Lady Bulldogs Net Another Hoops Victory

Milbank 53 – Britton-Hecla 30
The Milbank Lady Bulldogs notched their third win of the season with a 53-30 victory over the Britton-Hecla Braves on February 13, at the Milbank Armory. “The girls did a good job of pressuring on defense and being opportunistic on offense,” stated Milbank’s head coach Brian Pauli. “It was good to see three girls score in double figures for us.” Maurina Street, Isabella Anderson, and Jaecy Engebretson scored 19, 14, and 10 points, respectively.

Milbank was in the lead 18-10 at the end of quarter one. The Lady Bulldogs widened the gap to 32-17 at halftime. Milbank broke the game wide open at 46-22 by holding Britton-Hecla to just five points in the third quarter, and soared to the finish in the final stanza. The large lead allowed for some of the lesser experienced players to spend some time on the court.

Street led the team with a double-double. She produced 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. She also had one assist. Anderson fired in 14 points and had three rebounds and two steals. Engebretson had 10 points, four boards, and three assists.

Madi Thue tallied five points, four rebounds, and three steals. Lindsey Mertens chipped in with three points, two rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Tatum Berry rounded out the scoring for Milbank with two points and two rebounds.

Also adding to the totals for the Lady Bulldogs were: Hallie Schulte, two rebounds; Camryn Wiese, one rebound and one assist; Tracy Pillatzki, one assist; and Ellie Neugebauer, one rebound.

Milbank hit 21-of-67 from the field for 31 percent shooting. The Lady Bulldogs grabbed 49 rebounds and had 10 assists and seven steals. They committed 16 turnovers.

Britton-Hecla hit 23 percent of their shots, making 9-of-40 attempts. The Braves ended the game with 39 rebounds, three steals, and one blocked shot. They committed 30 turnovers.

Milbank 19, Tri-Valley 55
Milbank suffered a 55-19 loss to Tri-Valley in non-conference double header basketball action Saturday, February 15, on the road.

“Unfortunately, there were not a lot of positives from this game,” expressed Milbank’s head coach Brian Pauli. “We will move on and prepare for the next game. However, I thought the JV had their best night offensively of the season, and the C team played a close, competitive game falling short at the end.” The C team lost by one point at 30-31, and the JV fell 33-40.

Milbank’s varsity team struggled to produce offense throughout their game. The Lady Bulldogs trailed 5-11 at the end of the first quarter and 8-23 at halftime. By the end of the third quarter, Tri-Valley held a commanding lead at 15-49.

Street led Milbank with seven points, five rebounds and two steals. Engebretson followed with six points, two rebounds, and two assists. Anderson added five points, four rebounds, and two steals. Mertens had one point, one board, and two assists. Other totals included: Thue, five rebounds; Schulte, two rebounds; and Pillatzki, one board.

Milbank made just five-of-38 attempts from the field for 13 percent shooting. The Lady Bulldogs wrapped up the game with 28 rebounds, four assists, and five steals. They were charged with 21 turnovers.

Tri-Valley dropped in 18-of-52 from the field for 35 percent shooting. The Mustangs secured the victory with 44 rebounds, five assists, and 11 steals. They committed 15 turnovers.

Photo – MMS seventh grader Isabella Anderson