Faced with an early 11-point first quarter deficit, the Emery Spartans methodically pushed ahead of the South Sevier Rams and earned an eventual 55-49 win Wednesday night in Monroe.
Using a variety of defensive looks, the Spartans slowly chipped away at the double-digit South Sevier lead. Trailing 26-25 at the break, Emery senior Brax Jensen exploded offensively by scoring 23 of his game-high 27 points in the second half.
“It was a very slow start for us, but it was good to get back on track,” said assistant coach Bowie Jeffs. “We had some huge shots from Brax that really pushed us over the edge. We missed some free throws down the stretch, but we pulled out the win.”
Jensen’s outburst propelled the Spartans and lit a fire that became contagious on both ends of the floor. Adding to his point total he also dished out six assists, grabbed four rebounds and accumulated two steals.
Senior Jordan Ekker lifted the offense in its time of need during the first half as he finished with 11 points. Justin Rasmussen continued his consistent play with eight points and seven rebounds, while Kyler Wilstead ended with six.
Defensively Emery managed to keep South Sevier standout Brandt Williams under control in the second half, despite him reaching his season average of 18 points for the game. Tracen Winkle chipped in with 15 points, while Brennen Hunt scored 12 for the Rams in the loss.
“Their big guy Brandt Williams is a heck of a player and a great scorer, so we tried to keep the ball away from him,” said Jeffs. “That forced them to be really patient and our defense really stepped it up and did a great job.”
Wednesday’s win moves Emery to 4-1 in division play and sets the stage for a monumental match-up with the Richfield Wildcats Friday night at the Spartan Center.
Emery will enter the tilt ranked No. 3, while Richfield holds a firm grip on the No. 2 spot. The first meeting this season ended in favor of Richfield 58-36.
“They like to play slow and really work the ball around and their defense is really good,” said Jeffs. “They have really good help side defense and that makes it hard to penetrate and score on them. We’ll play our game, step up and hit some threes and hopefully have a better outcome than we did at Richfield.”
Live coverage of Friday night’s contest will begin at 6:30 on KOAL 107.3 FM and 750 AM with the Landon’s Diesel Service Pre-Game Show. Tip-off will follow shortly after at 7:00. The live audio stream will also be available at castlecountryradio.com.