Emery basketball teams continue to do well

By Gary Arrington
Sports Writer

By GARY ARRINGTON
Sports Writer
Last week the Emery High Lady Spartans played two very similar games as they easily defeated the South Summit Lady Wildcats on Thursday night in Castle Dale and then traveled to Springville to face the Lady Red Devils on Friday night. Final scores of the games were 71-27 at home and 64-20 on the road.
At home Emery jumped to an 18-0 lead in the first quarter as their pressing defense allowed South Summit to do absolutely nothing. Emery took seven shots before South Summit got their first shot off and the Spartans ended up taking 18 shots in that first period, making 10 of them and the Lady Wildcats managed to shoot the ball just four times in the period.
In Springville Emery led 14-1 after the first quarter and 31-6 at the half as they again limited the things that the Lady Red Devil team could even do. Although Springville is winless early in the season they have played 5-A and 6-A schools and have managed to keep those games respectable. They lost to Lone Peak 53-42, to Bingham 58-44 and to Lehi 52-48.
They have lost by 20 before but not by 40 and not on their home court.
Against South Summit Emery led 23-6 after the first quarter, 40-15 at the half and 64-22 after three and then the younger girls finished the game. Against Springville the score was 14-1 after the first period, 31-6 at the half and 45-10 after three. The younger players did win both fourth quarters.
At home Kacelyn Toomer led the way with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. Sister Kinlee had 13 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 7 steals.
Megan Jensen had 14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals while the other two Spartan starters Lainee Jensen and Bailey Huggard finished with 3 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal for Lainee and 4 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists for Bailey.
Off the bench Makieya Bertuzzi led the way with 11 points while Ambree Bennett scored 9, Tayden Nielson scored 5 and Morgan Hurdsman scored 3 points.
At Springville, Kacelyn scored 10 points, had 3 assists and 10 steals while Kinlee scored 13 points and had 7 assists. Lainee scored 12 points, had 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 7 steals, Bailey scored 6 and had 5 rebounds and Megan scored 6 and had 7 rebounds. Morgan added 8 points, Makeiya 4 points, JoJo Peterson 3 points and Brileigh Curtis 2 points.
The Lady Spartans are now off until they play in a Holiday tournament at Summit Academy in Draper during the Holidays.
They will play on December 29-30.
In boys basketball action it felt kind of strange for South Summit High to be playing at the Spartan Center last week as these two teams very rarely play each other during the season as Emery stays south and South Summit stays north for their preseason games and their regular season games.
On Friday the Wildcats and the Spartans faced off and the two teams gave the fans an exciting, play-off type game that went down to the wire as the Spartans prevailed 70-62.
Both teams scored 13 points in the first quarter and the Spartans opened up a lead in the second period to 26-21 midway through the second period before South Summit ended the quarter on an 11-0 run and led at the half 32-26. Emery owned the third quarter as they played good defense and shot the ball well as they won the period 21-8 and led after three quarters at 47-40.
Emery then outlasted the Wildcats in the fourth quarter as both teams went toe to toe and Emery won the period 23-22 and the game.
Tyler Butler led the team with 20 points but Tyler scored those points in bunches when they were really needed.
Butler had a three-pointer in the first quarter, three more three’s in the second quarter when Emery grabbed the lead and then finished with two more three’s and a regular basket in the third quarter to help boost the Spartans to the lead.
Butler now has the highest three-point shot average in the state as he is scoring 3.9 three’s per game through the seven games that he has played. He has made 27 so far this season.
Cade Brazier only made a single three in this game but he is averaging 3.3 made three-point shots per game as he has made 23 so far this year. Cade ranks eighth in the state.
Brax Jensen scored eight points in the fourth quarter and went four for four at the free throw line as the Wildcats fouled trying to get back into the game. Easton Gordon made a pair of free throws in that final period as did Kyler Stilson and the Spartans went eight for eight when needed.
Butler led the team with 20 points and Kyson Stilson was right behind with 19 points.
Brax Jensen scored 10 points, Easton Gordon scored 9 points, Cade Brazier scored 7 points, Alex Orozco hit a three in the final period and Kyler Wilstead scored 2 points in the fourth quarter.
Emery will play at Grantsville next Wednesday night and then will travel to Union over the break on Dec. 29 and then the Spartans will return home on Jan. 3 to face Richfield.