Second-half surge keeps Eskomos rolling

In a contest between two high-scoring teams raining down three-point shots, fans were treated to a truly traditional Polar League rivalry Friday night in Esko.

The Eskomos broke a halftime tie and outscored the Moose Lake-Willow River Rebels 47-32 in the second half to pick up a huge Polar Conference victory with a 80-65 win. The two teams entering the game Friday night averaged a combined 142 points per game and finished as expected with a combined 145 points.

Esko - fresh off its seventh straight championship in the Esko Coaches Classic - was paced by 26 points from Payton Wefel, who also connected on six three-pointers in the win. The first half saw the Rebels and the Eskomos battling and going on several small runs. Esko built up a 20-11 lead midway through the first half, but the Rebels fought their way back on a 15-0 run to take a 26-20 lead late in the half.

Esko battled back and with both teams connecting on several three-

pointers, the half would end in a 33-33 tie.

"This is a very good, young team we played," Esko head coach Derek Anderson said. "They can shoot the ball from the outside, and not just one or two guys - they all can shoot it.

They are going to be a team people are going to have to watch out for - not only in the playoffs, but I think for years to come with the talent they have."

Esko came out on fire in the second half and quickly built a lead which the Rebels could never rebound from. Both teams would continue to shoot from the outside; Esko and MLWR combined for 20 three-pointers in the game, 10 by each team.

"We are starting to find our groove as a team," Anderson said, "I have coached these kids since they were in eighth grade and we know each other and they are just coming into their own within the new system I have."

Anderson said the Eskomos don't have any issues with working hard, but they had to change their style somewhat after losing Adam Trapp to graduation.

"Not having a 7'3" post player will change things, but these kids are working hard and we hope to be there in the end," Anderson said. "We have a lot of role players and kids who do the small things you don't see in the box score, but [they] are coming together as one."

With the win, Esko improved to 6-4 on the season and had four players in double digits. Besides Wefel's 26, Jon Stodola and Trevor Spindler each poured in 16 points, while Camden Berger added 14 in the victory.

The Rebels also had four players in double digits, led by Mason Olson who finished with 16 points, with 12 coming off of three-pointers. Brady Watrin - who led the

first -half surge for the Rebels - scored 12 points, and Adam Dragicevich and Ben Dewey both finished with 10 points for the Rebels in the loss.

MLWR entered Friday night game winners of six of their last seven games. With the loss, they fell to 8-3 on the season.