Esko Tops Lumberjacks in Opener

George Bailey – NSO

The Esko Eskomos used a strong second half Tuesday night to pull away from the Cloquet Lumberjacks to win their sixth consecutive meeting against the Lumberjacks with a 55-38 win at the Cloquet Middle School.

“We have a lot more depth this year than we did a year ago” Coach Scott Antonutti Esko head coach stated, and that depth helped the Eskomos as they used a second half run to down the Lumberjacks in the season opener for both teams.

The first half saw both teams battling back and forth with each team taking small leads and the Lumberjacks and the Eskomos would both make small runs to keep the game close. Olivia Diver drained two first half three pointers, and Phoebe Bieri added five points in the first half to keep the Lumberjacks within four points as Esko lead 24-20 at the break.

Kristy Demuth led the Eskomos first half scoring with 11 points, most coming at crucial times when Cloquet seemed like they were going to make a big run and distance themselves from the Eskomos.

“These girls were ready tonight” Head Coach Heather Young said, “we were hoping to put all things we worked on over the summer and thus far in practice to good use, but we couldn’t work through the small things.”

Esko started the second half on a roll hitting two big three pointers one from DeMuth and another from Macy Sunnaborg. Freshman Sarah Wagemaker scored nine second half points as the Eskomos would build up a 23 point lead late in the second half at 55-32.

Turnovers and miscues cost the Lumberjacks in the second half as they would connect on only 7 of 29 field goal attempts in the half, including missing several shots in the lane and six layups.

Kristy DeMuth led a trio of Eskomos in double figures as she finished with 16 points for the Eskomos. Sunnaborg added 11 while senior post Bridget Yellin added 10 in the victory. Phoebe Bieri was the lone Lumberjack in double figures with 10 points on the night.

Cloquet will need to rebound quickly, and work on things that went wrong, as they will travel to the twin cities on Saturday and face the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars Saturday afternoon.

Esko is back in action Thursday night as part of a boys and girls double header versus Hermantown in Esko. The girls start at 5:45 and the boys play at 7:15.

Box Score: (Girls Basketball) 11/27/18

(Road Team) Esko: First half score 24, Second half score: 31; Total: 55

(Home Team) Cloquet: First half score 20, Second half score: 18; Total: 38

Esko – Annika Wold 2, Sydney Hanson 7, Macy Sunnaborg 11, Sarah Wagemaker 9, Kristy DeMuth 16, Bridget Yellin 10.  Totals 24 2-4 55

3-point goals – Sunnaborg 1, Hanson 1, Wagemaker 1, DeMuth 2.

Cloquet  – Abbey Collins 3, Kate Owens 6, Mireye Moose 2, Kendra Kelley 4, Allie Wojtysiak 7, Phoebe Bieri 10, Olivia Diver 6. Totals 14 7-13 38

3-point goals – Bieri 1, Diver 2.