Basketball Game Preview: Bourgade Catholic Golden Eagles vs. Payson Longhorns

Bourgade Catholic is 0-4 against Payson since December of 2017 but things could change on Thursday. The Bourgade Catholic Golden Eagles just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the Payson Longhorns at 7:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.

On Wednesday, Bourgade Catholic had to suffer through a 75-41 loss at the hands of Gilbert Christian. While losing is never fun, the Golden Eagles can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 266th, while the Knights are ranked 85th).

Meanwhile, Payson ended up a good deal behind San Tan Foothills on Tuesday and lost 61-44. That's two games in a row now that the Longhorns have lost by exactly 17 points.

Payson has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-7 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.3 points per game. As for Bourgade Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to 4-12.

Bourgade Catholic might still be hurting after the 66-44 defeat they got from Payson in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. Can Bourgade Catholic avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.