The Madison Bulldogs rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat the Dell Rapids Quarriers 49-46 on Thursday, February 18th, in Madison. Dell Rapids was only able to score just 14 points in the second half.
The Quarriers led 18-6 at the end of the first quarter. They pushed their lead to 18 points at 26-8 with 4:35 to go in the second quarter. Madison was able to close the gap to 14 at 32-18 by halftime.
The Bulldogs made their run in the second half. They outscored Dell Rapids 15-5 in the third quarter to trail 37-33. Madison pulled the game within two points at 37-35 after two free-throws by Jessi Giles. Dell Rapids then went on a 5-0 run after a three-point play by Mikaela Stofferahn to extend their lead to 42-35 with 6:10 remaining in the game. Madison again fought back within a point at 44-43 with 1:35, but Kaylee Hennen hit a driving shot from the middle of the lane with 1:18 to go. The Bulldogs closed out the game on a 6-0 run for the win.
Dell Rapids shot 36% (18-50) from the field, 11% (2-18) from three-point area, and 67% (8-12) from the free-throw line. The Quarriers out rebounded Madison 42-38, but turned the ball over 19 times.
Emma Paul finished with 10 points. Stofferahn had eight points and 16 rebounds. Arial Hoffman also added eight points, and Kali Graham added six points. Nicole Brown led Madison with 18 points, while Giles had 16 points.
Dell Rapids finishes the regular season with a record 12-8. The girls Region 3A tournament starts on Tuesday, February 23rd.