The Emery High boy’s basketball team is now 11-3 for the season and 4-0 in region 12 play after a 62-55 victory over the Delta Rabbits last Friday night in their lone basketball action of the week.
With their sixth straight win, Emery now sits atop the region as the halfway point gets here this week. Emery will travel to Manti this Wednesday night to play the Templars and that game will end the first half of region play. Emery will then host North Sanpete this Friday night as the second half begins. State playoff action is only three and a half weeks away.
This win over the Rabbits was not easy, and it really seems like they never are with this team. Emery started the game quickly and built an 11-5 first quarter lead only to watch it disappear at 11-11. Emery scored the last basket of the period to lead 13-11 at the break.
Delta took the lead as the second quarter began but Emery outdid the Rabbits in the period 16-12 to lead 29-23 at the half. Nevin Jensen, after three points in the first quarter, scored six more points in the second period to lead the team with nine first half points.
Emery continued building their lead through the third quarter with their biggest advantage being at 13 points when the score was 42-29. Balance team scoring in the period was it for Emery. TJ Furner played a key role when Emery’s starters got in foul trouble and TJ scored four points in the quarter.
Jake Fortner added his second 3-pointer of the night to help the Spartans.
Delta outscored Emery 15-8 to start the fourth quarter and narrowed their deficit to 51-48 and then to 53-51 before Emery put the game away with clutch free throw shooting at the end. Emery went seven for seven in that period from the line led by Mark Guymon hitting four in a row.
Emery shot 48 percent from the field in the game from 2-point range while only hitting four of 12 three-point shot attempts. Emery was 14-19 at the free throw line while the Rabbits were nine of 14. Delta’s post player shot all of their free throws except two in the third quarter.
Jensen led Emery with 15 points. Nevin also led the team with 10 assists. Colton Barnett scored 11 points in the game and pulled down nine rebounds. Barnett also had three blocked shots and came up with three steals. Furner also finished in double figures with 10 points and had a pair of rebounds.
Tanner Procarione scored nine points in the game while sitting with a sprained ankle part of the second half. Tanner also had seven rebounds in the game and also had three blocked shots. Jake Fortner finished with eight points in the game while coming up with a pair of assists and a couple of rebounds. Mark Guymon finished with only those four free throws for four points in the game but also had nine rebounds and three assists.
Also scoring were Derek Tuttle with four points and Ty Benson with one point.
Emery boys now 11-3 with Delta victory
"Mark Guymon puts up a shot for Emery."