For the first time this season the Emery Lady Spartans were tested as the team pulled out a slim 52-49 victory on the road over the Beaver Beavers Thursday evening.

After jumping out to a 15 point lead by the end of the first half, Emery’s advantage vanished as Beaver outscored the Lady Spartans 21-6 in the third quarter. Despite falling behind in the final minutes of regulation, Emery found a way to secure a three-point victory.

“Beaver forced us to play their ball game,” said head coach Lynn Tuttle. “It seemed like we struggled in every aspect, but it was better for us to have to fight hard in the end to come out on top, rather than blow them out of the gym.”

Junior Megan Jensen scored a game-high 18 points and recorded nine rebounds as Emery improved to 5-0 on the season. Senior Lainee Jensen played a key role in the win with 14 points, including two makes from deep. Kacelynn Toomer chipped in with 11 points.

“We came out in the third quarter and just did not play Emery basketball,” said Tuttle. “Hopefully we learn from it. I’ve told the girls this is going to happen at some point. I think it’s a good game to for us to get under our belts and move forward.”

Sydnee Gillins paced Beaver with 17 points as the Beavers dipped to 2-2 on the season. Brittlyn Carter finished with 10 points, and Linley White contributed eight.

Thursday’s win for Emery comes just two days after the team defeated 3A Union by 38 points. The win over Beaver marks the first time this season that Emery has not scored at least 70 points in a game.

The Lady Spartans will return to the court on Dec. 14 with a home contest against South Summit. The following day Emery will travel to Springville for it’s final game before the Christmas Break.