Tyler Butler scored 18 of his team best 22 points in the first half as the Emery Spartans opened the 2017-18 season with a comfortable 74-57 win over the Delta Rabbits Tuesday evening on the road.

The Spartans showed few signs of youth, earning a wire-to-wire victory despite a starting lineup that featured four first time starters. Holding a 31-23 at the end of the first half, Emery outscored the Rabbits in both the third and fourth quarters to preserve the win.

Butler connected on four of the team’s nine three-point makes to pace the offense. Brax Jensen knocked down three shots from beyond the perimeter to finish with 17 points. Junior Kyson Stilson chipped in with 16 points, while senior Easton Gordon also reached double-figures with 14.

Delta standout Derek Smith posted a game-high 24 points, including five makes from the deep. Trevor Burton provided the Rabbits a second option offensively with 11 points, and Jaymen Brough contributed five.

Both teams had their fair share of foul shots throughout the evening, but left several points on the table. The Rabbits converted just 19 of 28 attempts, while the Spartans finished 15-25.

With Tuesday’s opener now in the books, Emery will take the next week off for the Thanksgiving Break. The team will return to the court on Tuesday, Nov. 28 with a road contest against Maple Mountain.