Bulldog Cagers Overpowered by Mustangs

The Bulldogs traveled to Summit to take on the Waubay-Summit Mustangs in hoops on Tuesday, January 18. The Bulldogs took the loss at 44-65. 
MHS Coach Logan Diede said, “We did a good job right out of the gate and executed our game plan efficiently. I’m very proud of that.” Milbank held a 14-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

“Although we continued to give ourselves good looks at the rim, we didn’t finish with the same consistency as we did in the first quarter,” Coach Diede said. “We had too many missed bunnies around the rim.”

Bulldog starter Bennett Schwenn, however, ponied up 14 points, and Garrett Mertens put 13 through the hole. Justus Osborne made seven, including a three-point shot, and Stevie Ash added another three-pointer. Kellen Hoeke and Wylie and Tice Mursu each chipped in two. Tanner Hallquist dropped in a free throw.

According to Coach Diede, free throws became a factor as the game progressed. “(We) didn’t finish at a high enough rate at the free-throw line to continue to keep it close,” he remarked. The Bulldogs had 26 opportunities at the charity stripe, but made only 14 for just under 54 percent. The Mustangs had a similar night at the free-throw line. They recorded just under 53 percent.

In general, buckets were hard to come by for the Bulldogs. They shot just 40 percent from the floor, including from behind the three-point arc. Waubay-Summit made only 25 percent from three-point land –hitting just two of eight attempts — but they were hot from two. Waubay-Summitt finished with a 69 percent field goal percentage. The Mustang’s JT Gulbraa put up 24 points and brought down nine rebounds. 

Coach Diede said, “Once Waubay-Summit started consistently getting it to their big man inside, we struggled to come up with an answer on the defensive end. WS was another high-quality opponent, who pushed us on both ends of the floor.”

Osborne and Mertens were the top rebounders for the Bulldogs. They each grabbed three. W. and T. Mursu each got two. Schwenn, Hoeke, Isaac Schulte, and Hallquist contributed one apiece.
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total

Bulldogs              14        5           15         10         44 Mustangs            13       18          23         11          65

JV Game — Milbank vs. Waubay-Summit
The Bulldogs JV team upset the Waubay-Summit Mustangs 48-23. Max Lightfield and Emmett Hanson were the leading scorers for the Dawgs. They each put up nine points. Jaxon Wildung and Aiden Ludvigson added seven apiece. Caleb Rick and Tanner Hallquist both made six. Tice Mursu and Graham Lightfield each knocked down two. 

Brady Lincolholm was the top scorer for Waubay-Summit. He made 14.
The Bulldogs shot just under 46 percent from the field and 50 percent from the free-throw line. The Mustangs were 33 percent and 50 percent respectively.

Hanson was also the top rebounder for the Bulldogs. He grabbed seven. Wildung and Ludvigson each had five. Hallquist was next with three, and Will Snaza and M. and G. Lightfield each had two. Josh Peterson and Mursu added one apiece.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total

Bulldogs        9         17         11        11              48 Mustangs      6          8           8          1               23 

Next up for the Dogs? Milbank hosts the Florence-Henry Falcons this Friday, January 21. Tip off for the C, JV, and Varsity games is 5 p.m. Don’t forget the fifth-grade boys play at halftime!