Basketball Game Preview: Payson Longhorns vs. Holbrook Roadrunners

Payson hasn't had much luck against Holbrook recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Payson Longhorns will challenge the Holbrook Roadrunners at 7:00 p.m.

Payson is headed into Friday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Tuesday. They took a blow against Gilbert Christian, falling 86-46. While losing is never fun, the Longhorns can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 216th, while the Knights are ranked 53rd).

Bryson Waterman-Echols

Field Goal Percentage (Career)

02/04/25 vs Gilbert Christian	67%
01/18/25 @ Gilbert Christian	60%
12/10/24 vs ALA - Ironwood	50%
12/03/24 vs Thatcher	50%
01/25/25 @ ALA - Ironwood	44%

Payson's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Omar Fierro-Nava, who posted 13 points and six rebounds, and Bryson Waterman-Echols, who put up ten points and six boards. The dominant performance also gave Waterman-Echols a new career-high in field goal percentage (67%). Landon Hansen was another key player, putting up six points.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Holbrook, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They came out on top against Show Low by a score of 51-39 on Wednesday.

Payson better keep an eye on Tyler Tapaha. He was instrumental in Holbrook's win, dropping a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Jaron Becenti, who went 5 of 12 to rack up 14 points.

Holbrook smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Holbrook has been performing well recently as they've won 15 of their last 18 games, which provided a nice bump to their 20-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.8 points over those games. As for Payson, their loss dropped their record down to 9-17.

Payson came up short against Holbrook in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, falling 54-45. Can Payson avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.