Lady Bulldogs Can Custer at the Corn Palace

The Lady Bulldogs earned a 57-31 victory in their “corntest” with the lady Wildcats of Custer. Milbank reaped the win during the Fifth Annual Sacred Hoops Classic at the World’s Only Corn Palace in Mitchell on Saturday, January 6. Sun Gold Sports, the tournament organizers, tout the event as “an opportunity to teach the game of basketball, the game of life, and provide multiple opportunities for the youth and those who work with the youth in South Dakota and surrounding states.”

Tyra Berry of Milbank and Kylee Ellerton of Custer were chosen as the players of the game in their match up. Berry scored a game-high 21 points for Milbank. Ellerton led the Lady Wildcats with nine points and three rebounds. Berry got help from Isabella Anderson, who scored nine points, Belle Pauli, who knocked down seven, and Claire Snaza and Josie Riveland, who put up six points apiece. Siera Wenzl added five points. Averie Schuneman made two. Anna Neugebauer dropped in a free throw. Neubegauer also grabbed six rebounds. Wenzl made five. Snaza claimed four, and Anderson got three.

The Lady Bulldogs shot 47.5 percent overall and nearly 48 percent from three. They made 12 of their 19 free throws for 63 percent. The Lady Wildcats hit 23 percent of their attempts from the floor, including just three of 17 from beyond the arc for 18 percent. They downed 12 of their 17 tries from the line to average 71 percent.

Girls and boys teams alternated games throughout the day and Milbank got a chance to play in the historical landmark and see schools they would not normally encounter on their regular schedule. Along with Milbank and Custer, Freeman Academy-Marion (B and G), White River (G), Lower Brule (G), Mitchell Christian (B), St. Francis (B), Platte-Geddes (B), Winner (B), West Central (G), Parkston, (B), Lakota Tech (G), Kimball-White Lake (G), and Pine Ridge (B) also participated.

Milbank–12—12—19—14—57
Custer–5—2—10—14—31