. The Lady Bulldogs pulled out the win with 41 rebounds, 10 steals, 8 assists, 1 blocked shot, and committed 13 turnovers.

Castlewood made 30 percent of its shots from the field – 14 of 46 attempts. The Warriors ended the game with 30 rebounds, 11 steals, 3 assists, 1 blocked shot, and committed 11 turnovers.

Milbank Area will be back in action Friday, January 19, when they host Hamlin.

Staff Writer

No comments so far.

Be first to leave comment below.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *