Morgan Hurdsman’s go-ahead three-point shot late in the fourth quarter allowed the Emery Lady Spartans to rally past the Richfield Wildcats for a 41-36 victory in the 3A State Championship game Saturday evening at Burns Arena in St. George.

Down by double-digits midway through the second quarter, the Spartans slowly chipped away at the deficit. Trailing 22-14 at half time, Emery outscored Richfield 27-14 over the final two quarters to preserve the win.

“We went into half time and told the girls that they hadn’t shown up to the fight yet,” said head coach Lynn Tuttle. “We made a few simple adjustments trying to limit their help side defense, and it worked.”

Junior Megan Jensen paced the Emery offense with a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds to record the only double-double. Jensen scored 12 of her 25 points in the first half, accounting for all but two of Emery’s points at the break.

“They didn’t have an answer for Megan,” said Tuttle. “Game-in and game-out she gives a 11o-percent. She’s very polished and an extremely great player.”

While Jensen carried the load offensively, Hurdsman set the tone defensively in the second half. Playing the majority of the final two quarters, Hurdsman was given the task of guarding Richfield standout Emma Jones in a man-to-man set.

Jones poured in a team-best 14 points as Richfield suffered its second straight loss in the 3A State Championship. Madison Roberts scored eight points, and Alexa Lord finished with five.

After shooting 39-percent from the field in the first half, the Wildcats were held to a mere 20-percent in the second. Emery’s field goal percentage jumped in the process, improving from 26-percent to 37-percent during the same span.

Outside of Jensen no other Emery player converted more than one field goal. Kacelyn Toomer and Lainee Jensen both finished with four points, while Kinlee Toomer and Morgan Hurdsman ended with three.

Saturday’s meeting between Emery and Richfield marked the third of the season between the two teams. After suffering their lone loss of the season at Richfield, Emery returned the favor at home to force a tie for the region championship.

Stay tuned to Castle Country Radio for a complete recap of the 2017-18 season in the coming days.

**Photo courtesy of ETV 10 News**