Milbank Overthrows Ortonville 97-43

The Bulldogs varsity basketball team bombarded Ortonville with 97 points to triumph over the Trojans 97-43 on Thursday, February 9, in Ortonville, Minnesota.”It’s not too often 97 points get scored in a high school basketball game!” Logan Diede, head coach for MHS, said. “Our boys were locked in from the tip. Our successful defense gave us a lot of easy looks at the rim. We also hit some shots from outside, so it was great to see our guys find some rhythm shooting the ball. It was a total group effort that got the job done, and it was a fun night for our squad.”

The Bulldogs shared the shooting wealth. Garrett Mertens drilled in 25 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block. Joe Schulte posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. He also had five steals and a block. 
Yohanna Ajwanga powered in 17 points and added eight rebounds and two blocks. Justus Osborn put up 13 points, three rebounds, and six steals. Jaxson Wildung recorded 12 points and seven rebounds. Aiden Ludvigson scored five points and nabbed six rebounds. 

Braylen Bowsher landed a 3-point shot. Eli Johnson and Tice Mursu each nailed a field goal. Max Lightfield snagged a rebound and a steal. Jack Howard grabbed a rebound. Graham Lightfield secured two steals and put up a block.

The Dawgs shot 51 percent from the floor, including over 39 percent from the 3-point range. They knocked in eight of 11 of their free throws for 73 percent

Hunter Merrick led the Trojans with 17 points and two rebounds. Carter Brown was next with 11 points and three rebounds. He also pulled off two steals. Carter Lee made seven points and two steals. Jaydon Hughes recorded six points, four rebounds, and two blocks. 

The Trojans connected on 17 of  51, or one of three, of their field goal attempts. They finished at six of seven from the line for nearly 86 percent.  

What’s next for the Bulldogs?  Milbank hosts a doubleheader with Tri-Valley on Saturday afternoon, February 11. The Mustangs sit at 4-11 this season, but are riding a 62-39 wave after their win against Garretson on Thursday, February 9.

JV Game—Milbank 39 vs. Ortonville 29 The JV basketball team stopped the Trojans 39-29 on Thursday, February 9, in Ortonville, Minnesota. Emmett Hanson showed the way for Milbank by putting up a double-double. He dropped in 16 points and took down 10 rebounds. He also claimed three steals and a block. Josh Pederson followed with seven points He also ruled a rebound and two steals. 

Bryan Meyer and Braylen Bowsher each made five points. Bowsher had two rebounds; Meyer had one. Meyer also nicked a steal. Este Abrego-Gonzalez made four points and earned four rebounds and a steal. Mason Meister made scored two points and hauled down three rebounds.

The Bulldogs knocked in one third of their shots, including 17 percent from 3-point land. They downed 50 percent of their free throws. 

Connor Danielson led the Trojans with 11 points. Ellis Longnecker made seven. Isaac Brown was Ortonville’s leading rebounder  He pulled down nine and added a steal. Braxton Brandreit made five points and two rebounds. Carter Lee counted five rebounds. Dillon Anderson had three rebounds. Ashton Sleten controlled one.

The Trojans made good on 27 percent of their shots from the floor, including 15 percent from long range. They were perfect at the charity stripe at three of three.

What’s next for the Bulldogs? Milbank hosts a doubleheader with Tri-Valley on Saturday afternoon, February 11. The  Mustangs varsity team sits at 4-11 this season, but are riding a 62-39 wave from their win against Garretson on Thursday, February 9.

Photos: Jaxson Wildung drives to the basket. Bottom – Joe Schulte drives hard to the basket en route to his first dunk of the season.