Bobcats win at Mitchell

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MITCHELL – Steady defensive pressure gave the Mitchell High School girls’ basketball team a halftime lead Tuesday night. 

That was until Brookings brought some pressure of its own. 

The Bobcats (3-1, 3-1) put full-court pressure on Mitchell in the second half and held the Kernels to three points in the third quarter and 11 points in the half to rally for a 43-34 Eastern South Dakota Conference win at the Corn Palace. 

Holding a 23-17 lead at halftime, Mitchell (2-2, 1-1) saw Brookings start the second half on a 10-3 run and take a 29-26 lead into the fourth quarter. The Kernels were never able to find an offensive rhythm in the second half, shooting 3-for-21 on field-goal attempts. 

“In the first half, we didn’t handle their physicality as well as we needed to,” Brookings coach Lynn Frederick said. “We switched to a zone (defense) and our pressure created some easy baskets for us. Playing on the road in the ESD is about toughness and grit. I’m proud of how our kids exuded that in the second half.” 

In the fourth quarter, Mitchell tied the game at 31 early in the frame, but the Bobcats answered with four consecutive points and never looked back. The final surge came when Michaela Jewett, who scored a game-high 16 points, converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to put Brookings up 40-32 with just over 2 minutes remaining.

Ava Burns added 10 points and Carolyn Hieb chipped in nine points for the Bobcats. 

Payton Morgan drilled a 3-pointer for Mitchell’s first points of the game, but the Kernels didn’t hit a shot from deep for the rest of the contest. The Kernels led 10-4 after the first quarter and led by as many as eight in the second quarter. 

Mackenzie Miller led Mitchell with 12 points and five rebounds, while Tayler Factor added eight points and Morgan chipped in five points. 

Brookings heads to Brandon Valley for a game Thursday, Jan. 4, at 7 p.m.

Brookings 43, Mitchell 34

Brookings (3-1, 3-1 ESD)

Grace Eggebrecht 2-8 0-0 4, Peyton Evans 0-1 0-0 0, Megan Gilk 0-2 0-0 0, Carolyn Hieb 3-3 1-2 9, Megan Lippert 0-0 0-0 0, Alli Gordon 1-5 0-0 2, Ava Burns 5-10 0-0 10, Emma Hardin 0-0 0-0 0, Michaela Jewett 6-12 4-5 16, Johanna Miller 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 17-43, 5-7 43. 

Mitchell (2-2, 1-1 ESD)

Carly Haring 1-7 2-3 4, Tori Misiaszek 1-1 0-0 2, Mandy Schmidt 0-2 0-3 0, Payton Morgan 2-6 0-0 5, Tayler Factor 3-9 2-3 8, Tess Limberg 1-4 0-0 2, Jordyn Cranny 0-2 0-0 0, Shianne Hiemstra 0-2 0-0 0, Chelsea Brewster 0-1 1-2 1, Mackenzie Miller 3-6 6-7 12. Totals 11-40 11-18 34 

Brookings   4  13  12  14  –  43

Mitchell 10  13    3    8  –  34

3-point goals – B 2-11 (Hieb 2-2, Eggebrecht 0-1, Gilk 0-1, Gordon 0-3, Burns 0-2, Jewett 0-2), M 1-7 (Morgan 1-4, Schmidt 0-2, Cranny 0-1). Rebounds – B 25 (Jewett 4), M 28 (Miller 5). Assists – B 7 (Eggebrecht 3), M 2 (Morgan 1). Steals – B 4 (Hieb 1), M 6 (Factor 4); Blocks – B 0, M 2 (Haring 2). Turnovers – B 15, M 13. Total fouls – B 15, M 13. Fouled out – none.