Wade Stilson and Luke Justice scored 18 points each to push Emery to a 65-58 win over the Uintah Utes on Saturday.

Emery entered the weekend contest 6-1, with a three-game winning streak, and faced a tough Uintah team that entered Saturday with a 7-1 overall record.

Both teams started the game hot and traded baskets throughout the first eight minutes. The Utes and Spartans ended the first period in a 15-15 tie.

The tie would not last long, however, as Emery outscored the Utes 22-10 in the second frame. The Spartans’ big quarter allowed Emery to take a 37-25 lead into the halftime break.
Uintah started the second half with momentum and held Emery to just 11 points. Even with the slow start to the half, Emery still held a six point advantage into the fourth quarter, 48-42.

The Utes tried to continue their comeback efforts into the fourth quarter, but Emery ended up closing the door on Uintah, winning 65-58.

Wade Stilson and Luke Justice scored 18 points to lead the Spartans on offense. Stilson finished the game with a double-double after adding 11 rebounds to his 18 points. He also had six assists on Saturday. Justice went 2-3 from the three-point stripe and 6-9 from the free-throw line to score in a variety of ways. Brett Rasmussen recorded six points, 11 rebounds and three blocks to anchor the Spartan defense. Easton Nielson finished in double figures with 10 points on 2-5 shooting from three-point range.

Emery will return to the court on Tuesday, Dec. 20 to take on the Morgan Trojans on the road. Morgan enters the game with a three-game win streak and a 4-3 overall record. The Spartans will look for their fifth-straight win against the stout Trojans. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.