The Payson Lions pushed their score all the way to 62 on Thursday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 79-62 bruising from Riverton. While losing is never fun, Payson can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Utah basketball rankings (they are ranked 79th, while Riverton is ranked 11th).
When it comes to explaining why Payson lost, one person who can't be blamed is Kamika Wesley. Despite the final result, he scored 26 points along with six rebounds. The contest was Wesley's sixth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Legend Reynoso, who scored 16 points along with five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Payson were working as a unit and finished the game with 20 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Riverton to victory, but perhaps none more so than Vaughn Johnson, who scored 17 points. Those 17 points set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Kaden Allred, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds.
Payson's defeat dropped their record down to 2-4. As for Riverton, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 3-1.
Payson won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Green Canyon at 6:30 p.m. on December 15th. Green Canyon is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 67.2 points per game. Riverton won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Crimson Cliffs at 8:00 p.m. on December 15th. One thing working in Crimson Cliffs' favor is that they have posted big point totals every time they've taken the court this season.
