Uintah hasn't had much luck against Payson recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Uintah Utes will venture away from home to take on the Payson Lions at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Uintah took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 65-63 win over Timpanogos. The victory almost wasn't to be: the Utes were down 34-19 in the second quarter.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Uintah to victory, but perhaps none more so than Dauson Gardiner, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 19 points in addition to seven boards and five assists. Gideon Owen was another key player, putting up 14 points along with five rebounds and four blocks.
Meanwhile, Payson entered their tilt with Mountain View on Tuesday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They blew past the Bruins 63-43. The score was all tied up 23-23 at the break, but the Lions were the better team in the second half.
Uintah better keep an eye on Legend Reynoso. He was instrumental in Payson's win, going 6 for 9 en route to 17 points and six boards. What's more, Reynoso also racked up two blocks, the most he's had since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Waylon Francom, who posted eight points and seven rebounds.
Gardiner wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Payson was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mountain View only racked up ten assists.
Payson's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 16-5. As for Uintah, their record now sits at 14-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Uintah has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 30.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Payson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.1 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Uintah didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Payson in their previous meeting back in January, but they still walked away with a 66-60 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Reynoso, who went 9 of 14 on his way to 21 points and five rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Uintah still be able to contain Reynoso? There's only one way to find out.
