Basketball Recap: Dax Anderson Key Part of a Team Effort in Templars Win

It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Manti ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They came out on top against the Emery Spartans by a score of 59-50. This was a revenge game for the Templars: when they faced off against the Spartans back in December of 2024, they had to take a 61-55 loss.

Manti's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Dax Anderson, who posted 16 points along with eight rebounds and six assists. That's the most boards Anderson has posted since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Tazj Hill, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine rebounds.

Manti smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Emery only pulled down six offensive rebounds.

Defeat or not, Emery got some senior leadership from West Johansen and Scott Johansen. West went 7 for 8 en route to 15 points, while Scott scored 14 points in addition to seven boards and six assists. Those six assists set a new season-high mark for Scott. The team also got some help courtesy of Braxton Butler, who earned four points.

Manti's win bumped their record up to 5-12. As for Emery, they now have a losing record at 9-10.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Manti will head out to take on Carbon at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Manti is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 56.5 points per game this season. As for Emery, they are taking a road trip to square off against Canyon View at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Emery also hasn't been messing around on offense: they've averaged 53.2 points per game.