The Emporia High School boys basketball team has handled a lack of depth pretty well to begin the season. Suiting up just eight players, the Spartans came away with a 50-44 victory over Hayden, ranked No. 10 in Class 3A, on Day Two of the Paul Terry Classic on Friday night.

Both teams scored 13 points over the first eight minutes and the game was close throughout. After baskets from River Peters and Calvin Seeley to begin the second quarter, Hayden answered with three points of their own to make it a one-point Spartan lead. Then Emporia got some separation with a 9-2 run to make it 26-18, with all points coming from Peters and Rylan Crowell.

Emporia took a four-point lead into the half and the Wildcats were able to make it a one-point game after three. The game would be tied at 38-38, but a basket from Sheldon Stewart gave Emporia a lead it would not relinquish as the Spartans closed the game on a 12-6 run, with eight of those points coming from the free throw line.

Head coach Lee Baldwin was proud of how his team was able to battle through the end and win a close game. “I’m really proud of our guys,” Baldwin said. “That game could have gone either way. Hayden is really good and are so much more improved than they were last year. They played really hard and for our guys to gut out a really tight game in the end, I’m really happy for them.”

Peters led Emporia with 22 points. Stewart joined him in double-figures with a career-high 17 points. Crowell also set a career-high with seven points, and Baldwin is excited to continue to watch him develop as a player. “He’s only going to get better and better,” Baldwin said. “This was his third varsity basketball game and by the end of the year, I think he’ll be averaging 8-10 points every night. He’s getting better defensively and he did a great job tonight.”

Emporia (3-0) will play Wichita Trinity on the final day of the Paul Terry Classic on Saturday. Tip off from White Auditorium is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.