The No. 5 seed Emery Lady Spartans punched their ticket to 3A quarterfinals with a 61-24 win over the No. 12 ranked Ogden Tigers Friday night at the Spartan Center in Castle Dale.

A competitive first quarter had the Lady Spartans carrying a slim 7-5 lead into the second period. Emery blitzed the Tigers defensively, using a 23-4 run to take control of the game the rest of the way.

Katelyn Nielson poured in a game-high 15 points and five rebounds in the win. Carlie Hurst scored 10 points in a reserve role, while Kali Jensen chipped in with nine. Emery delivered a well-balanced attack as 11 players scored at least one point.

“I think we did what needed to do and got the job done tonight,” said Jensen following the win. “We knew we couldn’t overlook this team. We needed to come out firing, and that’s what we did.”

Defensively, Emery made life incredibly difficult on the Tigers, holding them to five points or less in the first three quarters. The Lady Spartans recorded 19 steals as a team, converting the majority into points on the other end of the floor.

Emery opened the floodgates offensively in the second quarter, connecting on four shots from beyond the arc. Jensen, Hurst, Saige Curtis, and Megan Stilson all hit a shot from the three-point line.

“Once they can’t pack it down Kate (Nielson) and they have to step out on us, we can fire on all cylinders.” Said Jensen.

Friday’s win marks Emery’s third consecutive, placing them in the quarterfinals. The tournament will now shift from home sites to Utah Valley University in Orem.

Waiting for Emery will be the No. 4 seeded Morgan Trojans, who defeated No. 13 North Sanpete 58-27 Friday night. The two teams will have a lengthy break before the matchup, as the tournament will be on pause until Monday, Feb. 24.