Basketball Game Preview: Payson Longhorns vs. Walden Grove Red Wolves

The Payson Longhorns will be taking part in a tournament against the Walden Grove Red Wolves at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Two weeks ago, Payson came up short against Florence and fell 62-55. While losing is never fun, the Longhorns can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 181st, while the Gophers are ranked 38th).

Aldan Parsons put forth a good effort for the losing side as he went 8 for 12 on his way to 22 points. Those 22 points gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Dane White, who posted six points and 11 rebounds.

Even though they lost, Payson smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in five consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Walden Grove against NFL Yet Academy on Saturday as the squad secured an 88-49 victory. The Red Wolves have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four games by 20 points or more this season.

Walden Grove's win came from a few key players Payson will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Mitchel Collins, who earned 18 points. Another player making a difference was Imileo Martinez, who had 17 points.

The win made it two in a row for Walden Grove and bumps their season record up to 8-4. As for Payson, they now have a losing record at 4-5.

Payson couldn't quite finish off Walden Grove in their previous matchup back in January of 2015 and fell 53-51. Thankfully for Payson, Conner Verdugo (who dropped a triple-double on 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.