MINNEAPOLIS -- Playing on the historic two-foot raised floor at Williams Arena for the first time in his high school boys basketball career, Esko's Kory Deadrick raised his team even higher.
Deadrick, an elusive 6-foot-5 junior forward, scored a game-best 30 points to elevate the unseeded Eskomos past third-rated Hayfield 60-54 in a Minnesota Class AA state quarterfinal Wednesday night at the University of Minnesota's illustrious 85-year-old venue.
"It's always been a dream for me and the team to get down here," said Deadrick, who had five three-pointers Wednesday following his three points Saturday in Esko's 64-63 buzzer-beating section final win over Mora. "Tonight, my teammates got me open and I got in a rhythm."
Deadrick, a 1,000-plus-point scorer on pace to set the school's all-time scoring record, had 25 first-half points Wednesday, including the opening 11 to propel Esko (27-4) to a 35-27 halftime lead.
Hayfield standout guard Cole Kruger finished with 28 points, but more notably slowed Deadrick in the second, as the Vikings (22-8) tied the game on a Kruger free-throw with 6:06 left and had the game within a possession in the final seconds, before the Eskomos hit free-throws late.
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Esko's Casey Staniger and Marc Peterson added 15 and 11 points.
The Eskomos, in their third-ever state appearance along with trips in 2003 and 1955, now move to play second-seeded Litchfield (25-5) Friday at 8 p.m. at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Deadrick said he's ready.
"There was great arch on his shots tonight," added longtime Esko Coach Mike Devney afterward. "I think he was a little determined."
Esko: 35-25--60
Hayfield: 27-27--54
Esko -- Marc Peterson 3-12 3-4 11, Casey Staniger 5-10 4-6 15, Bobby Wright 0-0 2-2 2, Ben Hanson 0-2 0-0 0, Kory Deadrick 10-18 5-7 30, Jaxson Turner 1-1 0-3 2, Nate Johnson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-43 14-22 60.
3-point goals -- Deadrick 5-9, Peterson 2-7, Staniger 1-5, Hanson 0-1.
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Hayfield -- Cole Kruger 9-17 8-10 28, Trevor Anderson 1-8 0-0 3, Brady Stevens 2-2 0-0 4, Jeremy Stuart 6-8 1-3 13, Brady Kramer 2-11 0-0 4, Logan Adams 0-0 0-0 0, Jason Born 0-0 0-0 0, Merrick Ducharme 0-0 2-2 2, Drew Streightiff 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 20-48 11-15 54.
3-point goals -- Kruger 2-7, Anderson 1-7, Kramer 0-4, Streightiff 0-2.
