Basketball Recap: Make It Five in a Row for Payson

Longhorns

Previous 5 Games

12/16/25 vs Florence	64-48
12/12/25 @ Alchesay	46-38
12/11/25 vs Ganado	63-30
12/09/25 vs ALA - Ironwood	54-36
12/04/25 vs Apache Junction	72-37

Payson extended their winning streak to five on Tuesday, bumping them up to 5-2. They took down the Florence Gophers 64-48. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

As for Florence, they moved to 5-4 with that defeat, which also ended their four-game winning streak. The matchup marked their lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Despite the loss, Florence saw an underclassman step up: sophomore JJ Gibbs went 6-for-8 from beyond the arc on his way to 25 points and eight boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Gibbs has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Jacob Cortes, who posted eight points.

Coming up, after both having extra time off, Payson and Benson will shake off the cobwebs and hit the court against one another at 11:30 a.m. on January 2, 2026. As for Florence, they will venture away from home to challenge ALA - Ironwood at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Gophers will be up against the Warriors' rather soft defense (which has allowed 54.4 points per game), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.