Lady Bulldogs Bounce Back to Defeat Roncalli

The Lady Bulldogs suffered a loss on Monday to Hamlin — the number-one team in the state — but pivoted on Thursday, February 2, to trounce Roncalli 48-28 in Aberdeen.

Isabella Anderson cranked out 18 points, including three three-point buckets. Maurina Street posted another double-double by pounding in 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Although Milbank dominated the boards, the Lady Dawgs also depended on their strong “D” to seal the deal.

Claire Snaza and Tyra Berry led the way. Snaza had six points and seven rebounds. Berry had three points and six rebounds. Siera Wenzl had three points. Rylee Scoular also added three points with abomb from long range. Ellie Neugebauer added two points.

Once the Lady Bulldogs hit their stride, they had no trouble digging in their heels for the victory.  As a team, they powered in 20 points in the fourth quarter. The surge came right after Milbank held Roncalli to just three points during all eight minutes of the third quarter.

Milbank was also hot from the charity stripe. They knocked down seven of their eight attempts for 87.5 percent. They downed 32 percent of their field goals, including 22 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lady Bulldogs stifled 14 of 17 field-goal attempts by Ava Hanson, Roncalli’s top scorer. Hanson ended with eight points, but missed eight of her nine three-pointers. She fought back with four rebounds. Maddie Huber recorded six points and seven rebounds. Rylee Voeller also had six points. McKenna O’Keefe made five, and Camryn Bain scored three.

The Lady Cavs finished with an overall shooting average of 25 percent, including 27 percent from long range. They hit four of seven free throws for 57 percent.

What’s next for the Lady Bulldogs? Milbank travels to Madison on Saturday, February 4, to compete in the 2023 NEC-Dak XII Clash. Ten teams from the Dakota XII and 10 teams from the Northeast Conference battle each other in a full day of hoops. Milbank takes on Tea Area in the main gym at 2 p.m.
Other teams slated to play include: Roncalli, Elk Point-Jefferson, Groton Area, Canton, Lennox, Parkston, Sioux Falls Christian, Hamlin, Sisseton, Vermillion, Webster Area, Dell Rapids, Madison, Deuel, Tri Valley, Redfield, West Central, and Clark-Willow Lake. Games start at 11 a.m. and will be played in both the main and auxiliary gyms.

Photo: Isabella Anderson brings the ball up the court.