Lady Bulldogs Outgun Tri-Valley to Win 32–29

If you missed the Milbank – Tri-Valley game on Valentine’s Day, you missed another barn burner. Whenever the Lady Bulldogs play the Lady Mustangs, the first rule is: It’s not going to be easy. Better saddle up. 

Maybe it’s deja vu. Four of their last five games dating back to 2022 have been decided by three points or less. Until this year, the wins all went to Tri-Valley. But there’s a new sheriff in town! Milbank defeated Tri-Valley 32-29 on February 7 at the Clash. They turned around to stun them again a week later with a come-from-behind 32-29 victory on Saturday, February 14.

As advertised, the first quarter wasn’t easy. Defensive pressure resulted in a lot of fouling and turnovers, but points were as hard to come by as rocking horse poo. The basketball didn’t go through the hoop until Tri-Valley hit a bucket after over five minutes had been burned off the clock. The quarter ended with Milbank trailing  6-2.

The second quarter started with a steal by the Lady Mustangs. The teams also traded fouls. Rowyn Gacke landed another field goal for Tri-Valley to put the score at 8-2  Anna Neugebauer, 6-foot center for Milbank, put in a basket on a fast break, and Tri-Valley’s Lillian Schlueter answered with a 3-pointer to move the score to 11-4. 

Belle Pauli hit two more for MIlbank. She also drew a foul, but her extra point wouldn’t fall. The score sat at 11-6. After the rebound, Schlueter was caught traveling, and the ball went back to Milbank. Milbank lost it out of bounds to Tri-Valley, and Gacke stopped at the top of the key to down a triple.The Lady Mustangs moved ahead to 14-6.  

A jump ball ensued – one of many– and in a robbery attempt by Tri-Valley, Pauli was fouled. Pauli got the ball back and sent up a shot that took its time cooperating, but it rolled in. Milbank drew closer at 14-8.  With less than three minutes to go in the half, Tri-Valley sent up  two airballs. Neugebauer’s next shot was partially blocked, and in the process, she committed her first foul. Tri-Valley got the ball. Katrina Fluth downed a 3-pointer to extend the Lady Mustang’s lead to 17-8. 

On the rebound,Tri-Valley intercepted the ball, and Milbank’s Lydia Gall fouled. Kadence Davey went to the line to claim two. Milbank was behind 19-8.  Violet Johnson’s next shot for Milbank was no good, but Gacke fouled her in the act of shooting. Johnson’s first free throw didn’t fall, but her second one rattled in to get the Bulldogs to within 10. 

With just 35 seconds to go, Tri-Valley set up a shot, but it missed. Milbank hustled downcourt. The Lady Bulldogs’ final attempt hit the rim, but failed. The first half ended with Milbank down by 10 at 19-9. 

The opening half of the third quarter was also difficult. Several shots missed the mark,  Milbank sent a pass out of bounds, and Tri-Valley put up a wide shot that also sailed out of bounds.  Neugebauer’s hustle ended in a jump ball, and Gacke picked up her third foul when she tangled with Pauli.  Susie Schuneman’s face took the brunt of an unlucky pass, but fortunately the damage turned out to be minor. Neugebauer ended up at the line, but she  missed. She then claimed  the rebound after all to get  the score to 19-11. With 4:50 to go in the quarter, things were already looking bleak for Milbank, when Gacke downed another field goal to put Tri-Valley up 21-11. 

The scoreboard didn’t move again until Gahke toed the free throw line and dropped in the front half of two. The score  had crept to 22-11, when Pauli responded by hitting one off the glass  – Lady  Mustangs 22 – Lady Bulldogs 13. 

Hailey Sorenson threw up a dud for Tri-Valley, but Schuneman unleashed a bomb from long range to get Milbank to 22-16. Sorenson missed another shot, but Neugebauer picked up her third foul to give Sorenson a chance instead at  the line.  She made the first one, but missed the second. Things stood at  23-16, when Tri-Valley pulled off another steal as Milbank racked up their 13th turnover of the game .Gacke saw an open hole, and she nailed a 3-pointer to get the Lady Mustangs’ lead back to10 at 26-16. 

Bodies on the floor were getting to be routine, but at that point in the game, instead of a tie-up Pauli was called for a foul. She and  Neugebauer each had three personals. Peyton Vogt then attempted a 3-ball for Tri-Valley, but she missed and fouled Schuneman to also join the triple-foul club. Her personal foul also marked Tri-Valley’s fifth foul of the quarter so Schuneman stepped to the line. Schuneman sank both and the Lady Bulldogs were back to trailing by eight at 26-18. 

Sorenson then launched a three, but it went up and over the backboard  Milbank got the ball back with just 1:23 to go in the third when Bree Townsend spied her opportunity and banged in a triple to get Milbank to 21-26. Tri-Valley’s next shot was no good. Neugebauer grabbed the rebound, but Milbank’s shot for three fell short. Another jump ball sent possession back to Tri-Valley.  Milbank’s defense hounded the Lady Mustangs until Gacke traveled.

With just 18 seconds to go in the third, Neugebauer put up a shot that failed, but she whipped it back in to beat the buzzer! Suddenly. it was a one-possession game at 26-23. Things were looking up.

The fourth quarter dawned with Gacke missing a 3-pointer, and Vogt picking up her fourth foul. Johnson got a good look for the Lady Dawgs, but didn’t get the roll. Tri-Valley missed a shot in transition. Pauli, however, got a bucket up and in for two to pull Milbank to 26-25 – closer than they had been since the first quarter.

Mattie Huwe missed Tri-Valley’s next shot, and the Lady Mustangs also tipped the ball out of bounds on the rebound. It was Milbank’s ball. Johnson took control and drilled in  a long two-pointer to boost the Bulldogs to 27-26. Milbank took over the lead.

Tri-Valley then missed a 3-pointer. Schuneman, however,  aimed and fired a triple that hit the mark and put MIlbank out in front by four at 30-26. Tri-Valley needed a time out. 

At 5:49 to go in the game, Sorenson’s basket was no good. Milbank also couldn’t get their next shot to fall, and  Neugebauer picked up her fourth foul. With four minutes to go in the game, Townsend was called for her third foul. She sent Huwe to the stripe, but Huwe  collected just one of the two. Milbank still held the lead at 30-27.  

With 2:40 to go on the game clock, hearts were racing on the court and in the stands. Tri-Valley lost the ball out of bounds, Milbank traveled, and Gacke missed a shot close in.  Pauli, who had undergone continuous double and triple-teaming all game, got robbed. Tri-Valley soon turned it over, though. The ball then went out of bounds again  – last touched by Milbank.  Gacke got it and took it to the rim.  She moved Tri-Valley to within one at 30-29 with less than 100  seconds to go. Neubebauer responded, quick as lightning, to put one off the glass to  jockey Milbank’s lead back to three at 32-29. 

In the final 57 seconds of the game, Tri-Valley missed a three, the rebound went out of bounds, and the Lady Mustangs were charged  with traveling. Crunch-time fouling also started. The Lady Mustangs fouled Schuneman, Neugebauer, and Pauli. Davey fouled out. Neugebauer also fouled out for Milbank at the 12.8-second mark. Both teams took strategy timeouts. Tri-Valley tried to shut the barn door, but the horse had already gotten out. Their last-ditch effort for a bucket to tie the game was no good. The Lady Bulldogs took the hard-won 32-29 victory with them for the ride home.

For Milbank, Pauli finished with 10 points, one assist, eight rebounds, and a steal. Neugebauer hauled down 17 rebounds. She added eight points and a steal. Schuneman also scored eight points. She contributed three rebounds. Townsend made three points and four assists. She pounded the boards for nine. Johnson hit a key 3-pointer and added two assists, one rebound, and a steal. Bailee Hendricks made one assist and secured one rebound.

Milbank made 35 percent of their shots from the floor. They hit 19 percent from beyond the arc. At the line, they downed three of 11 for 27 percent.

Gacke led Tri-Valley with a game-high 15 points. She added one assist and seven rebounds. Davey made four points and four rebounds. She made a game-high seven steals. Huwe, Schlueter, and Fluth each put up three points. Huwe also had two assists, one rebound, and four steals. Sorenson made one point and two assists. She  got one rebound. Fluth added two rebounds. Vogt also recorded a rebound.

The Lady Mustangs hit 20 percent of their shots from the floor. They went 18 percent from long range. At the line, they claimed seven of 13 for 54 percent.

MILBANK          2     7     14     9     32

TRI-VALLEY     6    13      7     3      29

Milbank travels to  Madison for the girls 2026 Battle of the Bulldogs tonight, Tuesday, February 17.