After opening the new season with a pair of losses the previous week, the Emery High Lady Spartans went on the road last week for three games and ended up the victor in a pair of them as this team still struggles to find their identity. Emery first traveled to the Tooele valley and played 4-A Stansbury where they got their first win of the season 69-47. Emery then defeated 4-A Dixie on Thursday night 49-31 and then ended the week with a loss at Canyon View 62-53.
With three starters returning to this year’s team including star center Taylor Mann, Emery has a nucleus to build around as they try to keep a streak of being a dominant team in 3-A ball alive. Mann, at 6’1 and long arms and also a very nice touch when shooting the ball, is maybe one of the best in the state at the center position.
Jessica Murray is a good defender and shoots the long ball well and Tayler Jewkes handles the ball well and is a good shooter as these two add return to the starting line-up this season.
Brooke Jensen, also more than 6′ tall, saw action last season off the bench and is being counted on to give Emery a good inside game along with Mann. Blayr Jeffs is a sophomore perimeter player that is being counted on to step in and give Emery many minutes this season. Jeffs is a good shooter and ball handler. Whitney Roper is the first player off the bench and the junior is adapting well in her role.
At Stansbury, Emery had a big first half in cruising to an easy win. Emery won the first period 16-10 and the second period 23-12 to lead 39-22 at the half. Mann contributed 21 of those points as she nearly outscored the whole Stansbury team. Mann finished with 32 points in the game.
Jensen scored nine points in the first half and 21 points for the game as she gave Emery a good one-two scoring punch in the game. The Spartan team did a good job of getting the ball inside. Roper finished with six points, Jeffs with five points, Murray with three points and Jewkes with two points. Roper’s and Murray’s points were on 3-point shots.
At Dixie, Mann continued dominating the middle as she finished the game with 25 points. Mann scored 15 points in the first half but Emery trailed 19-18 at the half. Emery dominated the third quarter 20-5 to break open the close game. Mann scored eight points, Murray scored five points, Jeffs scored four points and Jewkes scored a 3-pointer. The team played good defense is shutting down the Flyer team. Murray ended the game with 11 points, Jensen with four points and Jeridi Price scored two points besides Jewkes and Jeffs points of that third quarter.
At Canyon View, Emery opened strong in taking a 15-7 first quarter lead but struggled in the second period and ended the half tied 22-22. Both team then scored 21 points each in the third quarter, as defense evidently was neither teams concern. Canyon View then grabbed the hard fought win with a good final period as they won the quarter 19-10.
Mann continued being a scoring machine as she scored 10 points in the first quarter, all seven points of the second quarter and nine points in the third quarter. Mann only scored two points in the last period as she fouled out of the game and Canyon View took advantage. She finished the game with 28 points.
Jeffs hit three 3-point shots in the game and finished with nine points. Jewkes hit a pair of three’s to finish with six points. Jensen had four points and Murray and Roper each hit a 3-pointer to finish with three points in the game.
Emery will host North Sevier Tuesday night and ALA on Thursday night as the preseason will continue and the Spartans are looking to solidify their team.
Emery basketball teams take road trip south
"Nick Stoddard goes for a rebound against Carbon."