Lady Bulldogs get first win at the Hilltoppers’ expense

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GLENWOOD CITY — Both Boyceville and Glenwood City girls’ basketball teams came into last Friday’s conference showdown struggling to score points and win games.

In fact, neither team had won a single game prior to their first meeting of the season in Glenwood City January 14. So, either the Bulldogs or their host the Hilltoppers were going claim their first victory of the 2021-22 campaign.

While neither team was particularly sharp, especially on the offensive end, Boyceville showed patience and was able to create just enough opportunities to take advantage of their foul-prone hosts to claim a 36-20 victory.

“I thought the girls showed good patience against Glenwood City’s zone defense most of the game,” said Jay Lagerstrom, Boyceville head coach. “Again, we didn’t shoot well from the floor (making just 11 of 43 attempts), but we did attack the basket better and created some good looks for teammates and got ourselves to the line more.”

Thanks to the Hilltoppers’ propensity to pick up fouls throughout the contest, Glenwood City finished with more fouls (21) than points, the Bulldogs were able to visit the charity stripe 24 times, making just ten, however. But, it was still three times what Glenwood City was afforded as it was awarded just eight free throw attempts and made only two.

Boyceville also connected on three of its four three-point shots in the first half which allowed it to put some early distance between itself and Glenwood City to lead 21-13 at intermission.

Scores didn’t come easily in the second half especially for Glenwood City, who saw starter Libby Wagner foul out of the game early in the latter half. But, the Bulldogs were able to increase their lead outscoring the Hilltoppers 15-7 over the final 18 minutes to post the 16-point win.

Hannah Dunn took the opening tip and drove to the hoop and scored to give the Bulldogs a quick 2-0 lead which would soon grow to 9-0 on a Rachael Montgomery basket which Dunn followed with a second hoop and a three-point twine tickler.

Nearly seven minutes would elapse before freshman Isabel Davis scored Glenwood City’s first basket to make it 9-2.

Abby Schlough then made one of two free tosses after the Toppers’ Libby Wagner committed her second foul.

Mali Draxler responded with the Toppers’ second hoop of the contest only to have Sarah Stoveren come down court and can a trey to up the Bulldogs’ advantage to 13-4.

Glenwood City would cut the deficit to five with a pair of Kendall Schutz free throws and a Michaela Blaser hoop, but senior guard Harper Olson sank a triple to put the Bulldogs up eight.

Blaser answered with a three of her own.

A free throw by Schlough and Stoveren had the Bulldogs lead back to seven.

Then, Glenwood City’s Izzy Davis put in a jumper at the free throw line to get the Toppers back to within five.

But, a Jaden Stevens’ free throw and a basket from Sarah Stoveren in the final minutes sent the Bulldogs into the locker room with a 21-13 advantage.

Rachael Montgomery opened the second half with a hoop to push the Bulldogs’ lead to double digits (23-13) for the first time in the game.

Things then went from bad to worse for Glenwood City when sophomore starter Libby Wagner picked up her fourth and fifth fouls in a span of 30 seconds and exited the game with 14:27 to play.

Cambrie Reisimer pushed the Bulldogs lead to 12 with a basket but the Toppers’ Kaylynn Kurtz netted her only basket of the game to bring the difference back to ten.

Hailey Hanestad knocked down a three and Reisimer went three-for-four at the foul line to give Boyceville a 31-15 lead.

Izzy Davis’s third and final hoop made it 31-17 with 10:27 to play.

Glenwood City would not score again for over eight minutes during which time the Bulldogs added a basket and free throw by Stoveren and another free toss by Dunn to increase their lead to 35-17.

Finally, with just over two minutes left, Devynn Olson banked a three-point shot off the glass and through the net for the Hilltoppers’ final points.

Boyceville’s Hailey Hanestad added one final free throw to make the final score 36-20.

“I think Glenwood City is in the same boat as us, as we are both young and inexperienced and have our struggles offensively,” said Lagerstrom. “We talked in practice about winning it on the defensive end of the court with an emphasis on really getting after the board.”

Boyceville did just that, finishing with 41 rebounds as a squad with Cambrie Reisimer collecting 14 of them and Sarah Stoveren eight.

Stoveren and Dunn led the Lady Dogs with nine and eight points, respectively, while Davis was the Toppers’ top point getter with six, with Blaser adding five.

With the victory, Boyceville improved to 1-5 in the Dunn-St. Croix and 1-14 overall while Glenwood City went to 0-7 in conference play and is 0-15.

Boyceville also played and lost to Elmwood/Plum City at home Tuesday while Glenwood City lost in Durand January 11 and fell at home to Houston, MN on Saturday. Coverage of those contests came be found in separate stories in this week’s issue.

Boyceville hosted Cadott Monday evening and will welcome Mondovi this Thursday before heading to Durand next Tuesday, January 25.

Glenwood City meanwhile was in Elk Mound Monday and will be in Colfax Thursday. The Toppers will then host Elk Mound next Tuesday.