Emery/Carbon basketball; boys win girls lose

By GARY ARRINGTON Sports Writer

Christmas Week is always exciting simply because it is Christmas but this year it was also Emery versus Carbon week in high school basketball. The week started with the Emery boys making the long trip to Price to play the Dinos on Monday and then the trip was reversed the following night as the Lady Dinos made the trip to Castle Dale. The hosts each night were very hospitable as both visiting teams returned home with a win. The Spartan boys won 57-54 and the Lady Dinos won 45-38.
On Monday night the two teams played a game that went back and forth throughout the entire game as neither team could gain much advantage on their opponent. Carbon led 10-5 after the first quarter and then led 25-24 at the half. Both teams scored 16 points in the third quarter to maintain the one-point Carbon lead and finally in the closing minutes of the final period, Emery got ahead and kept the lead to secure the win.
The game was both a good game and a not-so-good game. Both teams played hard and the score was always close and that was good. But the Spartans committed 11 turnovers in the game and then even worse than that, the boys’ only shot 28 percent from the field and 53 percent at the free throw line. Neither stat will win you games consistently. For the season the Spartan team is shooting 39 percent from the field and 60 percent at the line and that helps to explain their 8-1 season record.
Bowdie Jacobsen led the team with 17 points and Koby Butler scored 15 points as the two were solid throughout the game. Koby had 9 offensive rebounds which really helps his scoring opportunities. Also scoring for the Spartans were Beau Roundy with 8 points, Kolton Butler with 7 points, Zac Jorgensen with 5 points, Bryce Dugmore and Mitch Richarz with 2 points each and Keaton McDermott with 1 point. Koby fouled out of the game and Roundy, Dugmore and Kolton all finished the game with 4 fouls each.
The following night the Lady Spartans and the Lady Dinos were tied 11-11 at the end of the first quarter, were tied at 21-21 at the half and then both teams scored 10 points each in the fourth quarter. It was that third period that did the Lady Spartans in as they were outscored 14-7 in the period and that was the difference in the game. This was a physical game with players on both sides feeling it. The officials had to work extra hard to keep the game under control.
The Emery offense in that third quarter did not look comfortable in that period as it seemed the Lady Dino defense took them out of what they wanted to do. In the period, Emery scored the first two times they had the ball to take the lead in the game but they did not score again until the closing seconds of the period. Camrey Johnson hit a three-pointer to start the period and Jessica Olsen made the other two shots. In between Jessica’s two baskets the Spartans had three turnovers and missed seven straight shots as the Dinos took the lead that they would never relinquish.
Emery made two of six free throws in the game while the Dinos made 14 of 20. Emery had 18 turnovers while Carbon had 12.
Johnson led Emery with 11 points and Kacelyn Toomer had 8 points and Olsen had 6 points. Bayler Griffin and Megan Jensen each scored 4 points with Lainee Jensen scoring 3 points and Kinlee Toomer scoring 2 points.
The season will resume with both teams playing at home the first full week of January. The boys will host North Sanpete on the Jan. 6 and then the rematch with Carbon on Jan. 9 while the girls will travel to Beaver on Jan. 5 and then will host Duchesne on Jan. 7.