Basketball Recap: Payne Tech Takes a Loss

Payne Tech was the 55-51 winner over West Essex when they last played one another back in December of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Payne Tech Lions lost 54-32 to the West Essex Knights on Thursday. The game marked the Lions' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

Payne Tech has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-4 record this season. As for West Essex, they now also have a winning record of 5-4.

Payne Tech and West Essex should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps New Jersey Rankings. Payne Tech (ranked 97th) will meet Linden (ranked 275th) at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. Meanwhile, West Essex will square off against Ridge at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday up 222 places (120 vs. 342).