Dawgs Win in Down-to-the-Wire Playoff Finish

The Bulldogs won their Region 1A quarterfinal game in a barnburner that ended 48-45 in the Ben Reifel gym at Sisseton High on Tuesday, March 3. Like fireworks, it started slow and blew up at the end.

“Playoff basketball is a special and fun time! Our boys did a lot of things really well in a tough environment on the road to build and keep a lead for the duration of the game,” commented Logan Diede, head coach for Milbank. “Credit to Sisseton making some really tough shots in a short period of time down the stretch. But again, I was proud of how my boys dug their feet in and made winning plays in the end to keep our season alive!”

Lincoln Holscher and Derrick Flute tipped off. Holscher won the tip for Millbank, but the Bulldogs first shot wouldn’t go in. Flute put up a two for the Redmen to get them on the board and ahead 2-0. Milbank missed their next shot and Sisseton missed a triple from just outside the free throw line. Bulldog Sam Rick was nicked for traveling and Sisseton got the ball, but they missed.  Jack Howard got the rebound for Milbank. The Bulldogs’ next attempt was no good, but on the Redmen’s next possession, the Bulldogs, led by Ryan Keeton, hounded Sisseton into traveling. 

Rick tried a different approach and made a quick cut to the line, but he was fouled by Josh Donnell. Rick made both free throws to tie the score at 2-2. Midway through the quarter, Holscher fouled and Layten Osowski traded places with him on the court. Scoular’s triple fell short, and so did Sisseton’s. Keeton grabbed the rebound, but MIlbank’s next field goal also did not go in. Redman Levi Nelson was fouled by Scoular –Scoular’s first.  Nelson stepped to the stripe to knock in both to put Sisseton out in front again at 3-2. The rebound blasted into the arms of Jack Howard, but each team followed with  an empty possession. Howard then put in a basket to get the Bulldogs ahead 4-3. 

With two minutes to go, Keeton picked up his first foul of the game. Howard got the rebound on a miss by Sisseton, and Milbank got two good looks, including a turn-around jumper that wouldn’t cooperate. Howard kept the pressure on and grabbed a rebound. He spun around his defender, but the play didn’t end with a basket. Sisseton sent a pass out of bounds and Milbank got possession. Rick skated in close and balanced it off the rim to add two points for the Bulldogs and end the first quarter 6-3.

Sisseton started the second quarter with the ball, but it went out of bounds. On a pick n roll by the Dawgs, Scoular got the two. Flute fired up a 3-pointer that went in and changed its mind. Keeton then found himself wide open and he downed a triple to put Milbank up 11-3. Flute fouled Osowski and Rick fouled Nelson. Nelson toed the line and downed one of two. (11-4) Osowski handled the rebound, but Flute fouled him. Osowski stepped to the line to claim the front half of two free shots. 

At the other end of the court, Osowski was called for a reach-in foul  and Sisseton collected two free throws. The score moved to 12-6. The ball then went out of bounds, and officials ruled it was last touched by MIlbank. Flute saw his chance and powered in a three-pointer. (12-9) 

With less than five minutes on the clock in the first half, Rick missed a three, but Stickland landed a two from inside the stripe to pull the Redmen to within one point at 12-11. Holscher’s backdoor layup put the Bulldogs out in front again at 14-11. A jumper by Redman Brett Hansen tightened things up at 14-13. Rick pushed back with two. (16-13) Sisseton hit a jumper that went in and came out. Holscher then launched a 3-point bomb that landed on target and got the Bulldogs back up by six at 19-13. 

Flute’s next shot was off the glass and no good, but Emmett Snaza fouled him. Flute made both of his free throws. (19-15) Holscher switched things up and landed a left-handed two. ((21-15) Sisseton’s next shot was short. Snaza pumped in a two before Sisseton called a time out with the score sitting at 23-15. 

After the toss-in, Bryant Brown’s shot was no good, but he was fouled by Keeton and got his two points at the line (23-17) Carter Stickland committed a reach-in foul, but Milbank’s next shot wouldn’t fall. Flute put in a two to get the Redmen back to within six at 45-19. Rick got open in the paint and moved the Dawgs ahead by eight. (27-19) 

Sisseton lost control on the rebound and the ball went out of bounds. The officials ruled it was last touched by Milbank. Rick then picked up a foul– Milbank’s fifth of the quarter –and Stickland landed two at the line. (27-21) Rick was then fouled in the act of shooting, and he headed to the line to make both of his free throws. The half ended with the Bulldogs still up by eight at 29-21.

The third quarter was much the same as the first half, but the scoring was spread more evenly.  Milbank put up 15 points and Sisseton put up 14. Keeton picked up his third foul and Osowski picked up his fourth – Milbank’s fifth– to put Sisseton in the bonus with just under three minutes to go in the period, but the Bulldogs played clean and it didn’t bite them. The score at the end of three was 44-35.

The Bulldogs’ defense remained strong in the fourth quarter, but they did not score a lot of points. With  about seven minutes on the clock,  Brown fouled Rick, and Rick went to the line to make two free throws – his 17th and 18th points of the game.(46-35)

With about three minutes remaining, Sisseton mounted a late push. A 3-pointer cut the lead to eight and gave the Redmen a late-game boost of confidence. (46-38)

The Bulldogs briefly regained possession after a turnover, but heavy defensive pressure forced Milbank’s Coach Diede to call a timeout to keep control of the ball. Keeton made a key offensive rebound to help steady the Bulldogs, but the momentum quickly shifted again when Hansen raced coast-to-coast to put in a basket. He trimmed the deficit to six at 46-40. Stickland fouled Scoular, and  the Redmen accrued their fifth team foul of the quarter. Scoular stepped to the line to make both of his shots.(48-40) Sisseton responded with a reverse layup to get them within six again at 48-42.

Milbank’s answer was for Rick to connect on  a pair of free throws. (48-42)  The Bulldogs’ lead stretched  back to six, but the Redmen continued to fight. A quick basket and a 3-pointer in the closing minute pulled the game too close to call at 48-43.

Tension mounted in the final seconds. After a timeout, Milbank briefly lost possession, and both teams traded mistakes as the clock wound down. With 2.2 seconds left, the officials (and everyone else in the gym) – debated a foul. Officials ruled it had not happened in the act of shooting. Diede then called his last time out. 

The Bulldogs had managed to shave most of the remaining time from the clock. With only .5 of a second left, Flute controlled the inbounds pass, but he only had time to heave a backwards lob. It came down far from the rim, and the Bulldogs took the win in a crazy 48-45 finish to advance to the Region 1A semi-finals.

The Bulldogs hit 11 of 13 free throw attempts for nearly 85 percent. The Redmen made 13 of 20 for 65 percent. Overall, Milbank outshot Sisseton 41 percent to 40 percent. The Bulldogs made 19 percent from beyond the arc and Sisseton downed 23.5 percent.

Rick led the Bulldogs with a game-high 18 points, two assists and four boards. Holscher scored 10 points and added an assist, three rebounds, and a steal. Scoular made nine points and one assist. He grabbed six rebounds. Keeton made four points and a rebound. Howard led Milbank with eight rebounds. He added four points and  an assist. Emmett Snaza contributed two points and three rebounds. Layten Osowski scored one point and got one rebound.

For the Redman, Hansen had 14 points, four rebounds, and a steal. Flute and Deutsch  led Sisseton with nine rebounds apiece. Flute also made 11 points and an assist.  Stickland also scored 11 points and two assists. He made four rebounds. Nelson made four points and an assist. He had two rebounds.  Donnell put up three points and two rebounds. Brown scored two points. Deutsch also made two blocks.

MILBANK      6     23     15     4     48
SISSETON   3    18     14    10     45