By Dwight Cadwell
Sports at Pine Knot News
Eskomos outplay Cloquet in second half
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Dan Saletel/Pine Knot Sports
Esko's Kaitlyn Bergerson (25) looks to get a shot on the basket as Cloquet's Olivia Diver (50) comes in to try to make the block.
DCLOQUET-The Esko Eskomos girls basketball team used a strong second half Tuesday night to pull away from the Cloquet Lumberjacks to win their sixth consecutive meeting against the Lumberjacks - a 55-38 win at Cloquet Middle School.
"We have a lot more depth this year than we did a year ago," Esko head coach Scott Antonutti said.
That depth helped the Eskomos as they used a second half run to distance themselves from the Lumberjacks in the season opener for both teams.
The teams traded small leads in the first half. Olivia Diver drained two three-pointers and Phoebe Bieri added five points in the first half to keep the Lumberjacks within four points as Esko led 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.
"These girls were ready tonight," Cloquet head coach Heather Young said. "We were hoping to put all things we worked on over the summer and thus far into practice to good use, but we couldn't work through the small things."
Esko started the second half on a roll, hitting two three-pointers: one from DeMuth and another from Macy Sunnarborg. Freshman Sarah Wagemaker scored nine second-half points as the Eskomos built a 23-point lead late in the half.
Turnovers and miscues cost the Lumberjacks as they would connect on only seven of 29 field goal attempts in the second half, including missing several shots in the lane and six layups.
DeMuth led a trio of Eskomos in double figures with 16 points. Sunnarborg added 11 while senior post Bridget Yellin added 10. Phoebe Bieri was the lone Lumberjack in double figures with 10 points.
Cloquet will need to rebound quickly as they will travel Saturday to face Bloomington Jefferson.
Cloquet's Allie Wojtysiak (40) makes a drive to the net as Esko's Bridget Yellin (54) works to block her progress.
Esko is back in action Thursday night as part of a boys and girls doubleheader versus Hermantown in Esko. The girls start at 5:45 p.m. and the boys play at 7:15 p.m.
Box Score:
Esko: 24-31: 55
Cloquet: 20-18: 38
Esko – Annika Wold 2, Sydney Hanson 7, Macy Sunnarborg 11, Sarah Wagemaker 9, Kristy DeMuth 16, Bridget Yellin 10. Totals 24 2-4 55
3-point goals – Sunnarborg 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.
