Eskymos Use Defense To Push Past Broncos, 80-47

Click the thumbnails to see photos and video highlights, and click the AUDIO buttons to hear post-game comments from Casey Bray, Coach Scott Hanson, and Bark River Coach Nick Lippens.

BARK RIVER---The Escanaba High School boys basketball team outscored Bark River-Harris, 21-5, in the second quarter and cruised to a 80-47 win over the Broncos Monday night.

The Eskymos had four players score in double figures, with Casey Bray scoring 19 points, Shane Wallin adding 17, and David Romps scoring 13. and Lukas Weaver chipping in ten.

But it was the Eskymo press defense that created separation on the scoreboard, leading to multiple lay-ups in the other direction in the second quarter after the Broncos had stayed within 14-11 after one quarter of play.

"Our three-quarter court trap has been real effective for us this year," Escanaba Coach Scott Hanson said. "Each game, we've been getting better and better. We've got to keep getting better with it. Obviously, teams are going to research it and try to attack it in different ways. But that really creates our offense for us. Our defense gets us a lot of turnovers and some easy baskets."

"We got a little bit too fast," BR-H Coach Nick Lippens said. "We were just turning the ball over and they were reading what we were doing. One quarter, we go down by 19. We can't go down by 19 against a team like this. We were pretty much even through the first and even through the third. But you can't do down 19 against a team like this and expect to come back. We played a little bit too fast and not being smart enough with the ball."

Bray benefitted from the defense-to-offense the most, as his shot wasn't falling but he was able to get four baskets on transition during that pivitol second quarter.

"Early on, I couldn't get anything to go," Bray admitted. "But it came to me. I think our team played pretty well on defense with our press. We just hustle on our press. It's not a big deal if they don't turn it over, just speed them up and make them uncomfortable. I think that worked tonight."

Escanaba led, 35-16, at halftime after that big second quarter.

The Broncos' best quarter was the third quarter, when they scored 23 points and at one point closed to within 12. Kaden Drossart scored 13 of his 19 points in that quarter.

"Kaden's averaging about 22 points a game, and he did get into a little bit of a rhythm," Lippens said. "He's hard to stop down there. He's a hell of a player. He is very, very good at getting to his spots and he's got really good footwork. And he's a good finisher."

Hanson singled out Weaver's efforts on the defensive side of the ball, which helped him to score ten points and also to set up his teammates for easy baskets.

"Lukas Weaver had some huge steals off the back of the 1-2-2 (defense)," he said. "He's been a key for us the last week-and-a-half. He's played a huge role."

All 13 Eskymo players scored in the contest.

For the Broncos, besides Drossart's 19 points, Ethan Ives and Jacob Mileski both scored eight points, Joe Javurek added seven, and Vincent Martun contributed five points.

Escanaba improved to 6-2 on the season and has a showdown with undefeated Iron Mountain (6-0) this Thursday night.

"It's going to be a good game," Bray said. "We've just got to play our game. Move the ball a little better than we did tonight and we'll be fine."

"My challenge to the boys going into Thursday is: you want to be one of those top five teams (in the U.P.), you've got a team coming into your place, and we've got to battle and see what we can do, and see if we can come out with a victory," Hanson said.

Bark River-Harris fell to 2-6 on the season and will travel to Norway on Friday.