Lady Bulldogs Split Games at Regions

The Lady Bulldogs were red-hot from behind the arc as they scorched Webster 63-28 in the first round of postseason action in Region 1A on Tuesday, February 25. The Lady Bulldogs racked up 14 three-pointers. Isabella Anderson nailed five, Tyra Berry hammered in four, Siera Wenzl made three, and Avery Schuneman pounded in two. The teams had met five days earlier in a similar showdown during regular season play, when Milbank had outscored Webster 64-34.

It was then Milbank’s turn to feel the sting in their next playoff game with Aberdeen Roncalli on Thursday, February 28. The Lady Cavs won that game 46-16 to move on, along with third-ranked Sisseton, who defeated second-ranked Groton.

In the Webster game, Milbank had led the Lady Bearcats by as many as 42 points midway through the fourth quarter.Isabella Anderson put up 24 points and four assists. She added a rebound and eight steals. Tyra Berry made 14 points and two assists, coupled with two rebounds and three steals. Siera Wenzl hit double figures with 11 points and one assist. She added a rebound and a steal. 

Belle Pauli scored six points and made one assist. She pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and made a steal. Claire Snaza made an assist and hauled down  three rebounds. Josie Riveland had three assists. Rylie Scoular made one assist. Anna Neugebauer made two points and three assists.

The Lady Bulldogs hit 21 of 47 of their shots from the floor for 45 percent. They made 14 of 32 from beyond the arc for 44 percent. Milbank hit seven of nine free throws – all in the first half– for 78 percent.

Webster’s Harley Johnson and Erin Sannes led the Lady Bearcat’s scoring. Johnson made 12 points and  Sannes got eight. They each grabbed four rebounds. As a team, Webster recorded four assists. The Lady Bearcats made 35 percent of their shots from the floor. They hit two of eight from long range and six of 11 from the stripe.

Milbank     16    23    16    8     63
Webster     7      5      4    12    28

Milbank vs. Roncalli (2-27)
In the Roncalli game, you could say the Lady Cavaliers had done their homework. As top seed they received a bye and must have used those extra days to chug gallons of Red Bull and memorize Milbank’s every move. They ambushed Milbank at every turn. Roncalli’s defense paralyzed Milbank’s shooting and controlled the glass. Lady Bulldog Claire Snaza, however, battled on the boards to tie for a game-high seven rebounds. 

Roncalli came into the game at 15-5, but one of those losses was to Milbank. In that matchup, Milbank had gotten stronger as the game progressed and eventually powered through to a 10-point win. Did Roncalli’s defense take a lickin’ and come back kickin’? Thursday night’s game turned out to be a different story.  Milbank was swamped by halftime. They took the loss at 46-16.

Tyra Berry posted seven points and four rebounds for the Lady Dawgs. Isabella Anderson made five points and pulled off two thefts. Belle Pauli scored four points and added five rebounds..

Siera Wenzl made an assist, three rebounds, and a steal. Rylee Scoular had three boards. Snaza also added a steal. Avery Schuneman made one rebound. Ella Sandvig and Anna Neugebauer each made a rebound.

Ava Hanson led the Lady Cavaliers with 12 points and five rebounds. Claire Crawford made 10 points and  five rebounds. Gabby Thomas and Maddie Hueber each made eight points. Huber had six rebounds and Thomas tied for the game-high seven rebounds.

Milbank     7     2     2     5    16
Roncalli   13   20   11     2    46

Congrats to Milbank on a great season! Seniors who played their last game as a Lady Bulldog:
Isabella Anderson, Tyra Berry, Anna Neugebauer, Josie Riveland, Ella Sandvig, Rylee Scoular, Claire Snaza, and Siera Wenzl.

What’s next? SoDak 16 action starts Thursday, March 6. The Class A State Tourney will be held March 13-15 in Spearfish. State B will be held in Huron, and State AA will be in Rapid City.
All Photos from the February 25, Webster Game.