CRUNCH TIME: Smale, Eskymos Hold Off Flivvers

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ESCANABA---The Escanaba Eskymos boys basketball team outscored the Kingsford Flivvers, 16-7, in the fourth quarter and grinded out a 62-55 win Friday night to break a three-game losing streak. Connor Smale led the Eskymos with 23 points. Nic Nora hsd 19 for the Flivvers.

It was another stinging loss for the Flivvers in the Great Northern Conference, with every game going down to the wire, but the opponent seemingly finding a way to win in the end.

"It's not that we can't win the big game, it's that we haven't," longtime Kingsford Coach Dan Olkkonen said. "I told them that we will get the midnset that we WILL win the big game. Hopefully, it's coming up in the districts. You've got to have that 'press-forward" mentality of understanding that we have to work as hard in practice as we do in games."

"Our box-outs. We fought, but we have that mental lapse when the shot goes up and you're watching. They have 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 going up, and we can't compete with that unless we get an edge."

Kingsford (8-4 overall, 1-4 Great Northern Conference) led, 48-46, going to the fourth quarter, and Escanaba's top player, Collin Hudson, was saddled with foul trouble all night. He had three fouls in the first half and picked up his fourth in the second half.

But senior Trevor Brown made his presense felt inside with a pair of fourth quarter baskets, including an "and one. to tie the game at 48-48, and give Escanaba a 52-50 lead,

"That was huge," Brown said of the "and-one'. "They were playing dirty all game, and I just got right in there anf got 'er."

And Hudson was able to contribute despite the foul trouble, with an inside basket that made it 50-50, and a short jump shot that made it 54-50. Hudson ended up with 14 points.

Then Smale provided the knockout punch with a driving layup that made it 56-51, and a pull-up jumper with 2:42 left that gave Escanaba a 58-51 lead that would be decisiive.

"I 'm just really happy," Smale said. "The whole week, we worked hard, and we went through a lot of stuff, and we were just focused. I had to find my rythym, and it just worked out for me. I think they had a hard time against it (the Eskymo zone defense) and we started getting some stops."

"At end of the game, you've got to come up big," said Brown, who had 12 points. "Someone's got to step up. I had to help him (Hudson) out a little bit because he can't get his fifth."

Nora led the Flivvers with 19 points, while Cole Myllya added 15 and Brody Copp scored ten.

Escanaba (7-4 overall, 4-2 GNC) have another tough home game Monday night when the Westwood Patriots (10-2) come to town for a make-up game.

Escanaba's JV and freshmen teams both won tight games over Kingsford, with the freshmen winning, 43-41, and the JV winning, 57-55, on a Cody Noel basket with 1.6 sec0nds left.