Milbank faced Aberdeen Roncalli in their final game of the Region 1A basketball playoffs in Aberdeen on Friday, March 7. Both teams were on the hunt for a spot in the SODAK 16, but Milbank rolled to the 11-point victory with the final score at 58-47.
Milbank’s pack was led by polished performances from junior Sam Rick, who dropped in 27 points; senior Emmett Hanson, who put up a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds; and junior Ryan Keeton, who added 14 points, including four 3-pointers.
Milbank took a backseat while Roncalli jumped to a 9-2 lead midway through the first quarter, but after that, the Dawgs put the Cavs on a short leash. Milbank drove home their dominance with a 12-2 run, but plenty of action and good moves from each side kept things interesting.
The Bulldogs’ ever-vigilant defense stepped up to control the flow. Graham Lightfield added two points and an assist, Esteban Abrego got two rebounds and two steals, and Bryan Meyer and Jack Howard each snapped up a steal.
The Bulldogs made 53 percent of their shots from the floor in both halves. They hit 59 percent from beyond the arc. At the stripe, they downed 13 of their 15 shots for an impressive 86 percent.
The Cavaliers were led by Sam Franks with 15 points, Aiden Fischer with 11, and Cam Olson with 10. Parker Grieben had five boards. Roncalli made 40 percent of their shots from the floor. They connected on 25 percent from behind the arc, and 81 percent of their charity attempts.
Milbank 14 12 18 14 58
Roncalli 11 13 12 11 47
What’s next? The Bulldogs move on to the SODAK 16 on Tuesday, March 11. The Bulldogs will take on the Hamlin Chargers in Watertown. Tip-off is at 7:15.
The Boys Class A State Basketball Tournament will take place March 20-22 at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.
Submitted Photo
Staff
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