Garrett Mertens Shoots Game-High 17 Points Against Mustangs

Milbank snapped Waubay-Summit’s six-game winning streak and collected their own fourth consecutive victory on Tuesday January 16, on the road in Waubay.  The Bulldogs dominated the Mustangs the entire game and claimed the win at 55-35. 

Joe Schulte was the only player to hit double figures. He recorded 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Garrett Mertens racked up a game-high 17 points. He also hit a half-court buzzer beater to end the the first half!(Watch the video of the shot) Jackson Wildung and Yohana Ajwanga each scored nine points. Sam Rick had seven. Graham Lightfield posted three points and added five assists.

Logan Diede, head coach for Milbank commented, “Proud of the boys and their effort last night, from top to bottom. The first couple of possessions were a little shaky for us, but we settled in midway through the first quarter and started executing the way we needed to.”

“I thought the boys did a great job cleaning up the defensive glass,” Diede continued. “Jackson, Joe, Garrett, Yohana, and Emmett (Hanson) were getting their hands on almost every missed shot. That was key for us in this game, as we did not want to give a quality team like Waubay-Summit second chance opportunities with the good shooters they have on their squad.” 

Wildung pulled down nine rebounds (eight defensive) to add to Schulte’s total of 11 (10 defensive). Mertens grabbed four. Ajwanga corralled three.  Hanson hauled down two, and Sam Rick got one. Ajwanga led the Dogs in blocks with two. Schulte also got a block.

Overall, Milbank made 20 of their 40 shots from the floor. They hit five of 13 from 3-point range for 38.5 percent. The Bulldogs knocked down 10 of 14 from the line for just over 71 percent.

Milbank’s defense applied constant pressure to the Mustangs and forced them to take questionable shots. Although Waubay-Summit is currently ranked at No. 4 in Region 1A, they hit just 13 of their 52 field goal attempts, including four of 20 from beyond the arc. The Mustangs were more successful from the line and downed five of nine for nearly 56 percent.

Treveion Neilan led the Mustangs in scoring with 15 points, but he piled up five fouls on the way. Jackson Wohlleber added seven points to Waubay-Summit’s total. Camden Neilan scored six points and contributed three rebounds. Dylan Rumpza made four points and seven rebounds. Jared Purdy had two points, and Tigh Gaikowski sank a free throw. Hogan Hlavacek got credit for four rebounds.

Milbank–12—17—14—12—55
Waubay-Summit–10—9—6—10—35

JV Game
Milbank 34 vs. Waubay-Summit 24
The JV Bulldogs defeated Waubay-Summit on Tuesday, January 16, in Waubay. Sam Rick scored a game-high 11 points to lead Milbank to a 34-24 victory. Este Abrego-Gonzalez put up seven points and Emmett Hanson made six. Bryan Meyer made five. Braylen Bowsher and Ryan Keeton each made two. Jack Howard downed a free throw.

Abrego-Gonzalez led the Dogs in rebounds. He had nine. Hanson followed with seven. Rick contributed three. Howard and Meister had two. Meister, Josh Pederson, Bowsher, and Keeton had one apiece.

Milbank hit one of every three of their shots, including 17 percent from three-point land. They nailed seven of nine from the line for 78 percent.

Hogan Hvalacek led Waubay-Summit with seven points and five rebounds, As a team, the Mustangs fielded 19 rebounds. Milbank grebbed 30. Overall, Waubay-Summit shot 26 percent, which included 18 percent from long range. The Mustangs collected on four of seven free throws for 57 percent. 

Milbank–16—8—5—5—34
Waubay-Summit–6—3—8—7—24

What’s next? Milbank travels to Groton on Thursday, January 18. Both varsity teams hold a 6-2 record and currently rank at the top of Region 1A. Who will win the battle? Groton’s big wins were against Sisseton, West Central, Roncalli, and Clark-Willow Lake. The Tigers lost to Hamlin. Milbank’s two losses were to Clark-Willow Lake and Hamlin. The Bulldogs defeated Sisseton.