Dawgs Net Victory Over Clark-Willow Lake

The Milbank Bulldogs took the wind out of the sails of the Clark-Willow Lake Cyclones by handing them a defeat on Thursday, January 16. The final score was 59-57.

“It was another wild and crazy night of hoops,” said Bulldog head coach Logan Diede. Milbank got out to a slow start and trailed by as much as 15 points early on. They inched their way back, but remained behind at 13-15 after the opening quarter. A big second period for the Cyclones put the Dawgs behind 21-36 at the midway mark.

“We got down big in the first half because we weren’t executing well enough,” said Diede. “We dug ourselves a hole with careless turnovers and a couple of sloppy fouls. A good team like Clark-Willow Lake will definitely take advantage of those things.”

Milbank came back and outscored the Cyclones 19-15 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 40-51 heading into the final stanza. That’s when things got crazy. The Dawgs poured in 19 points in the final quarter and held Clark-Willow Lake to just six points to secure the victory.

“At halftime, we did not make any scheme adjustments,” said Diede. “We simply made a point to play together, smarter, and execute on both ends of the floor with an extra emphasis on one possession at a time. I am very proud of how our boys answered the call.”

Max McCulloch led the Bulldogs with 28 points, eight rebounds, two blocked shots, and one assist. Benett Schwenn followed with 16 points, five boards, one steal, and two assists. Ryker Trevett tallied seven points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one blocked shot.

Mason Riley chipped in with three points, four rebounds, and one blocked shot. Will Cummins connected for three points, three rebounds, and two steals.

Also contributing for the Bulldogs were: Carter Hartman – two points, three boards, and one steal; Evan Erickson – two rebounds; and Karson Weber – one steal.

Milbank made 53 percent of their shots from the field, hitting 21 of 40 attempts. The Dawgs wrapped up the win with 31 rebounds, 13 steals, six blocked shots, and four assists. They were charged with 16 turnovers. With the win, Milbank’s season record improved to 3-4.

Clark-Willow Lake shot 20-of-51 for 39 percent. The Cyclones finished the game with 30 rebounds, 13 steals, and four assists. They committed 13 turnovers.

Photo – senior Max McCulloch