Megan Jensen scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the Richfield Wildcats in the 3A Championship game Saturday night at Dixie State University, helping her team to a come-from-behind win, 41-36.
Down 22-14 at halftime, Emery mounted a furious comeback in the second, capped by a Morgan Hurdsman three pointer at the 2:30 mark of the fourth quarter to give Emery its first lead since the first quarter, 35-33. Emery outscored Richfield 27-14 in the second half.
Jensen was huge in the game, scoring 26 of Emery’s 41 total points, including 12 of Emery’s 14 first half points.
Jensen scored all of Emery’s seven first quarter points in a relatively slow paced period. Richfield took the lead after one quarter of play, 8-7.
The Wildcats then scored the first five points of the second quarter to help themselves to the 13-7 lead. Jensen responded with a three to cut the lead in half. Richfield then nailed a three at the 1:59 mark to increase its lead to eight, 20-12. The Wildcats took a 10-point lead just 50 seconds later before Lainee Jensen nailed two free throws to end the half for Emery, down 22-14.
Emery made its move in the second half, chipping away at the Richfield lead until it was just five, 30-25, by the end of the third period.
The Lady Spartans really buckled down defensively in the fourth quarter, allowing just three points until the Wildcats hit a desperation three pointer at the buzzer to end the game 41-36.
Kacelyn tied the game up at 30 on two made free throws midway through the fourth. Richfield’s Emma Jones responded with a three to retake the lead. Megan Jensen answered with another bucket to cut the lead back to one. Hurdsman then nailed a corner three with 2:30 remaining in the game to give Emery the 35-33 lead, a lead the Lady Spartans would never relinquish. Megan Jensen connected on another field goal at the 1:23 mark, increasing the lead to four. Kinlee Toomer then went 3-4 in the final 20 seconds to seal the championship for the Lady Spartans.
Besides Megan Jensen’s 25 points, Kacelyn Toomer and Lainee Jensen each added four points apiece. Kinlee added three more, as did Hurdsman, while Bailey Huggard finished with two.
It was Emery’s first championship since 2011 when Steven Gordon, now Emery High School’s principal, guided the Lady Spartans to the title.
Emery finishes the season with 25 wins and one loss, including an 11-1 mark in Region 15 action. The Lady Spartans finished the season on a 15-game win streak.
