Lady Bulldogs Win Five in a Row

The Milbank girls went on the road to Madison to claim their fifth victory in a row on Tuesday, February 17. They also earned bragging rights in the annual Battle of the Bulldogs with the final score 61-46. 

As they have all season, the defense continued to crash the boards. Belle Pauli pulled down 15. Bree Townsend secured 12. Anna Neugebauer got eight rebounds. Susie Schuneman, Bailee Hendricks, and Lydia Gail each grabbed three. Pauli reigned as the game-high scorer again with 23 points, and the Milbank girls took care of business at the charity stripe.

Pauli hit a two-point shot off the glass to get Milbank on the scoreboard first, and Hendricks downed one from the top of the key to give Milbank a five-point lead. Madison was still scoreless in the middle of the first quarter, when Grace Feige kicked the ball out of bounds. Hendricks took advantage of the turnover to bang in another 3-pointer for Milbank. Milbank stretched their lead to 8-0.  

Townsend fouled Collins Nielsen, who went to the line for two, but she missed both. Madison snagged the rebound, and Maddie Rummel hit a three to finally get Madison on the board, trailing at 8-3.  

The next sequence included a jump ball that favored Madison, an interception by Townsend, and two free throws for Pauli. Pauli cleared the net on both to get the Lady Bulldogs of the North up 10-3. With less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, Schuneman drained  a 3-pointer to put Milbank up by 10 at 13-3. Rummel was then awarded two shots at the line. She took down both to lay claim to all five of Madison’s points. The quarter ended at 13-5.

The Lady Bulldogs of the South started to scratch their way back into the game in the second quarter. Feige hit a triple (13-8), and Nielsen made a field goal with the chance for an extra point. She missed the plus-one and the score stayed at 13-10.

Schuneman replied with a field goal, and Nielsen hit a three-pointer to move the score to 15-13. Back-to-back jump balls ended with Madison’s Jordyn Schmidt dropping in a basket to tie the game at 15-15, with 5:30 to go in the half.  

Schuneman put in a bucket for Milbank, Pauli followed with one from underneath and off the glass, and Milbank rebuilt a four-point lead at 19-15. After a timeout by Madison, Ellie Fox fouled Neugebauer in the act of shooting. Neugebauer made both to put Milbank out in front at 21-15 at 3:29.

Schmidt spun one up and in for Madison. Pauli squeezed in another from under the basket for Milbank, and the score moved  to 23-17. Pauli also went to the line courtesy of Logan Prostrello. Pauli earned the first. (24-17)  

Milbank’s next shot by Gall wouldn’t fall, but Neugebauer made it happen. Milbank had increased their lead to nine at 26-17, with 85 seconds to go in the half. Madison attempted a layup at the halftime buzzer, but it was no good.

The third quarter started with Nielsen collecting a basket and earning a free shot, but she missed the extra point. Milbank then put up a little jumper for two and the score went to 28-19. Nielsen got another two on a putback, and Rummel made two free throws to edge them nearer to Milbank at 28-23. Madison had the chance for an open three, but they missed. Schuneman turned around and showed them how it’s done. Milbank was back up by eight. ((31-23) Johnson downed a triple at 4:12 to put Milbank up 34-23. Nielsen got the roll to add two to Madison’s total, and Pauli took it to the rim for Milbank to score her 11th point of the game and to put Milbank in the lead by 11 at 36-25.

With just over three minutes to go in the quarter, a whistle on the floor announced Milbank’s fifth team foul. At the line, Prostrello missed both. Madison also missed their next three-ball. Hendricks, however, hit the target for a triple for Milbank to move the score to 39-25 and  Milbank’s lead to 14, with 2:30 on the clock. Feige trimmed it back to 11 again with a 3-pointer from downtown. Pauli got a bucket for Milbank to balance things out. (41-28)  Feige, who had been feeling it from long range all game, made a three from her favorite spot. (41-31)  Pauli scored two from under the basket and off the glass. She also hit her third basket in a row to increase Milbank’s total to 45. Fox sank a field goal for Madison before the third quarter ended at 45-33.

In the final chapter, Johnson fouled and fell to the floor, but she quickly recovered. Pauli’s next shot wouldn’t go. Neugebauer supervised the putback for two and drew the foul. Her free throw went in and Milbank pulled away by 15 at 48-33. Negebauer was fouled again, and she picked up one more point at the line. Rummell hit a 3-pointer for Madison to move the score to 49-36. Ella Malone downed one of two at the line for Madison. Pauli hit a field goal  from the baseline and followed it with another two-pointer to get the score to 53-37.

Johnson surprised Madison with a steal and headed  to the rim, but she was fouled. Everyone waited while her first attempt  rolled in and out on repeat until it finally dropped through the hoop. The second wouldn’t fall. The score sat at 54-37. Madison’s Rummel then roared in with a 3-pointer in an effort to climb back into the game at 54-40. Pauli was fouled on her next shot and she nailed  two free throws. The ticks pushed her total to 23 points in the game.

 Milbank led 56-40 when Nielsen went to the line next for Madison, but she was having a rough night at the stripe. She  missed both to finish at zero of nine. Milbank then rattled home a three-pointer.(59-40)  Nielsen went in for a basket that was good, and she also drew a foul. Her extra point was no good. 

With just 2:34 left on the clock, Milbank’s defense stayed on point. They also outmaneuvered Madison for a steal and battled for a loose ball. With under 100 seconds to go in the game, substitutions started to check in. Schuneman, still in the game for Milbank, downed a basket to give Milbank their biggest lead of the night at 61-42.  

Fox went to the charity line for Madison. It swished in, but it wasn’t Madison’s final point. On a steal, Feige launched a successful three-point bomb – her fourth of the night. But there was no catching Milbank. The Lady Bulldogs of the North took the battle at 61-46. They also wrapped up their fifth win in a row and their 15th victory of the season.

For Milbank, Pauli recorded another double -double with 23 points and 15 rebounds. She also added two assists and two steals. Schuneman had 15 points, four assists, three rebounds, and one steal. Neugebauer scored 10 points, two assists, eight rebounds, and a steal. Hendricks made nine points, one assist, and three rebounds. Johnson made four points, one assist, and two steals. Townsend made five assists and 12 rebounds.Gall made one assist, three rebounds, and two steals.

Milbank made 36 percent of their shots from the floor. They hit 37 percent from beyond the arc. At the free throw line, the Lady Bulldogs from up north downed 10 of 13 for 77 percent.

Rummel and Nielsen led the way for Madison. They each scored 13 points. Nielsen had  six rebounds. Rummel added an assist, a rebound, and a steal. Feinge made 12 points and one assist. She added three rebounds and two steals. Schmidt added four points, three rebounds and two steals. Fox made three points. Kennedy Bryant made a steal. Ella Malone made one point and two rebounds.

Madison hit 35 percent of their shots from the floor. They went 32 percent from long range. They left 15 points on the table by making just six of 21 free throws –  the difference in the 61-46 final score.

MILBANK       13     13     19     16     61

MADISON       5      12      16      13   46