Basketball Game Preview: Esko Eskomos vs. Blake Bears

The Esko Eskomos will challenge the Blake Bears at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Esko knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight matches -- so hopefully Blake likes a good challenge.

Last Friday, Esko ended the year with a bang, routing Marshall 74-53. The Eskomos have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five contests by 21 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Blake put another one in the bag last Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They walked away with a 74-67 win over St. Croix Lutheran. Given the Bears' advantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota basketball rankings (they are ranked 13th, while the Crusaders are ranked 98th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Blake's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-0. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 83.7 points per game. As for Esko, their win bumped their record up to 7-1.