The third quarter has been an issue for the Emporia High boys basketball team most of the season.
However on Thursday in the Bluestem Classic against Wichita Collegiate, it was a quarter that the Spartans will remember this season. Trailing 20-13 at halftime, the Spartans used a 19-5 third quarter to help them upset Collegiate, the sixth-ranked team in Class 3A, 43-39. Emporia High battled adversity before the game knowing it would be without the services of leading scorer River Peters, who was out due to an injury. It was also the Spartans’ first game in 16 days with three games being postponed due to weather.
After having a 1-0 lead, Collegiate went right to work with an 11-2 run to lead 11-3 at the end of the first quarter. Emporia High outscored Collegiate 10-9 in the second quarter to trail by seven. Emporia High started the second half with a 12-4 run to take the lead 25-24, which eventually turned into a 32-25 lead heading to the fourth quarter. Emporia High led 39-31 before Collegiate used an 8-0 run to tie the game at 39 with under a minute to go. Sheldon Stewart went 4-for-4 at the foul line in the final 15 seconds, including two with .6 left to push the lead to four.
Stewart led Emporia High with a career-high 19 points, while Cooper Rech added a season-high 17.
Emporia High coach Lee Baldwin said it was a team effort without having Peters on the floor.
Emporia High improved to 6-2 on the season and will play in the semifinals against Kapaun Mt. Carmel at 7:45 p.m. Friday. We’ll have the game on 14 KVOE-AM/96.9 FM with the RV-Doc Pregame Show beginning at 7:30 p.m. You can also listen to the game online at KVOE.com/listen and via the Audacy App.
