Aberdeen Roncalli built a double-digit lead, lost it, and rebuilt it to halt a five-year losing streak to Milbank in boys’ basketball Friday night.

In a game that featured a variety of streaks, the Cavaliers produced the most important one, closing on a 13-4 run to secure a 58-48 Northeast Conference victory at the Roncalli Gym.

“In the last five years we haven’t beaten them,” said Roncalli coach Dan Gallagher. “It’s because they’ve won the physicality battle, the rebound battle, and they won the free throw battle. There’s never been a game in those last five years that we won any of those, and tonight I think we won all three.”

The Cavaliers were clinging to a 45-44 lead with five minutes left before receiving points from six different players to finish off the win. During that pivotal stretch, the Bulldogs managed just four points and turned the ball over five times.

“We’ve got to be better at taking care of the basketball in critical moments, and that’s been the story of our season,” said Milbank coach Logan Diede. “We’ve got a talented group where we could genuinely only have three losses right now, but here we sit at 8-7, because of those things. We’ve got to look in the mirror and see how we want to finish the season.”

Roncalli’s Quinten Shelton started the closing flurry with a steal and layup, Creighton Fisher scored on an offensive rebound, Bryson Olson had a convention three-point play, Jesse Hernandez added three free throws, Mason Berndt scored on a putback, and Austin Fisher made a foul shot.

The contest was a bit extra special for the Cavaliers, who last week lost a double-digit first half lead and never recovered in a setback to Northwestern. This time, the squad lost its lead, but responded in a big way.

“We just looked back at the Northwestern game and we’re like we have to play 32 minutes of basketball and not just 16, not just one half, we have to play through the whole game,” Creighton Fisher said. “I felt like this game we played through the whole game. They will go on their runs and then we will go on our runs, we just have to keep the momentum in our hands.”

Roncalli led 25-13 late in the first half before Milbank scored 15 unanswered points for a 28-25 lead three minutes into the second half.

However, the Cavaliers dug in defensively and continued to make shots from a variety of spots on the floor.

“When you have shooters everywhere, and you have to have backside help with guys driving, too, it’s hard to manage to get there when they have fast guys like they had,” said Milbank’s Lincoln Holscher, who scored 12 points.

The Bulldogs had success when they were able to get shots off. However, they ended up with a lot of empty possessions because of numerous turnovers.

“We just have to handle the turnovers and the pressure a lot better,” Holscher said, “and put the ball in the hole.”

Roncalli, a team known for its 3-point shooting, made just two treys in the entire game, both by Creighton Fisher.

“It’s still a lot of games left, but it has to give our guys a lot of confidence as far as what we’re capable of doing,” Gallagher said, “and one of the biggest things is our two 3-point shooters that we thought about going into the season – Jesse Hernandez, Sam Larson – they didn’t’ make a 3, but they found ways to impact winning.”

As a result, the Cavaliers will take some momentum into the back half of their season.

“This is a really big confidence booster,” Creighton Fisher. “We just have to keep growing as it goes on, especially after this game.”

Austin Fisher and Creighton Fisher each scored 15 points, and Olson added 11 to the Roncalli total.

Sam Rick topped the Bulldogs with 13 points. Jeter Scoular and Ryan Keeton each added eight.

Milbank would like to move up in the Region 1A seed points for the upcoming postseason.

“We just have to focus on what’s in front of us and that’s Sisseton now,” Diede said, “but in totality that’s five games left to choose one or two ways to finish the season. I hope we finish strong.”

That’s what Holscher and his teammates play on doing.

“I think we can finish it out undefeated hopefully and get a good spot in the region,” Holscher said, “but we just have to finish strong.”

Roncalli, 5-8 on the season, has two road games next week, playing at Class A state runner-up Hamlin on Tuesday and at Miller on Friday.

Hamlin is currently rated third in the Class A poll.

“We know we have our work cut out,” Gallagher said, “but it’s also one of those games we look forward to, because we want to see where we’re at.”

MILBANK (8-7): Lincoln Holscher 4 2-2 12, Sam Rick 6 0-0 13, Jeter Scoular 3 1-2 8, Ryan Keeton 2 2-4 8, Jack Howard 2 1-1 5, Braylen Boshwer 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 6-9 48.

ABERDEEN RONCALLI (5-8): Jesse Hernandez 1 5-7 7, Austin Fisher 6 1-2 15, Quinten Shelton 2 0-0 4, Creighton Fisher 6 0-0 15, Bryson Olson 5 0-1 11, Sam Larson 0 2-2 2, Mason Berndt 2 0-1 4. Totals 22 9-13 58.

Milbank 6 20 38 48

Aberdeen Roncalli 13 25 35 58

3-point field goals – Holscher 2, Rick, Scoular, Keeton 2; A. Fisher 3. Total fouls – Milbank 17; Aberdeen Roncalli 11. Turnovers – Milbank 17; Aberdeen Roncalli 9.