Basketball Game Preview: Payson Lions vs. Provo Bulldogs

The Payson Lions will face off against the Provo Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.

Payson is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Utah's top teams: Layton Christian Academy, who was ranked fourth at the time (Payson was ranked 13th). Payson lost 73-50 to Layton Christian Academy on Tuesday. The match marked the Lions' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Meanwhile, Provo scored the most points they've had this season on Tuesday, but it wasn't enough. They fell to Timpanogos 89-84. The Bulldogs were up 54-40 in the third quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.

Payson will have to keep a close watch on Makai Allen and Lucas Castagnetto, a pair of players who had a big impact on Provo's prior game. Allen went 12 of 22 on his way to 34 points, while Castagnetto shot 7-for-9 from downtown and almost dropped a double-double on 21 points and nine rebounds. That was a full 40.5% of Provo's points, marking the third time in a row he's posted more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Crew DeMartini, who had ten points and four steals.

Payson's defeat ended a seven-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 11-2. As for Provo, their loss dropped their record down to 9-5.

Payson came up short against Provo when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 69-60. Can Payson avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.