Boyceville girls fall to Turtle Lake in overtime

BOYCEVILLE — The Boyce-ville girls’ basketball team never lead in its season and home opener against Turtle Lake.

But with no time left on the game clock, the Lady Bulldogs had an opportunity to win the November 20 non-conference game.

As the waning seconds of regulation play ticked off the scoreboard in a contest deadlocked at 35 a side, junior guard Cassie Malean took a long pass in stride, drove quickly to the basket and put up a layup as time expired. Although the shot did not fall, Malean drew the two-shot foul to give the Bulldogs a chance to salt away the victory at the free throw line.

The victory looked to be a foregone conclusion as Malean, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer with 17 points, had hit on eight of her nine foul shots in the contest. Unfortunately, both of Malean’s charity tosses missed their target and the game went into overtime.

In the extra frame, University of Minnesota-Duluth recruit and Lakers’ senior Taylor Schneider hit a pair of two-point shots and connected on all six of her free throws to lead the Lady Lakers to a 46-42 road win. Schneider finished with a game-high 31 points including ten in the overtime period.

Beginning this season, high school basketball games consist of two, 18-minutes halves. Previously in Wisconsin, teams played four, 8-minute quarters.

Boyceville fell behind early and trailed by 11 points midway through the first half of play as Schneider scored 16 points.

But a three-point bucket off the finger tips of Brooklyn Booth sparked a Boyceville rally that helped it trim the deficit to five points at the intermission, 22-17.

The Bulldogs nipped away at the Lakers, who went cold for several minutes in the second half.

Malean hit both ends of a two-shot foul to draw the Bulldogs even at 32 points with 4:02 remaining in the contest.

Turtle Lake forged a three-point lead but the Bulldogs again knotted the game at 35 a side with 1:18 to play.

Both teams had opportunities to take the win in the final minute but like Malean’s regulation-ending foul shots, nothing seemed to fall through the net chords.

Turtle Lake behind the play of Schneider, took the early lead in the overtime period and never looked back en route to the victory.

Madysn Riek and Morgan Kuhn chopped in for six points apiece while Emma Harnisch and Marki Lagerstrom netted four points each. Brooklyn Booth finished with just the one three-pointer and Jenna Beyrer had a two-point basket.

Boyceville will be off for the Thanksgiving holiday and will return to action on December 1 when it hosts Somerset before traveling to Durand on December 3.