| Abbie Kay has a good game against Grantsville. Photo game against Uintah. |
Lady Spartans let victory slide past
The final score was Grantsville over Emery 54-52, which, if you were not at the game, would show that the Lady Spartans played the undefeated and number 1 ranked Grantsville team pretty well and barely lost a close game.
But if you were there, you know better and unfortunately that is the story that I have to tell.
Emery gave this game away. I tried to be diplomatic but there just was no way, Emery simply handed this game to their opponent.
Head Coach Steven Gordon after the game to his players, “Who wants to take care of the basketball in the fourth quarter, who wants to box out and grab a rebound. We have got to get mentally tough and finish off these games.”
Emery and Grantsville were tied at 11 after the first quarter. This was a quarter that Emery had their opportunities to grab a lead but the ball would not drop for the Spartans.
Subtract the nine first quarter turnovers and the missed shots and Emery could have lead by double digits.
Emery played good ball in the second quarter. Emery’s defense was superb and they came up with the ball time and time again.
After Grantsville scored the first four points of the quarter, Emery scored the next 10 points and won the quarter 22-9. Sophomore Abbie Kay had a really good period and she scored 4 points but pulled down 8 rebounds to really give the team a boost.
Both teams started slow in the third quarter and here again unforced turnovers kept Grantsville in the ballgame. Emery lost the period 13-9 but still led after three periods 42-33.
And then came the fourth quarter. Emery was outscored 21-10 in the period as they played not to lose the game rather than to win the game and that philosophy usually never works in any sport.
Grantsville tied the game at 48-48 with 2:14 to go but Emery went back up 51-48 on a Meagan Pearson 3-pointer with 1:51 remaining. Grantsville took their first lead at 52-51 with 1:00 left and 20 seconds later Frankie Komar tied it with a free throw shot as she made one of two. Grantsville ran the clock down and Emery knocked the ball out of bounds with three seconds remaining. Grantsville got off an awkward shot on the inbounds play that went in and game over.
Coach Gordon felt this was the second game of the season that the team had let slip through their fingers as he thought the Dixie game should have also been theirs. This team has the opportunity to be just as good as last season and the season before that if they will only believe in themselves. They have size, they have depth, they are quick and they play good defense, they shoot the ball well.
In that final period, they dribbled the ball off their foot, they missed three free throws, they missed lay-ups and yet with all that they still were in the game against the undefeated Cowboys. Question, is it Lady Cowboys or is it Cowgirls?
Meagan led the team with 13 points including two 3-pointers and 5 of 6 at the free throw line.
Jodi Robertson finished with 12 points and spent most of the night shutting down Grantsville’s best player with good defense.
Michonne Robertson finished with 11 points, including 6 in the final quarter.
Abbie Kay scored 9 points, ShiAnne Allred scored 4 points, Lacey Montgomery scored 2 points and Frankie Komar scored a point.
Emery was scheduled to play Wasatch on Thursday night but the game was called due to weather and accidents in the two canyons. Wasatch is also undefeated and may be the best team in 3-A basketball.
Emery will now resume play at Springville on Jan. 4 and then open region play on Jan. 8. The Lady Spartans go into the Christmas break with six wins and three losses on the season.