Basketball Recap: Nyanna Payton Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Champaign Central

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Previous Games

02/08/25 - Away	53-38 W
12/04/23 - Home	33-49 L
12/03/22 - Away	24-58 L
01/27/22 - Home	14-57 L
02/23/21 - Away	30-71 L
+ 5 more games

After losing to Champaign Central the last time they met, Manual decided to demonstrate that turnabout is fair play. The Manual Rams enjoyed a cozy 53-38 victory over the Champaign Central Maroons on Saturday. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 142nd, while the Maroons are ranked 331st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Manual to victory, but perhaps none more so than Nyanna Payton, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 16 rebounds. That makes it three consecutive games in which Payton has scored at least a third of Manual's points. Breyasia Grayson was another key player, putting up 13 points and eight boards.

Manual smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in six consecutive contests.

Champaign Central's defeat came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Khalia Williams, who went 5 for 10 on her way to 13 points. That's the most points Williams has posted since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Alex Parastaran, who scored 11 points and six rebounds.

Manual's record is now 19-11. As for Champaign Central, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 9-14.

Manual does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Champaign Central, they will face off against Centennial at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.