Emery presses its way into 3A championship

OGDEN — The fun-and-gun Emery Spartans are one win away from the schools' first-ever girls basketball state championship.

A night after racing past Pine View in the 3A quarterfinals at the Dee Events Center, Emery overwhelmed Morgan in the first half with its pressure defense and never trailed in picking up the 67-59 victory.

The Spartans will face No. 1 Canyon View at 5 p.m. on Saturday for the 3A state championship.

If Emery's full-court press wreak's havoc with Canyon View like it did Morgan, the Spartans should be in good shape.

Just 35 seconds after the opening tip Friday, the Spartans forced Morgan into two quick turnovers as they jumped ahead 6-0.

"That's what we've been doing the last few games," said Emery coach Steve Gordon. "Our press has been real effective, it gets us a jump start, and gives them confidence right off the bat."

That press enabled Emery to put a 10-game winning streak together leading into the season-finale against rival Carbon, a game the Spartans lost by six.

"I think that got us refocused," said Gordon.

In the three tournament games since that loss, Emery beat Union by 35, Pine View by 25 and then Morgan by eight.

Not bad for a team that many people figured were no longer state title contenders after senior Natalee Hanson was lost for the season with a knee injury the night before their November season opener.

"At first everyone was down. She was our leading scorer and our best defensive player, and you lose her right before your first game and that kind of puts a damper on things," said Gordon. "But it's made all the other girls step up."

Two girls who stepped up big time on Friday were juniors Jodie Lundell and Camille Fehlberg. Lundell made 8-of-14 field goals, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range to finish with 21 points. Fehlberg finished with a game-high 22 points as she made 15-of-16 free throws, including 6-of-6 in the fourth quarter as Emery held off Morgan's late charge.

Leading 42-32 at the break, the Spartans extended it to 52-36 midway through the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Lundell. Ever so gradually, coach Kovi Christiansen's team began inching back into the game.