Boyceville girls begin 2025 with pair of losses
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This wasn’t how the Boyceville girls’ basketball team wanted to start 2025.
Despite an extended holiday break that offered a bit of respite, a pair of lengthy back-to-back, non-conference road games on consecutive days late last week seemed to wear down the Bulldogs and resulted in losses.
The Lady Bulldogs trekked to Independence last Friday, January 3 where they faced Independence/Gilmanton. The Indees (8-2) prevailed 66-57 in a close contest.
The very next day, the girls along the boys’ team, loaded on to buses and headed to the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN for a afternoon doubleheader against Pepin/Alma. While the location had changed, the result did not as the Bulldogs lost 56-50 to the Eagles (6-5).
Independence/Gilmanton
Boyceville opened the new year with a nine-point loss at Independence/Gilmanton last Friday, January 3.
Although the Bulldogs trailed by just a single point at halftime, 29-28, they were unable to shut down the Indees who extended their advantage and went on to win the game 66-57.
Boyceville had three players score in double figures.
Blake Jeske topped her squad with 16 points followed closely by Brooklyn Talmage who tallied 14 and Aubrey Malean finished with 13 points.
Unfortunately, Independence/Gilmanton had four players that put double digits in the scorer’s book. Arabelle Kniseley had a game-high 20 points which was complimented by 15 points from Rielynn Sheanan, Nora Sinank’s 12 points and ten by Makiyah Scow.
Boyceville finished with five threes to four by Independence. The Bulldogs were 18-for-28 at the line while the Indees made 16 of 25 attempts.
Pepin/Alma
The Bulldogs had to have a feeling of deja vu when they found themselves trailing Pepin/Alma by the identical 29-28 halftime score the following afternoon at the Target Center.
While Boyceville kept it close in the second half, it was not able to overtake the Eagles who won the contest 56-50.
“Coming off the late night and early departure I thought we just played very flat, we need a lot of energy to play aggressively on both ends but just didn’t seem to have it,” said head coach Jay Lagerstrom.
“Despite that, the girls competed again and gave themselves a chance but just again didn’t get the stops and baskets when we needed,” he added.
Brooklyn Talmage led the Bulldogs with 13 points, Aubrey Malean added 12 and Blake Jeske finished with ten. Ellie Engeman chipped in with seven and Zoey Hellendrung had four.
Pepin/Alma, who made ten three pointers to Boyceville’s four, was led by Allidah Luff with 16 points, Macy Stewart’s 14 and a dozen from Tori Creighton. Luff and Creighton each had four treys and Stewart two.
Boyceville shot well from the line where it made 12 of 14 foul shots. Alma/Pepin toed the line just six times, making only two.
“We had a long break and back to back tough matchups and it doesn’t get easier with Mondovi and Durand coming up but we just need to keep grinding and find what works and get ourselves back on track,” concluded Lagerstrom.
Boyceville, which is currently 4-6, has just one game this week, a D-SC contest in Mondovi. Next Tuesday, January 14, Durand-Arkansaw will be in the Dog House.