The Emery Spartans snapped a two-game losing streak with a commanding 67-43 victory over the North Sanpete Hawks at the Spartan Center Friday night in Castle Dale.
Emery raced to an early lead, outscoring the Hawks 18-7 in the opening quarter and widening the gap to 40-15 by halftime. The final two quarters were a formality as the Spartans earned the much-needed win.
“The way the boys responded tonight was just awesome,” said head coach Dave Justice. “When things are going bad are you going to feel bad for yourself? Or are you going to respond? And they responded in a big way.”
Brek Griffin poured in a game-high 19 points, 12 of which came from beyond the arc, to pace the Spartans offensively. Porter Sitterud scored 17 points, while Ajay Thomas, Maddex Taney, and Ben Johansen all scored eight.
“Teams are having a hard time staying in front of Porter and Brek,” said Justice. “They are both so good with the ball and so good going downhill. Athletically, they are just outstanding, and to see them coming on, it’s going to make us a good basketball team.”
After dropping two games to South Sevier and Union this week, the Spartans responded with one of their most efficient games of the year. As a team, Emery connected on eight three-pointers, while also finishing 11 of 13 from the foul line. Defensively, Emery held North Sanpete under double-digits in three of the four quarters.
Friday’s win moves Emery to 11-7 overall and 2-1 in Region 13 play. The Hawks drop to 7-11 overall and 0-3 in league play.
The Spartans will now take the rest of the week off before returning Wednesday with a massive road game against the Carbon Dinos, who are 1-2 in league play following an overtime loss to Manti Friday night.
Friday’s win was highlighted by a special halftime ceremony in which Emery High School Principal Steven Gordon and Athletic Director Jake Atwood honored former head coach Todd Jeffs with a banner that will hang proudly in the Spartan Center.
A key instrument in the Emery High School basketball tradition, Jeffs contributed 39 seasons to the program as a player, assistant coach, and head coach. During his 32-year tenure as head coach, he won two state championships across multiple classifications. Advancing to the final four 13 times, he became just the sixth high school coach in Utah to win 500 games with one school, finishing with a 515-245 record.
“It’s a good time in my life with everything that I look back on,” said Jeffs. “I really miss the practices, the kids, and a lot about the game. I appreciate Emery High School and Steven Gordon for the honor tonight; it was really nice.”