Wayne hasn't had much luck against Gunnison Valley recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Badgers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Wayne took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Saturday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against San Juan, sneaking past 53-50. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Badgers have posted since November 23, 2024.
Blake Peterson
| 11/22/25 vs San Juan | 18 |
| 11/19/25 @ South Sevier | 19 |
| 02/27/25 vs Wendover | 15 |
| 02/26/25 @ Tintic | 16 |
| 02/15/25 vs Bryce Valley | 22 |
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Wayne to victory, but perhaps none more so than Blake Peterson, who posted 18 points and eight boards. The game was Peterson's fifth in a row with at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Hunter Robins, who shot 43% from the field to rack up 13 points in addition to eight rebounds and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Gunnison Valley didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against North Sanpete on Tuesday, but they still walked away with a 69-64 win.
Gunnison Valley's win came from a few key players Wayne will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Daxton Knudsen, who almost dropped a double-double with 17 points and nine boards. Knudsen is crushing it when it comes to rebounds: he's pulled down at least eight every time he's taken the court this season. Bridger Hill was another key player, putting up 11 points and five boards.
Gunnison Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in December of 2024.
Gunnison Valley now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Wayne, the victory got them back to even at 1-1.
Wayne lost to Gunnison Valley at home by a decisive 68-54 margin when the teams last played back in December of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Bulldogs' Braxton Pickett, who almost dropped a double-double with 22 points and nine rebounds. Now that the Badgers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
