There's no place like home for Payson, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They pulled ahead with a 47-46 photo finish over the Mountain View Bruins on Friday. Given the Lions' advantage in MaxPreps' Utah basketball rankings (they are ranked 17th, while the Bruins are ranked 66th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Payson to victory, but perhaps none more so than Zandon Theobald, who posted six points in addition to five rebounds and three steals. Theobald is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last five games he's played. Legend Reynoso was another key player, putting up seven points and seven boards.
Lions
| 12/19/23 vs Juab | 19 |
| 01/17/25 vs Mountain View | 14 |
| 01/23/24 @ Uintah | 14 |
| 02/21/24 @ Mountain Crest | 13 |
| 02/02/24 vs Timpanogos | 13 |
Payson smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in January of 2024.
When it comes to explaining why Mountain View lost, don't look at Jaxson Hockersmith. Despite the final result, he went 5 of 9 on his way to 16 points and eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Brennan Olsen, who scored ten points and three steals.
Payson's win bumped their record up to 13-3. As for Mountain View, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 7-11.
Payson has already played their next contest, a 66-60 defeat against Uintah on the 21st. As for Mountain View, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 68-57 loss against Provo on the 21st.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
