Basketball Recap: Payson Takes Loss Despite Strong Performances from Ruby Bahr and Emmy Hales

Payson was the 53-42 winner over Cedar when they last played one another back in December of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Lions took a 49-38 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Reds on Friday.

Emmy Hales and Ruby Bahr certainly did their best on Friday to avoid the loss. Hales dropped a double-double with 16 points and 16 boards, while Bahr posted five points and three steals. That was a full 42.1% of Payson's points, marking the third time in a row Hales has earned more than a third of the team's points.

It was another big night for Gabby Gomez, who had 18 points for Cedar. With that strong performance, Gomez is now averaging an impressive 15.2 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaylin York, who scored nine points.

Payson has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-6 record this season. As for Cedar, their record is now 4-5.

Payson has already played their next game (against Hillcrest), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing. As for Cedar, they will be home for the holidays to greet Snow Canyon at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Warriors will roll in looking for their sixth straight victory, something the Reds surely won't give up without a fight.