The Emery Spartans clinched their third consecutive Region 15 championship as they defeated the Grand Red Devils 80-68 in a highly competitive contest Friday night in Moab.

Needing a win to avoid a three-way tie at the top of the division, the Spartans won each individual quarter and weathered a late Grand run to secure the victory. The win moves Emery to 9-1 in league play and 19-2 overall.

Bowdie Jacobson scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Spartans in the win. Koby Butler contributed a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Kolton Butler also reached double-figures with 13 points to go along with six boards.

“The floor was crowded tonight and there were hardly any passing lanes,” said Jacobson following the win. “They were riding us defensively all game and coach said take it to the hole and don’t get stopped.”

Up by 17 midway through the third quarter, Emery’s lead slowly vanished. The Red Devils managed to cut the lead to just four points with minutes remaining in the game. Following an Emery timeout, the Spartans responded with a quick 6-0 run to put the game away.

Alec Williams led a determined Grand performance with 21 points, nine of which came from the three-point line. Brayden Schultz chipped in with 12, and Kenyon Birdwell finished with 11.The Red Devils struggled from deep, converting just 8-30 from the three-point line and 23-64 from the field.

While the Spartans clinched the No. 1 seed from the region, the loss forced a coin flip tie-breaker between Grand and San Juan as the two ended with identical records. Grand won the coin flip, which means they will enter the state tournament the No. 2 seed, and San Juan is the No. 3.

Emery will now travel to Orem for the opening round of the state championship tournament on Saturday for meeting with Rockwell, the No. 4 seed from Region 14. Barely advancing to the tournament, Rockwell has lost their last six games.

Saturday’s contest is a must win situation for all team’s that have qualified for the post season. Tip-off for the Emery contest is scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM. Live Coverage will begin roughly 20 minutes before tip-off on KOAL 107.3 FM and 750 AM.

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