Basketball Game Preview: Payson Lions vs. Orem Tigers

Payson has gone 8-2 against Orem recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Payson Lions duke it out with the Orem Tigers at 7:00 p.m. Payson will be looking to extend their current ten-game winning streak.

Last Tuesday, Payson was fully in charge, breezing past Uintah 55-23. The Lions have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matchups by 26 points or more this season.

Emmy Hales was her usual excellent self, going 7 of 9 from beyond the arc en route to 31 points along with seven rebounds and three steals. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 15.5 points per game. Quincey Mathews was another key player, going 6 for 13 on her way to 14 points in addition to five boards and three blocks.

Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Orem ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged Timpanogos out 48-45. The victory almost wasn't to be: the Tigers were down 26-8 in the second quarter.

Payson's win was their 14th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-1. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.9 points per game. As for Orem, the victory snapped their losing streak at four games and leaves them with a 4-14 record.

Everything came up roses for Payson against Orem when the teams last played on January 7th, as the team secured a 66-24 win. Will Payson repeat their success, or does Orem have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.