The excitement was palpable on Wednesday, Feb. 26, when the UCCU Center was filled to the brim as the Emery Lady Spartans prepared to compete in their second consecutive state championship game. Facing a region foe in the Canyon View Falcons, a back-and-forth affair was pulled out of the Spartans’ reach in the final minutes, and Emery fell in the title game 47-41.

The first frame was all Emery, as a combination of sharp outside shooting and tenacious defense overwhelmed the Falcons early. Katelyn Nelson was again potent in the paint, bullying Canyon View down low. At the end of the first, Emery held a 12-5 advantage.

Canyon View started its comeback in the second period, applying more pressure on Nelson and Aleeyah Cowley down low while playing pressuring perimeter defense. Some timely shots from beyond the arc aided the Falcons, who outscored the Spartans 10-9 in the second. Entering the halftime break, Emery had the advantage with a slim 21-15 edge.

The third quarter was the highest-scoring quarter of the game, with the two squads combining for 32 points. However, a bulk of these buckets fell in favor of Canyon View, which won the quarter with a 19-13 scoring margin. This effort was enough to tie the score heading into the final frame at 34 apiece.

A scoring drought midway through the fourth would prove to be the story of the game, as a four-minute stretch where the Spartans couldn’t find the bottom of the basket occurred midway through the period. The Falcons seized the opportunity to crank out a 6-2 run to close out the contest, securing a 47-41 victory and the 3A state title.

Nelson led all scorers in the contest, finishing the night with 18 points and four rebounds. Kabree Gordon closed with nine points and six rebounds; Kali Jensen had five; Cowley ended with four; Jabry Sharp and Megan Stilson each added two and Skylee Guymon rounded out the scoring effort with one.

Emery ends the season with a record of 16-11 overall and 10-4 in league play.

Castle Country Radio would like to congratulate these student-athletes on their spectacular season and wish the squad’s graduating seniors good luck in their future endeavors.