Basketball Game Preview: Payson Longhorns vs. Highland Prep West HORNETS

Having just played yesterday, the Payson Longhorns will jump right back in to play the Highland Prep West HORNETS at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Payson is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.4 points per game this season.

Payson's tournament run continued when they took on St. Augustine Catholic on Friday. Payson walked away with a 48-40 win over St. Augustine Catholic.

Payson found their leader in sophomore Bailey Cline, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 11 rebounds. Cline also set a new season-high mark in steals with three. Another player making a difference was Jaybre Bagain, who posted 11 points and five rebounds.

Payson smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive boards in five consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Highland Prep West was not able to break out of their rough patch back in December of 2024 as the team picked up their sixth straight loss. They were four points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 39-35 heartbreaker at the hands of Arete Prep. One positive for the HORNETS, at least, is that this was the most points they've scored all season.

Payson will have to contain Makayla Sison as she made an impact in Highland Prep West's last game. She put up 13 points and three steals. That was a full 37.1% of Highland Prep West's points, marking the fourth time in a row she's had more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Maya Frias, who earned 11 points and six rebounds.

Payson's victory bumped their record up to 12-3. As for Highland Prep West, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-6.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Payson has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 32.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Highland Prep West struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.