Lady Spartans pick up win in first round of state tourney

Last Friday and Saturday, 16 3-A girls’ basketball teams and 16 boys’ basketball teams went to Wasatch High School in Heber City to play in the first round of the 3-A playoffs with just a single goal in mind, win. Teams that won continue play this week in St George at the Dixie State basketball facility on Thursday and teams that lost look forward to next year. Both of the Emery High teams went but only the girls will make the trip to St George to continue the quest for a state championship. The Lady Spartans defeated Providence Hall Friday night by the score of 86-24 and then the Emery boys lost a tough one to South Summit by the score of 80-74.
The Emery girls ran rampant throughout the first quarter with Megan Jensen scoring at will as she scored six times and had 12 points as the Spartans ran to a 23-2 first quarter lead. Providence Hall had no answer for anything the Spartans did. Also scoring in the first quarter were Kacelyn and Kinlee Toomer with 4 points each and Lainee Jensen with three. Emery won the second quarter 22-10 with Kacelyn and Kinlee each scoring six points, Bailey Huggard scored 4 points and Lainee and Megan scored 2 each along with Morgan Hursdman.
The third quarter went Emery’s way by the score of 25-10 as Lainee went off for 13 points and Megan scored another seven including a three-pointer. Kacelyn hit a three and Kinlee had a regular basket. The fourth quarter was all subs and Morgan led the way with 6 points Bethany Justice scored 4 in the final period and Hailey Jo Allred, Tayden Nielson and Kiri Cook each scored 2 points each as Emery won the period 16-2. All 15 players that made the trip saw action in the game.
Looking at the final stats of the game Megan finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocked shots and 2 steals. Bailey finished with 4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.  Lainee finished with 18 points and an assist, Kacelyn had 13 points, 3 assists and 3 steals and Kinlee had 12 points, 5 steals and 2 assists.
The Lady Spartans will play this Thursday afternoon at 4:10 p.m. against the Carbon High Lady Dinos. Carbon defeated Summit Academy by the score of 52-36 in their first round game.