The Emery Lady Spartans opened Region 12 play with a 44-37 loss to the Richfield Wildcats Tuesday night in Castle Dale.

Locked in a tight back and forth battle throughout the first half, Emery was hit with an insurmountable deficit as the Wildcats used an 11-3 in the third quarter.

Senior Kiri Cook led the Lady Spartans with a team-best nine points to go along with three rebounds. Fellow senior Hailey Allred chipped in with eight points, including the team’s lone make from the three-point line.

Baylee Jacobson and Bethany Justice each scored six points as Emery dipped to 7-5 on the season. Despite the loss Emery remains No. 6 in the latest UHSAA RPI rankings. The win moves Richfield to 10-3, placing them third overall.

Passion Reitz and Sipola Vakautakakala each posted a game-high 16 points to lead the Wildcats to their fifth consecutive win. Nicole Willardson provided a solid third option with eight points.

With the region opener now in the books the Lady Spartans will have one day to recover before returning to the court Thursday against the Carbon Lady Dinos.

Carbon also opened the Region 12 portion of their schedule Tuesday, falling to No. 1 South Sevier. With both teams ranked inside the top six in the RPI standings, the region tilt will have massive implications on the standings.

The two will meet for the first of two times this season Thursday at the Spartan Center in Castle Dale. Live coverage will begin at 6:30 on KRPX 95.3 The Peak, with tip-off taking place shortly after. The game will also be available at castlecountryradio.com or on the KRPX Radio App.