| Karson Jensen jumps big with a shot for Emery. |
As the season began, the Emery High boy’s basketball team was quite optimistic that this could and would be a decent season. As we near the end of the regular season, the desired result has been elusive for the team and now with a home loss against Juan Diego, the Spartans have dug themselves a hole for the state play-offs. In a region game against Juan Diego, Emery lost a heartbreaker in overtime 61-56. In a non-region game on Tuesday night, the Wasatch Wasps came to town and left with a 71-53 victory.
Delta appears to be the best team in region 8 and has gone through undefeated so far. Emery, Juan Diego, Carbon and North Sanpete have taken turns beating each other and are in a dogfight to make the play-offs and have favorable seeding. The team that finishes second receives a home play-off game against a fifth seeded team out of region 10 while the third and fourth place teams travel south to region 9. The last place team stays home and I am not sure I ever remember Emery staying home.
Dempsey Jeffs had a great game against Wasatch to help keep the team in the game at all. Dempsey scored 30 points and led the team in scoring every quarter except the second. In the third quarter, Dempsey had all 11 points that Emery scored.
Emery trailed after the first period 23-11. Emery scored the first four points of the game but was then outscored 14-2 over the next three minutes. Jeffs had 7 points and Tyler Killpack and Nevin Jensen each had 2 points.
Emery was outscored 19-11 in the second period and trailed by 20 at the half. Nevin scored 4 points, Dempsey 3 points and Gatlan Huntington and Cameron Hansen each scored 2 points. Emery also lost the third period 19-11.
Emery won the final period 20-10. Dempsey added 9 more points, Jordan Gee scored 7 points, Karson Jensen hit a 3-pointer and Cameron Hansen made 1 of 2 free throws. Emery had good shots in the game but nothing seemed to want to drop.
In a game that Emery really wanted and needed, Juan Diego defeated Emery for the second time this season. In overtime, the Soaring Eagles won 61-56.
Emery fell behind in the opening period 9-2 before rallying to tie the score at 12-12. Karson Jensen hit a two-point basket to tie the score and after Juan Diego went up 14-12, Karson hit another basket to tie the score again at 14-14. Nevin Jensen hit 2 free throws to give Emery the lead at the buzzer 16-14. Nevin had 5 points, Jordan had 5 points, Karson had 4 points and Tyler Killpack had 2 points.
Jordan Gee had several steals with a good defensive effort that sparked Emery in the second quarter and Emery went to the locker room up 29-21. Cameron Hansen scored 5 points, Karson 4 more points and Nevin and Jordan each 2 more points.
Emery scored the first 5 points of the third quarter to lead 34-21. The rest of the quarter belonged to Juan Diego. Three straight steals and an offensive foul led to easy baskets by the Soaring Eagles as they took the lead at 39-35.
In the final period, Emery finally tied the game with a basket by Karson at 45-45. Cameron Hansen hit a shot to tie it at 47 each and Karson scored again to give Emery the lead at 49-47 with 1:11 left in regulation. Juan Diego took the lead at 50-49 with 31 seconds left and Cameron Hansen tied the score with 14 seconds left when he made 1 of 2 free throws.
In overtime, Nevin scored to give Emery the lead but the team then gave up 4 straight points. Cameron hit shots to tie the score at 54-54 and then at 56-56. Juan Diego then hit 1 of 2 free throws, Emery had a turnover, Juan Diego hit another basket to lead by three and Emery missed a 3-pointer with five seconds left. Juan Diego then scored to give the final score of 61-56.
Karson scored 15 points to lead the team, Cameron scored 14 points and Nevin scored 12 points. Killpack added 8 points and Gee finished the scoring for Emery with 7 points.
Emery now travels to Delta Wednesday night and to Carbon Friday night.