Getting a good look at the hoop, Hannah Toftey showed her good shooting form on this attempt for two points against Esko. Unfortunately the ball rimmed out.
With two six-foot starters, Cook County has some height on its girls’ basketball team. But no girl in the area is as tall as Esko’s senior center 6’5” Molly Trapp, the smaller sister of Savanah Trapp, who now plays basketball for UCLA.
As good as Molly is, the 3A school has other players who are also talented. And Esko used a balanced offensive attack and a smothering defense to beat Cook County by 30 points, 61-31, in Grand Marais on Friday, February 6.
Five Esko players scored between 8-10 points in the game, while Cook County’s high point scorer was Emily Jacobsen, who netted 9 points.
Right behind Jacobsen was Lily Gruber-Schulz 8, Sophie Eliasen 7, Essance Haines 3, Maya McHugh 2, and Jami Sjogren, who scored 2 points.
“We did a great job of dictating the pace and slowing the game down, but we just couldn’t find a way to score points,” said Head Coach Mitch Dorr. “When our guards struggle to get us into the offense, we have a tough time getting Lily and Emily touches on offense.”
One of the problems the Vikings have faced this year is holding onto the basketball. Once again this was an issue in the Esko game. “Offensively we just make too many needless turnovers. We need to be showing better improvement by this time in the season,” Dorr said.
As far as rebounding, Dorr said, “We were out rebounded. Right now we are relying on Lily, Emily and Jami to do it all and that is just not enough.”
The Vikings have an away game this Friday against Moose Lake Willow-River then come home and play two home games. The first is a make-up game on Monday, February 16 against Cromwell that will be played at 1 p.m., and then they face South Ridge at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, February 20. Go Vikings!
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