#2 Richfield was in town on Friday night for a rematch with the #3 Spartans. Jordan Ekker started off things with a bang, hitting a three pointer on the first possession. The teams exchanged body blows in the first quarter and ended with an 11-11 tie.
The Wildcats dictated the first half with their swarming defense. They picked their shots and favored the slow pace. Emery was held to just six points in the second quarter, but Richfield only managed eight. The Wildcats led 19-17 at halftime.
Both teams turned up the heat in the second half. After scoring only 17 points in the first half, Emery put up 19 points in the third quarter. Ekker kicked off the half with another three. Brax Jensen pushed the ball and attacked the Wildcats before they could get set defensively. Hayden Harwood caught fire for Richfield and hit four threes in the quarter. Down by three with under two seconds left, Jensen in-bounded the ball to Wilstead, who went up for a shot, was fouled and made the basket. He sunk the ensuing free throw to tie the game at 36.
Ekker started another quarter off with a three for the Spartans, but Richfield was not to be intimidated. The Wildcats took a five-point lead with minutes left, and Emery started chipping away. Down by three, Emery found Justin Rasmussen in the corner, who hit the game-tying shot.
Richfield took a 53-51 lead with under 50 seconds left. Brax Jensen attacked the defense, drove down the lane and was fouled. The shot attempt was good as was the free throw to put the Spartans up by one. During the next Wildcat possession, Morgan Albrecht drove on the baseline while Rasmussen came over to help. Wilstead completed the trap and stole the pass attempt to give Emery the ball back. Jensen was fouled, but he missed both free throws, giving the Wildcats a chance to win. Richfield moved the ball around to Albrecht, who had an open look from about 10 feet away. The shot came up short as the horn sounded. The Spartans played their hearts out in the hard fought victory and took the nail-biter 54-53.
Jensen led the way with 21 points and nine assists. Ekker finished with 16 points, Rasmussen with nine and Wilstead with eight. Each player affected key moments of the contest that swung the momentum to the Spartans. The Spartans shot 53 percent from the field and 46 percent from beyond the arc.
With the win, Emery and Richfield are tied on top of the Region 12 standings at 5-1 with just two weeks left to play. Emery has a tough road test ahead. The Spartans (13-3, 5-1) will head to Blanding on Tuesday to face the Broncos (12-4, 3-2).
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- Photos by Dusty Butler
