Wayne hasn't had much luck against Panguitch recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The two teams will face off at 6:00 p.m. without much rest, having both just played. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Wayne proved they can win big on Wednesday (they won by 35) and on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They skirted past Piute 52-49. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Badgers have posted since November 22, 2025.
Wayne's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Tristin Martinez, who almost dropped a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Blake Peterson, who shot 47% from the field on his way to 15 points.
Meanwhile, Panguitch won against Bryce Valley on Wednesday with 49 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Thursday. The Bobcats beat Valley by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 49-46. Winning may never get old, but the Bobcats sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Panguitch's win came from a few key players that Wayne will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Taycen Ramsay, who posted nine points. Blaize Anderson was another key player, putting up eight points.
Panguitch was working as a unit and finished the game with ten assists. They are 12-5 when they've passed the ball that well.
Panguitch's win bumped their record up to 14-10. As for Wayne, their victory bumped their record up to 18-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Wayne has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Panguitch struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Wayne was able to grind out a solid win over Panguitch when the teams last played back in January, winning 49-42. Will the Badgers repeat their success, or do the Bobcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
