With just four region games to go in the 2014 season, the Emery High Spartan basketball team is firmly entrenched in second place in region 15 with a 4-2 region record after sweeping a pair of region contests last week. Emery defeated Grand High on Wednesday night by the score of 68-54 and San Juan High on Friday night by the score of 66-54.
Wasatch Academy is the region leader with a 5-0 record and definitely the best team in 2-A basketball this season (they would probably be the best team in 3-A or 4-A basketball this season also). After Emery comes Grand at 3-2, South Sevier at 3-3, San Juan at 2-4 and North Sevier at 0-6. Only the final placement of Grand and South Sevier is probably still at stake in the final season records of the teams.
This Spartan team has developed into a team of players filling their roles very well and everybody contributing to the overall picture. No matter whether it comes to scoring, rebounding or playing defense, the players on this team are each valued assets of the team and do their part in each game.
While the team is struggling mightily from behind the three point line this season and especially of late, the team has really improved their overall shooting. Last week Emery made 51 out of 91 two-point shots in the two games for a 56 percentage, one that any coach can live with. Emery has also improved at the free throw line where last week Emery made 26 out of 35 shots, about a 75 percent average.
The only concern right now is the fact that nobody on the Emery team seems to be able to make a three-point shot. Last week Emery went one for 15 and one for 17 in the two games for a total of two for 32, a six percent average. This is a fact that the players, the coaches and the fans all see and will one day correct itself. At that time the games will then turn into blowouts for this Spartan team.
Against Grand, Dillon Wilstead had the hot hand as he scored 25 points to lead the team to the double digit win. Three other Spartans also ended the night in double figures with Gavin McDermott leading the way with 15 points, Beau Roundy getting 11 points inside and Bailey Faimalo ending the night with 10 points. Drexler Tanner added 4 points and McKlane Allred scored 3 points to round out the Emery scoring.
Gavin had a great night rebounding the ball as he pulled down 18 of them in this game. Gavin is the second leading rebounder in the 2-A ranks with an average of 9.5 for the season. Drexler Tanner is seventh with a 7.6 average and Beau Roundy is 16th with a 5.1 average.
Bailey Faimalo picked up 13 assists in the game as he added to his total for the season. Bailey is first in the 2-A ranks with a 9.4 average. Faimalo also is third in the 2-A ranks in steals with a 3.8 average and had six steals in this game. Dillon Wilstead in fourth with a 2.9 average and had 3 steals in the game. Wilstead leads the team with a 16.5 scoring average and is 12th in the 2-A ranks.
In the San Juan game, McDermott had a monster first half as he scored around 20 points in helping the team build a 14 point halftime lead at 40-26. Gavin finished with 23 points in the game followed by Faimalo with 18 points and Wilstead with 11 points. Gavin had 7 rebounds, Bailey had 4 steals and 5 assists and Dillon had 4 steals and 7 assists.
Also scoring in this game were Tanner with 6 points and Roundy and Ridge Nielson with 4 points each. Tanner had 13 rebounds in the game and Roundy finished with 8 rebounds.
The team will play at North Sevier this Wednesday night and then the Spartans will come home and play South Sevier for the second time this season. They will be looking to avenge a loss earlier this season when they gave up a big lead in the closing minutes of the game to lose on the Rams home floor.
Emery Spartans defeat the Devils and Broncos
"Beau Roundy works on his dunk shot against Grand as he makes several at the hoop."