Bulldogs Stand on Business Against Florence-Henry

The Bulldogs hit the basketball court on Friday, January 19, ready to roll. Coming off a loss the night before to Groton, Milbank exuded a take-no-prisoners vibe. After three quarters, they had amassed 72 points. By the final buzzer, they had secured custody of an 80-36 victory over the stunned Florence-Henry Falcons.

Together, Garrett Mertens and Joe Schulte put up 40 points. Mertens scored 24 and Schulte,16. Mertens pulled down eight rebounds and Schulte got six. Yohana Ajwanga chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds. Jaxson Wildung also turned in a solid performance with eight points and five rebounds.

Graham Lightfield and Sam Rick contributed five points apiece. Lightfield added three rebounds and Rick tacked on one. Bowsher made four points. Este Abrego-Gonzalez put up three points and pulled down five rebounds. Ryan Keeton and Emmett Hanson each donated a deuce. The Bulldogs also recorded 13 assists amongst themselves and five blocks – one each from Mertens, Schulte, Ajwanga, Abrego-Gonzalez and Hanson. 

Florence-Henry received 10 points from Carson Varusta and six each from James Schroeder and Tristyn Sumner. Logan Varusta made five; Logan Koll, four; Tate Hatley, three; and Ty Bergh, two. Koll grabbed five rebounds and Sumner got three to lead the Falcons.

The Bulldogs hit 31 of their 48 shots from the floor for nearly 65 percent. They made seven of 19 from beyond the arc for 37 percent. Milbank landed 11 of 17 free throws for 65 percent. 

The Falcons struggled to hit the target and ended with a 26 percent average from the floor. They hit only four of 19 attempts from three. At the charity stripe, they downed eight of 18 for 44 percent.

Milbank–21—31—21—7—80
Florence-Henry–8—10—10—8—36

What’s next? The Bulldogs host Dell Rapids on Monday, January 22, in a non-conference matchup at the Milbank Armory. The Quarriers sit at 5-5 so far this season with wins against West Central, Roncalli, and Madison and losses to Tea, Sioux Falls Christian, and Hamlin.

JV Game
Milbank 79 vs. Florence-Henry 29
The 79-29 final score in the Milbank JV team’s victory over Florence-Henry was a resounding win for the young Dogs, but considering college basketball teams average about 80-90 points per game, it was a ton of ticks!

How’d they get there? Everybody contributed. Charlie Peery drained 15. Braylen Bowsher and Emmett Hanson each scored eight. Sam Rick, Ryan Keeton, and Jack Howard made seven apiece. Este Abrego-Gonzalez hit five. Mason Meister, Bryan Meyer, Howie Zemlicka, and Leyton Osowski each put up four. Josh Pederson and Harley Zemlicka scored three apiece. Garrett Weber and Ethan Owen each added a rebound.

The Bulldogs hit 52 percent from the floor, including 41 percent from beyond the arc. They dropped in four of 15 attempts from the free throw line – all in the first half– for 27 percent. 

Zach Schruder was Florence-Henry’s leading scorer with 14 points. Jaxon Orthaus and Tucker Keller each added five. Louis Caulfield led the Falcon’s with four rebounds. 

Milbank–26—27—12—14—79
Florence-Henry–7—10—6—6—29

C Team Game
Milbank 52 vs. Florence-Henry 36
Milbank’s C team started  the Bulldogs’ victory train running on Friday, January 18, by defeating Florence-Henry 52-36. Liam Heller reached double figures for Milbank  with 12  points. Harley Zemlick followed with eight. Sam wilson made five. Garett Weber, Ethan Owen, Layten Osowski, and Mack Koplin scored four points apiece.Jeter Scoular, Liam Street, and Devon Mueller each added two. Aiden Kelly made a free throw. Owen recorded four assists and Jaxson Wiese had three. Owen also led the Dogs with five rebounds. Lance Engebretson followed with four.

The Bulldogs made over 51 percent of their shots from the floor, but were only one of eight from three.They collected on seven of 11 attempts at the line for nearly 64 percent.

Carson Kelly made 10 points for Florence-Henry. Dawson Hlavacek added seven. Zach Schroeder and Tucker Mamm each made five. The Falcons shot 41 percent overall and 36 percent from long range. They made four of their 12 free throws. 

See all three teams back in action tomorrow night, January 22, when the Bulldogs host the Quarriers of Dell Rapids.