Esko entered the 2019 Minnesota Boys Basketball Tournament as huge underdogs March 20 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Playing in their second-straight state Class AA tournament - and fourth in the last five years - the unseeded Eskomos opened play against Minneapolis North in the quarterfinals.

The Eskomos ended up losing a hard-fought contest 61-53. The game was as intense as it was close, with each team leading by eight points at least once. The game featured 10 ties and nine lead changes but the Polars closed the game on an 8-0 run, holding Esko scoreless for the final three minutes of...