The Salida Spartans waltzed into their game on Thursday with two straight wins but they left with three. They walked away with a 60-49 win over Peyton. That result was just more of the same for these two, as Salida also won the last time the pair played back in January of 2023.
Salida's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Dylan Grant led the charge by scoring 17 points along with nine rebounds and three steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Grant has scored all season. Ryan Osness was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with three steals.
Several Panthers players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Michael Perry, who scored 16 points along with seven assists and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Ayden Breese, who scored 13 points along with nine rebounds.
Even though they lost, Peyton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Salida's win bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Peyton, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-4.
Salida won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Manitou Springs at 7:00 p.m. on January 12th. Manitou Springs will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Colorado Rankings (they are ranked 203rd, while Salida is ranked 60th). As for Peyton, they will head out on the road to take on Fowler at 8:30 p.m. on Friday.
