Lady Bulldogs Face Groton Tonight in Second Round of Playoffs

The Lady Bulldogs basketball team defeated the Lady Pheasants of Redfield 32-14 on Tuesday, February 24, in the Milbank Armory. The win kept Milbank’s ball rolling in post-season play.  Round Two of the play-offs is tonight, Thursday, February 26. 

The No. 3 Lady Bulldogs take on No. 2 Groton on Groton’s home court at 7 p.m.  (Groton defeated No. 7 Britton-Hecla in Round One.)  Roncalli, the No. 1 seed, received a bye in the first round, but they take on No. 4 Sisseton tonight in Aberdeen. (Sisseton defeated No. 5 Webster in Round One.)

Round Two determines which two teams in Region 1A will secure a spot in the Sweet 16. The Sweet 16 is scheduled for March 5. The winners  punch their tickets to the 2026 South Dakota Class A State Basketball Tournament. Those games will be held at the Watertown Civic Arena from March 12-14.

Round One
Milbank 32 vs. Redfield 14

The first-round Milbank versus Redfield matchup was slow to get going, and it never really caught fire. Defense was the name of the game. Redfield did not even score until midway through the second quarter. 

Milbank’s offense also had to grind out points. Susie Schuneman put in a basket for MIlbank early in the quarter. Anna Neugebauer added one at the halfway mark, and Schuneman dropped in one more with just over two minutes remaining on the clock to take the score to 6-0. Bree Townsend pulled off a steal, and got the ball to Belle Pauli. Pauli  put one up and in to get the score to 8-0.  After a jump ball with the possession arrow favoring Milbank, and with just six seconds left in the quarter, Pauli got the inbounds pass and dropped in a bucket to end the first quarter at 10-0.

The same glacial quality permeated the second quarter. Both teams missed shots and sent the ball out of bounds, although Townsend made two valiant efforts to sweep it  back into play for Milbank. The Lady Pheasants couldn’t buy a bucket – not even at the free throw line,where they missed two. Finally, Redfield’s Rylen Frerichs made back-to-back field goals to pull to 10-4., but Pauli then buried one from  the top of the key to make the first 3-pointer of the game. Milbank stayed ahead 13-4. With 40 seconds on the clock, Layla Hardin made a basket for the Lady Pheasants to put the score at 13-6, and that’s where it remained during halftime. 

The third quarter started with a pass from Milbank that the official ruled last touched by Redfield and then the decision was overturned and awarded to Redfield. Lady Pheasant Charli Jungwirth landed a basket to get Redfield to 13-8. Bailee Hendricks took a chance and pounded in a triple to get the Lady Dawgs to 16-8, but Redfield scooped up the offensive rebound and Kinley Smith added  two points for the Lady Pheasants. (16-10)

 Still at 16-10, Milbank lost control of the ball –their 11th turnover–, and Redfield slipped in another bucket. (16-12),  Pauli decided to switch things up and she pumped in a 3-pointer to claim her 10th point of the game and get the Bulldogs ahead 19-12. With the third quarter fading, and the score sitting at 19-12, Schuneman was fouled in the act of shooting. She stepped to the line to pick up both points for Milbank and to collect her sixth point of the night. (21-12)

Milbank’s defense pressured Hayden Gall into traveling, and they acquired their 13th turnover. Neugebauer missed on a blocked shot and she and Schuneman each picked up a personal foul to end the third quarter at 21-12. The Bulldogs were in the lead.

The fourth quarter turned out to also be a very physical frame. Fouls were called and bodies floundered on the floor. Townsend continued to hustle to defend the perimeter and Pauli stole the ball just as Redfield got it  to the rim. Amid the action, Townsend was fouled by Gall. She toed the line to take home two points and push Milbank ahead by 11 at 23-12. 

Pauli got Milbank’s next points on a putback to move the totals to 25-12.  Nearing the four-minute mark, Milbank acquired a couple of quick fouls.  Pauli then hit her 14th point off the glass to get the score to 27-12. On the rebound on a missed shot by Redfield, Pauli was fouled by Smith. It was Redfield’s fifth foul of the quarter and they sent Pauli to the line. Pauli made the front half of two and Milbank was in the lead 28-12. 

At 1:17 Violet Johnson was fouled by Gall – Gall’s third personal – and Johnson made her second free throw. (29-12)  Going back the other way, Pauli stole the ball and ran coast to coast to put in two.points. (31-12) Brynn Giblen replied with a basket to get the score to 31-14. Gall then picked up her fourth foul to send Pauli to the stripe. The first one rolled in, but the second bounced off. The buzzer announced the end of the game and a win for MIlbank at 32-14. The Lady Bulldogs advanced to Round Two!  Coach Howard of the Lady Bulldogs also collected his 100th career win!

Milbank was led by Pauli with 18 points, one assist, seven boards, and four steals. Neugebauer led with nine rebounds. She made two points, one assist, and one steal. Townsend grabbed eight rebounds and one  steal. She also added two points and two assists. Schuneman made six points, two assists. and two steals. Hendricks contributed three points and one board. Johnson made one point, one rebound, and two steals.

The Lady Bulldogs made 28 percent of their shots from the floor. They hit 16 percent from beyond the arc. They downed 54 percent from the stripe.  

For Redfield, Giblen made four points, two assists,and one steal. Frericks had four points, two rebounds, and two blocks. Gall added four rebounds and a steal. Jungwith made two points and an assist. She added three rebounds. Smith two points, five rebounds, and one block. Hardin contributed two points and one assist, three rebounds, and a steal. Katryn Evans added a rebound.

Redfield made 22 percent of their shots from the floor. They hit zero percent from long range and zero free throws.

MILBANK     10     3     8     11       32
REDFIELD    0     6     6       2        14