Provo is on a eight-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Payson is on a 11-game streak of away wins (also dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Provo Bulldogs will welcome the Payson Lions at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Provo is headed into the matchup after thoroughly thrashing Timpanogos: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Provo blew Timpanogos out of the water with a 58-30 final score. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' Utah basketball rankings (they are ranked 24th, while the Timberwolves are ranked 85th), the result on Tuesday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Sutton Villa
| 01/07/25 vs Timpanogos | 3 |
| 12/27/24 vs Tooele | 3 |
| 12/19/24 vs Lehi | 4 |
| 12/17/24 @ Ogden | 6 |
| 12/14/24 @ Las Vegas | 4 |
Provo found their leader in freshman Sutton Villa, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 13 boards. Villa is also crushing it when it comes to blocks: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Sage Yenchik, who posted 11 points and five steals.
Provo smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 14 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Payson duked it out withOrem on Tuesday. Payson claimed a resounding 66-24 victory over Orem.
Provo better keep an eye on Emmy Hales. She was instrumental in Payson's win, dropping a double-double on 19 points and ten boards. Quincey Mathews was another key player, dropping a double-double on 15 points and ten boards.
Provo's win bumped their record up to 13-1. As for Payson, their victory bumped their record up to 11-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Provo has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Payson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Provo came up short against Payson in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, falling 59-50. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Mathews, who went 7 of 17 on her way to 24 points. Now that Provo knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
