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Emery defeated a tough Manti team in their play-in game in Orem by a score of 64-59 to advance to the 2A State Playoffs held at SUU in Cedar City, Utah.
Emery’s first matchup was the Waterford Ravens who were fourth in Region 14 and had upset Enterprise in the play-in game for their chance at the state playoffs. In the quarter-final matchup Emery’s defense very much pulled them through and they held the Ravens to only 33 points on their way to the 18 point win 51-33. Both teams started out hot in the first quarter and Waterford came out with a couple threes and three point play to lead by seven early but couldn’t sustain it with Emery finishing out the quarter on a 16 to 6 run. Emery played really well defensively the rest of the game, especially in the second where they only allowed Waterford to score three points the entire quarter. The stellar D even caused Waterford to have a nine minute scoring drought through the end of the second and the beginning of the third. The Spartans then just cruised through the rest of the game to secure the victory. Bay Faimalo played well scoring 13 points, dishing out four assists, and forcing five steals. Corbin Barnett also stepped up due to Dawson Jensen getting into foul trouble and contributed eight points, eight boards and two blocks.
After the win against Waterford Emery was matched up with a tough Gunnison Bulldog team that had beaten Richfield and South Summit to advance to the semi-finals. Emery hadn’t played Gunnison during the regular season or the pre-season but watched them beat South Summit in a close game. Emery played extremely tough in the most exciting game of the tournament but lost 46-49 on a heart breaking  game winner three at the buzzer by Gunnison’s point guard Colby Caldwell. The game was tight through all three quarters and the Spartans matched a couple threes from the corner by Gunnison and Dillon Wilstead tied the game up with less than a minute left but the Bulldogs got up that last shot from six feet behind the regular three point line and Emery could only watch as it ripped through the net. Bay Faimalo once again played well with 10 points, eight assists, and eight rebound and Dillon Wilstead was able to score for the Spartans with 15 points in the loss.
The lost sent the Spartans to the consolation game for third place against South Sevier who lost to Wasatch Academy. Emery played South Sevier tough, and came closer to beating them than any other team except Wasatch Academy but lost in a tight game 62-68. South Sevier jumped out to the early lead in the first 16-8 and led at halftime by 12 but a monstrous third quarter led by Emery’s three point shooters tied the game up and at the end of three the Spartans were down by two. The score would be tied with a little more than a minute left but South Sevier led by Austin Clark finished strong and Emery wasn’t able to recover. Race Parsons dropped 36 points and grabbed 11 boards in his last high school game. Emery’s seniors finished out strong, Dawson Jensen had 15 points, Brendon Jorgenson had 11 on 3 three point shots, David Dyer had six, Curtis Mason scored three, Spencer Labrum scored two, Logan Tuttle got to play and Corbin Barnett scored two. The Spartans exceeded expectations and came one buzzer beater three from playing in the 2A Championship Game. Emery finished off a successful year and will be a force next year despite losing six seniors. As the season ends it is exciting to look at the future and what next year can hold.
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