Basketball Recap: Payton Heideman's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Lewiston over Palmyra

After flying high against Omaha Christian Academy last Saturday, Lewiston came back down to earth. The Lewiston Tigers took a 51-46 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Palmyra Panthers. The Tigers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Panthers apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in January of 2016.

Several Tigers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Payton Heideman, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds. Heideman is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last six games he's played. Another player making a difference was Brock Janssen, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 16 boards.

Even though they lost, Lewiston smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.

Palmyra's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Conner Petersen, who posted nine points along with eight steals and six rebounds. Those eight steals gave Petersen a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Harrison Boyte, who went 6 for 12 on his way to 20 points.

With the loss, Lewiston broke their three-game winning streak and moved their record to 5-5. As for Palmyra, they moved to 3-8 with that victory, which also ended their four-game losing streak.

Lewiston has already played their next match, a 60-40 win against Meridian on the 18th. As for Palmyra, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 53-41 defeat against Sacred Heart on the 16th.