The Emporia High School boys basketball team went up against the second-ranked team in Class 5A on Friday night, and it proved to be too much. The fourth-seeded Spartans fell to top-seeded Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 57-41, in the semifinal round of the Bluestem Classic in El Dorado.

Emporia never led in the game as the Crusaders scored the first basket of the game and started with a 7-1 run. The Spartans were able to cut it to one after a 3-point basket from River Peters and a pair of free throws from Cooper Rech, but Kapaun scored the next five points to make it 12-6.

The game of runs continued as Kapaun ripped off a 10-0 run that lasted from the end of the first quarter into the second. Emporia got two back on a bucket from Sheldon Stewart, but Kapaun answered right back to make it 25-12.

The Spartans then scored eight straight on a pair of Peters 3-pointers and a Stewart layup to cut the deficit to 25-20, but that would be as close as Emporia would come for the rest of the game.

Kapaun led 33-26 at the half, then outscored the Spartans 12-7 in the third quarter and 12-8 in the fourth. Peters led Emporia with 12 points. He was joined in double-figures by Stewart and Rech, who added 11 points each.

The Spartans (6-3) will take on Manhattan CHIEF in the third-place match Saturday at 2:30 p.m.