Lady Bulldogs Bounce Back

The Milbank Area Lady Bulldogs split wins last weekend at the Milbank Armory. They fell 57-38 to Hamlin Friday, but bounced back to defeat Clark-Willow Lake 60-50 on Saturday. Their season record now stands at 8-5.

In the game with Hamlin, Milbank Area trailed 16-14 at the end of the opening period. Hamlin maintained its lead 23-19 heading into half time.
After the break, the Lady Bulldogs struggled to score – hitting just 6 points in the quarter- while Hamlin dumped in 19 points. The Cyclones maintained a commanding lead at 42-25 heading into the final quarter.

In the fourth period. Milbank Area scored 13 points to keep pace with Hamlin’s 15, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit. They fell 57-38.
“I thought we started the game terrific on both ends of the floor,” stated Milbank Area Head Coach Brian Pauli. “However, Hamlin was very physical. It wore us out, took us out of our rhythm offensively, and made it difficult to score.”

Molly Rick led the Lady Bulldogs with 12 points and 2 rebounds. Caryssa Mielitz followed with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 blocked shot. Gabbi Cummins tallied 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. Mackayla Schuelke hit 3 points and added 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Mikaela Hoeke chipped in 3 points and 3 rebounds.

Also scoring for Milbank Area were: LaChasity Finley, 2 points, 1 rebound, and 2 steals; Taylor Thue, 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist; and Shea Hooth, 2 points. Karlee Mertens snagged 1 rebound, had 1 assist, and 1 steal. Sophia Seffrood grabbed 1 rebound.
Milbank Area made 35 percent of its shots from the field – 15 of 43 attempts. The Lady Bulldogs grabbed 27 rebounds, made 12 steals, 7 assists, and blocked 1 shot. They committed 16 turnovers.

Hamlin went 21-of-50 from the field for 42 percent shooting. The Chargers had 35 rebounds, 15 steals, 5 assists, and 1 blocked shot. They committed 13 turnovers.

The Lady Bulldogs fought the Clark-Willow Lake Cyclones enroute to a Northeast Conference win Saturday night. The Dawgs ended up the victors at 60-50.

Milbank Area trailed 15-12 at the end of the first quarter. The Lady Bulldogs stepped up their defensive efforts in the second period to hold the Cyclones to just 8 points. Milbank Area worked the ball around on the offensive end and poured in 25 points to take the lead 37-23 at the half.

Milbank Area remained ahead in the third quarter and the score sat at 54-43 heading into the final stanza. Clark-Willow Lake cut the Lady Bulldogs’ lead to 6 points with just over two minutes left to play. Mielitz found the net for a field goal to cushion the lead at 58-50 and then cemented the win at the charity stripe by hitting two free throws in the final 40 seconds.

“This was, in my opinion, a grind it out game,” stated Coach Pauli. “By that, I mean this was our fourth game in eight days. I credit Mikaela Hoeke for her defensive intensity. In the second quarter, her energy was contagious for the rest of the team.”

Mielitz led Milbank Area with another double-double. She fired in 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. She also blocked 1 shot and came up with 2 steals. Cummins tacked up 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 blocked shot. Seffrood added 9 points and 2 rebounds. Hoeke contributed 6 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal. Rick contributed 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Thue had 5 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists.

Also adding to the totals for the Lady Bulldogs were: Mertens, 4 points, 1 assist, and 1 steal; Finley, 2 points and 1 rebound; and Schuelke, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 steals.

Milbank Area made 42 percent of their shots from the field – hitting 22 of 52 attempts. The Lady Bulldogs snared 32 rebounds, made 19 steals, 12 assists, and two blocked shots. They had 15 turnovers.

Clark-Willow Lake went 17-of-37 from the field for 46 percent shooting. The Cyclones had 25 rebounds, 14 steals, 2 assists, and 1 blocked shot. They committed 20 turnovers.

Milbank Area travels to Ortonville Tuesday, January 24, for a double header. Junior varsity begins at 4 p.m. Varsity tips off at approximately 6:30 p.m.

Junior LaChasity Finley.