A feisty cat fight will be fought as the Panthers challenge the Lions at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Pine View is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They enjoyed a cozy 52-38 win over Crimson Cliffs.
Reese Gustin
| 02/11/25 vs Crimson Cliffs | 4 |
| 02/06/25 @ Crimson Cliffs | 4 |
| 02/04/25 @ Cedar | 2 |
| 01/30/25 vs Dixie | 2 |
| 01/28/25 vs Snow Canyon | 2 |
| 01/25/25 vs Hurricane | 3 |
Pine View's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Reese Gustin, who posted 18 points and four steals, and Ella Fiefia, who dropped a double-double with 14 points and 12 boards. Gustin has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last six times she's played. Another player making a difference was Aniva Seve, who earned seven points.
Pine View smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Payson waltzed into their contest on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They put the hurt on the Utes with a sharp 54-29 victory. The Lions have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten matches by 25 points or more this season.
Payson's win came from a few key players Pine View will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Quincey Mathews, who went 7-for-14 to rack up 16 points along with five rebounds and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Emmy Hales, who almost dropped a double-double with nine points and ten boards.
Pine View's record now sits at 13-11. As for Payson, their record is now 19-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Pine View has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 33.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Payson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Pine View didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Payson when the teams last played back in December of 2017, but they still walked away with a 45-39 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Pine View since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
