KPCW, February 14, 2024--Emma Broadbent recently set a state record for rebounds and this South Summit Scholar-Athlete is soaring into the playoffs.
South Summit High School basketball star Emma Broadbent leaped into the record books with 1,000 career rebounds, landing her a No. 1 ranking in Utah and 11th nationally.
Broadbent started the season with 600 rebounds and said she thought there was no way she’d hit 1,000 as a junior but on Feb. 8 she made it happen…and a whole lot more.
“In Utah for rankings I am ranked first in rebounds per game, blocks per game and double doubles," she said. "In Utah Division 3A I'm ranked first in points per game, rebounds per game, field goals made, free throws made, blocks per game and double doubles.”
And that’s not the only milestone the 6-foot forward-center achieved this season.
“So this year, I hit my thousandth career Varsity point as well," she said. "We had the stands going crazy and my whole family was there because it’s a pretty big accomplishment. We had a countdown in the student section where every time I would score, they'd rip off numbers counting out to my 1,000. And so it was kind of stressful having pressure on me to get my thousandth point that game because I needed 15 points, but it was awesome.”
Broadbent is a triple threat playing basketball, volleyball and softball while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Her coach Matt Mapstone said Broadbent is calm under pressure and has an incredible basketball IQ. “Her footwork, strength and post-up ability make her almost unguardable.”
The team enters the playoffs with a 14-9 record this weekend. Of course, this rebounding machine wants her teammates to score but she jokingly confessed she sometimes isn’t sad when they miss.
“Especially during the last game where I was just so close to getting my thousandth rebound," she said. "I was hoping that they would miss so I could get more rebounds. Or I’m just hoping that the ball comes in my vicinity, so I can fight for it.”
Broadbent has two older brothers and attributes some of her success to them. “I mean, throughout my life, I've had to fight for a lot of things like fighting my brothers to get to the fridge or to get to the front seat of the car first, or even when I was little playing basketball with them in the backyard definitely helped.
From sibling rivalry to the record books, Broadbent hopes to soar in the playoffs and beyond.