Esko Wins Pacesetter

This summer, the Esko 9th Grade Boys’ Basketball Team earned a spot in the Pacesetter Great Four-State Youth Basketball Tournament held at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The top two teams from ND, SD, IA, and MN advance to the 2 day event hosted by Pacesetter Sports.  Championships are held in grades 5-9 for boys and girls.

After finishing 2nd in the MN State Tournament and losing their 7′ 2″ center because of an injury, the undersized Eskomos utilized quickness, timely shooting, and stifling team defense to win the tourney.

In the first game, Esko came out red hot and rolled over Wagner (SD) 44-30 by racing out to a 34-7 halftime lead. In the 2nd game, Esko knocked off tourney favorite Nevada (IA) 44-37 by going 19-21 from the FT line.

The Championship game pitted Esko and Madison (SD) on the main floor of the Target Center.  The back and forth nail-biter ended in Esko’s favor 28-26. With a minute left, the Eskomos hit a transition corner 3-pointer to take a one point lead, made 6-8 free throws down the stretch, and watched a last-second Madison 3-pointer fall short of the rim to win the school’s 1st Great State Championship.