Mertens Runs Up 20 Points in Win Against Roncalli

Milbank’s Garrett Mertens fired in 20 points and Joe Schulte added seven points to defeat Roncalli 42-34 in Aberdeen on Friday, February 3. Logan Diede, head coach for MHS, commented, “It wasn’t a pretty night offensively for us.” Most Bulldog fans didn’t seem to mind. They were happy as always to get the “W”. 

Diede, however, emphasized how the outcome of the game pivoted on the Bulldogs “D”. “Aberdeen Roncalli is a solid team, and their shooters have a lot of firepower. We did a great job of staying engaged on the defensive end by contesting shots and rebounding well throughout,” he said  “It was a very tough effort for us on the defensive end.” 

Jaxson Wildung snapped up six rebounds. Joe Schulte and Yohanna Ajwanga each reeled in four. Justus Osborn and Mertens bagged three apiece. Eli Johnson claimed one. Mertens also pulled off three steals and Ajwanga nicked two.

“My boys battled all game and got the job done. Proud of them!”  Diede said. “Garrett’s outside shooting was huge, especially on a night when we struggled as a whole to score.”

Mertens banged in five three-pointers. Wildung also added six points for the Bulldogs offense. Osborn hit four, and Ajwanga made three. Graham Lightfield dropped in a field goal.

As a team, the Bulldogs connected on 37 percent of their shots from the floor, including five of 10 from long range for 50 percent. They were nine of 20 from the free throw line for 45 percent.

The Bulldogs defense held the Cavaliers to 10 points or less in each quarter and only gave them seven opportunities to stand at the charity stripe — all were in the second half. Roncalli downed four of the free shots for 57 percent. Overall, they hit 14 of 36 shots from the floor for 39 percent.

What’s up next for the Bulldogs? It’s DARE Night on Tuesday, February 7, when Milbank hosts Sisseton in a doubleheader. Come early and stay late. Don’t miss the fifth-grade scrimmages during halftime of the varsity games. DARE Night -February 7
4 p.m. JV Girls – Armory— 4 p.m. C Boys – Elem
5 p.m. JV Boys – Armory— 5 p.m. C Girls – Elem
6:15  p.m. V Girls – Armory (5th Girls Scrimmage Halftime)
7:30 p.m. V Boys – Armory (5th Boys Scrimmage Halftime)

JV GameMilbank—- 44 vs. Roncalli 31 Braylen Bowsher led the way for Milbank’s JV team to run over Roncalli 44-31 on February 3 in Aberdeen.

Bowsher stacked up 16 points. Josh Pederson dropped in seven. Bryan Meyer had six. Mason Meister and Ryan Keeton tacked on five apiece. Emmett Hanson and Este Abrego-Gonzalez each made a field goal, and Sebastian Hooth downed a free throw.

Bowsher, Meister, and Pederson snagged three rebounds apiece. Hanson and Meyer had two each. Keeton, Abrego-Gonzalez, Hooth and Howie Zemlicka each added one rebound. Pederson and Hanson secured two steals apiece. Meyer, Abrego-Gonzalez, and Bowsher each had one.

Milbank hit 50 percent of their shots. They made 36 percent from the three-point range. The Bulldogs downed three of their eight free throws for 37.5 percent.

Darwin Gambler was Roncalli’s leading scorer with 10 points. Parker Geielsen was next with nine points. He was also credited with five rebounds.
The Cavaliers shot 39 percent from the floor. They rolled in four of 13 free shots for 31 percent.

What’s up next for the Bulldogs? It’s DARE Night on Tuesday, February 7, when Milbank hosts Sisseton in a doubleheader. Come early and stay late. Don’t miss the fifth-grade scrimmages during halftime of the varsity games. DARE Night -February 7
4 p.m. JV Girls – Armory— 4 p.m. C Boys – Elem
5 p.m. JV Boys – Armory— 5 p.m. C Girls – Elem
6:15  p.m. V Girls – Armory (5th Girls Scrimmage Halftime)
7:30 p.m. V Boys – Armory (5th Boys Scrimmage Halftime)

C Team GameMilbank—  41 vs. Roncalli 34 All three boys basketball teams brought home a win from Aberdeen on Friday, February 3. Their scores remarkably were nearly the same. The C team rolled over Roncalli at 41-34. 

Ryan Keeton was the Bulldogs’ top producer with 13 points. Braylen Bowsher made eight. Layten Osowski followed with five points. Jack Howard and Howie Zemlicka each posted four. Charlie Peery added three. Garrett Weber and Este Abrego-Gonzalez dropped in two apiece.
Rebounds were divided up at one each to Keeton, Weber, Howard, Abrego-Gonzalez, and Peery.The kings of steals were Weber, Abrego-Gonzalez, and Howard. Weber and Abrego-Gonzalez each got credit for three. Howard stole two.

The Bulldogs shot 30 percent; the Cavaliers shot 39 percent. The Dawgs hit hit 55 percent of their free throws; the Cavs made 39 percent.
What’s up next for the Bulldogs? It’s DARE Night on Tuesday, February 7, when Milbank hosts Sisseton in a doubleheader. Come early and stay late. Don’t miss the fifth-grade scrimmages during halftime of the varsity games. DARE Night -February 7
4 p.m. JV Girls – Armory— 4 p.m. C Boys – Elem
5 p.m. JV Boys – Armory— 5 p.m. C Girls – Elem
6:15  p.m. V Girls – Armory (5th Girls Scrimmage Halftime)
7:30 p.m. V Boys – Armory (5th Boys Scrimmage Halftime)

Photos: Garrett Mertens puts in one of his three-point shots. Bottom- Max Lightfield goes up for the shot.