A cold spell in the second quarter proved costly as the Emery Spartans suffered a 61-43 setback to the Richfield Wildcats Wednesday night at the Spartan Center in Castle Dale.
An offensive burst from beyond the perimeter allowed the Spartans to capture a 15-14 lead in the closing seconds of the first quarter. The Wildcats stole momentum at the buzzer as Griffin Wayman connected on a corner three-pointer as time expired. Richfield carried a 17-15 lead into the second quarter and never looked back.
“That was a huge make. We hate to look at it that way, but we had just grabbed the lead,” said head coach Dave Justice. “I think it would have been a big boost for us to have the lead at the end of the quarter. But Griffin is such a great shooter, and that’s such a great team.”
The Wildcats used the momentum built at the end of the first to pull away in the second stanza. An 18-4 run gave Richfield plenty of breathing room, despite the second half being played at a near-even pace.
Scott Johansen and Jace Frandsen scored 11 points, combining for five makes from the three-point line, to help push the Emery offense. West Johansen scored six of his eight points in the second half. Porter Hurdsman chipped in with six points.
“It seemed like it was tough sledding for us at the basket tonight,” Justice said. “Anything at the basket was just tough. If we drove, posted up, or tried to attack, they did a great job of protecting the rim.”
Jorgen Southwick delivered a stellar performance, leading all players with a game-high 18 points. Malik Fautin was a perfect complement for Richfield, contributing 15 points. Hudson Spell also reached double figures with 10 points.
Wednesday’s loss drops Emery to 1-1 in Region 12 play and 3-6 overall on the season. Richfield remains unbeaten in league action, now at 2-0 and 7-3 overall.
The Spartans will have two more games this week before Christmas break. Next is a home meeting with the Manti Templars on Friday. Saturday, Emery will travel to Blanding to square off with the San Juan Broncos in a non-region affair.