Emery Spartans win consolation title

By Gary Arrington
Sports Writer

Layton Christian Academy won the 2017 2-A Utah State basketball championship this past weekend in Richfield with the defeat of Waterford Academy on Saturday night. Our Emery Spartans had gone to the Sevier Valley Center hoping for a shot at that title after having gone through the season with a 19-2 record. Unfortunately, Emery lost a nail-biter to the North Summit Braves on Thursday by the score of 56-51 and got sent to the consolation bracket.
In the game, Koby Butler scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as he kept the Spartans in the game the entire way. Emery led 9-7 after the first quarter and North Summit led 19-18 at the half. Bowdie Jacobsen scored 7 points in the third quarter as both teams scored 13 points and North Summit led still by one point. Koby scored 9 points in the fourth quarter but the Braves won the period 24-10 and the game. Emery could not stop the give-and-go in that final period.
Jacobsen also had 5 rebounds in the game along with 4 assists and 2 steals. Kyson Stilson scored 9 points, Zac Jorgensen scored 5 points, Kolton Butler scored 3 points and Easton Gordon scored a single point.
Kolton was playing with a brace on his right hand that has a broken bone in it from last week’s game.
Emery came back and faced South Summit on Friday and defeated the Wildcats 65-63 as Emery won the final quarter 23-19 to win the game. Koby Butler scored 26 points in this game and grabbed 13 rebounds and also had 2 steals. Kyson Stilson scored 19 points followed by Jacobsen with 10 points. Gordon scored 6 points and Kolton and Brax Jensen each scored 2 points.
Emery then faced South Sevier on Saturday, a match-up that many thought would be in the championship game, not the game for fifth place. Emery led the Rams 10-9 after the first quarter and 27-17 at the half. Emery then won the third quarter 20-11 to get their biggest breathing room of the tournament. Final score was 57-39.
Koby again was the leading scorer, this time with 16 points. Koby also led with 15 rebounds and 2 steals. Jorgensen scored 11 points, Kolton scored 10 points, Easton scored 9 points, Stilson scored 6 points and Jensen scored 5 points. Jacobsen did not play after injuring his knee in the previous game.