Preview: Emery Spartans vs. Manti Templars
Emery is 10-0 against Manti since January of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Emery Spartans will be playing in front of their home fans against the Manti Templars at 7:00 p.m. Emery knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past four matches -- so hopefully Manti likes a good challenge.
Emery can now show off nine landslide victories after their most recent game on Thursday. They put the hurt on North Sanpete with a sharp 57-33 victory. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as Emery just coasted through the last quarter.
Emery got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Kenadie Maughan out in front who scored 15 points along with three blocks. Maughan hasn't dropped below 15 points for four straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Kali Jensen, who scored eight points along with six rebounds and six steals.
Meanwhile, Manti ended up a good deal behind Juab on Thursday and lost 52-38. Manti has not had much luck with Juab recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
Despite the loss, Manti got a solid performance out of June Olsen, who scored 24 points along with seven rebounds and three steals. Olsen hasn't dropped below 15 points for 12 straight games.
Emery has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 14-8 record this season. As for Manti, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-15 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Emery have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Manti struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Emery took their win against Manti in their previous matchup two weeks ago by a conclusive 64-42. Will Emery repeat their success, or does Manti have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
