Emery High School boy’s basketball coach Dave Justice earned his first victory at the varsity level as the Spartans defeated the defending 3A State Champion Juab Wasps 46-33 Wednesday night in Ephraim.

Rebounding from a loss last week against Juan Diego, the Spartans put on a defensive clinic. Juab was held below 10 points in two of the four quarters and Emery developed a comfortable lead with a 19-7 run in the third quarter.

“I have tremendous respect for Juab and the way they run their program,” said Justice. “We went up there with the mentality and the mindset of us winning. It worked out for us and that’s the mindset we have to have moving forward.”

Wade Stilson paced the Spartans as he poured a game and season high 16 points. His presence was felt on both sides of the court as he also gathered seven rebounds, four steals and three assists.

Luke Justice provided a second punch from the Emery backcourt as he chipped in with 14 points on an efficient 4-of-7 shooting from the field. Justice also crashed the boards as he finished with five defensive rebounds.

“Those two are doing a fantastic job and they combined for 29 points,” Justice said. “When you look at them, they are both mature sophomores. They look like upperclassmen and still have room to grow. Just like the rest of our team, we just have to keep working and getting better.”

Junior Brett Rasmussen continued to solidify himself as one of the best rim protectors in the classification as he anchored the potent Emery defense. Aside from adjusting several shots in the paint, Rasmussen scored eight points and added six rebounds.

Wednesday’s victory moves Emery to 1-2 on the young season. Through three games the Spartans have possessed one of the most difficult schedules in the classification. The team will now take a full week off before returning to the court on Wednesday, Dec. 8 against Union in Roosevelt.