The Carbon Dinos hosted the Emery Spartans on Tuesday night for their second matchup of the year. In their first meeting, the Dinos came away with the victory, 68-63.
Both teams were playing well and kept a tight battle going with the score 14-13 to end the first quarter. Carbon started the second quarter with a nice run. Madison Orth started with a nice offensive board leading to a basket. Orth then made a circus shot on the next possession with an underhand scoop that had a generous bounce off the rim for a score.
The Dinos would get a couple free throws as Orth again hit a clutch shot, this time from the three-point line, giving Carbon a 9-0 run. With the score at 14-22, after a timeout by Emery, Aliya Lester answered back with a three for the Spartans. Kenadie Maughan had good awareness, getting an offensive rebound, being awarded the layup.
Lester would then take and make a deep three pointer, bringing the score to 22-23. On the next possession, Carbon’s Bailey Johnson would get her second three pointer of the night. Maughan again would get the layup on the other end for the Spartans. After a stop on the other end, Karleigh Stilson hit a big three, giving Emery back the lead, 27-26.
With a little over two minutes remaining in the half, Lester again made another three for the Emery squad. The Spartans then would get an fastbreak basket after a Carbon miss because of some great hustle by Katelyn Nielson.
Jacie Jensen then found Bailey Curtis with a beautiful bounce pass for a bucket. On the other end, Stilson found Maughan under the basket as she did a nice move in the post, scoring two. Which would bring the score at the half, 34-29, in favor of the Lady Spartans.
Emery’s lead would go to 10 with a little over three minutes remaining in the third. Orth had a nice steal, then found Jensen on the other end for a nice assisted layup. After a miss by Carbon, Stilson threw a hail mary pass to Nielson for two fastbreak points. Jensen had the opportunity for the last second basket, she made an impressive layup ending the third quarter with a score of 54-42.
Amiah Timothy was quick to start the quarter off with a nice three-pointer for the Dinos. After a couple more possessions, Kylan Sorenson had herself a score from three-point land, making the deficit down to six points. Stilson would than get a nice feed from Libby Faimalo, earning a three-pointer for the Spartans.
Sorenson answered back with her second three of the game, making the score 57-52, with four and a half minutes left in the game. Jensen had great self-awareness finding a loose ball down low, scoring the layup and completing the and one opportunity at the foul line. The lead was down to only two points for the Spartans with three minutes left.
Maughan had another solid post move, getting another basket down low. After two made free throws from Orth, Timothy had a great shot from the wing, giving the Dinos back the lead with two and a half minutes to go. After a Carbon timeout, Lester once again would find a basket from three-point land, giving the Spartans back the lead, 62-61.
Stilson would get another foul opportunity, where she made the first shot at the foul line. Her second attempt would miss, causing a scramble for the ball by both teams and running out the last six second of the game. Emery would get the revenge win on the road with a score of 63-61.
Orth would end the night with 18 points for Carbon. She added on seven rebounds, three assists, four steals and two blocks for a great all-around game. Timothy scored 14 points, six rebounds, eight assists, a steal and a block.
Jensen had a scrappy game with 10 points, five assists, three steals and a block. Curtis had seven points and six boards for the Dinos. Johnson added on six points, two assists and a steal. Sorenson was aggressive on the defensive end, getting four blocks, six rebounds, six points and a steal.
For the Lady Spartans, Lester had a sensational shooting night. She led the game with 18 points, going six for nine from the three-point line. Maughan ended her night with a double-double for Emery. Maughan had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Nielson had 14 points for the night, shooting well from the free throw line, adding on five rebounds and three assists. Stilson also had 14 points, with seven assists and three big steals for the guard. Jensen had four boards, three assists and a steal for the Emery win.
Carbon goes to 11-2 in region play, and Emery is at 8-5. With one more game for both teams before the state tournament begins. Carbon will face Canyon View on Thursday, and Emery will play the North Sanpete team on the same night. Brackets will be released on Saturday by the UHSAA for the seeding in the tournament.