Lady Spartans lose to the Carbon Dinos

By GARY ARRINGTON Sports writer

With three returning starters in the lineup, the Emery High Lady Spartans were preseason favorites by both Salt Lake newspapers to continue having success on the court as the 2010-11 season began. After the opening game was snowed out the week before, the Emery High team opened the season with another preseason favorite, the Carbon High Lady Dinos. With the Dinos returning almost their entire team and after having a good postseason last year, Carbon was also predicted to do well. Unfortunately for Emery, on this night the Dinos dominated the Spartans like no other team has done in last few years. Carbon won 66-47.
After the game, Coach Steven Gordon had this to say, “That is the worst beating that I have had since I have been the coach here.”
Emery trailed 15-9 after the first quarter and 29-21 at the half as the Spartans had more turnovers than baskets in that half. They finished the game with 25 turnovers, as they never gained control of their offensive game plan.
After scoring the first seven points of the second half to narrow the deficit to 29-28, the Dinos regained their composure and Emery maybe lost theirs and the score went quickly to 38-28 over the next two and a half minutes. The Dinos continued the onslaught as they scored 10 of the next 11 points to go to 48-29 and finished the third quarter leading 50-31. Emery never got any closer.
Tia Pappas was the leading scorer on the floor with 27 points for the Dinos and Miranda Averett added 18 points for Carbon. Jessica Murray led Emery with 14 points and Brooke Jensen added 10 points.
Coach Gordon talked to his players after the game, “We got out hustled, we got out rebounded and we got outplayed. They just flat out beat us. I hope this is a wake-up call to you that we have got to work hard to have success. Our guards have got to take better care of the ball.”
Coach Gordon continued, “We have the best big people in 3-A ball and we have to get the ball to them, we didn’t tonight.” Taylor Mann and Brooke Jensen finished the game with nine and 10 points each. Emery was also just four for 19 from behind the 3-point line.
Emery then played Cedar High on Friday night and lost a close game in the final quarter. The final score was 60-53. Cedar led 13-11 after the first quarter and Emery led 25-24 at the half. The score was tied at 42-42 at the end of the third quarter before Cedar pulled ahead to win.
In this game the Spartans did get the ball into the middle as Mann scored 20 points and Jensen added 18 points. Unfortunately the rest of the team only added 15 points and the Lady Spartans had their second loss of the season. Blayr Jeffs and Jessica Murray each scored sixpoints and Tayler Jewkes scored three points.
Emery will now travel to Stansbury High this Tuesday and to Dixie this Thursday night and to Canyon View High on Friday night looking for their first win of the year.