The Esko and Annandale boys basketball teams met this afternoon at Target Center in Minneapolis, with the Eskimos playing for a chance to earn their first ever state basketball championship.

The Eskomos and top-seeded Cardinals were in a heated battle by halftime, with Esko holding a slim 22-18 lead. In the second half, Esko didn't look back, outscoring Annandale 38-23 to earn a 60-41 victory and the first ever state championship for the Esko squad.

Senior Marc Peterson led Esko with 16 points, with Kory Deadrick adding 14 points and Casey Staniger with another 13 points in the win. Matt Miller was the only Annandale player to crack double-digit scoring with 10 points.

This is the first state championship for a boys basketball team from Northeast Minnesota in quite some time. The last time a team from the region brought home a boys basketball title was in 1991 when Chisholm brought a Class A title home to the Iron Range.

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