Salem Hills was the 79-64 winner over Payson when they last played one another back in December of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. The Salem Hills Skyhawks fell to the Payson Lions 70-64. While losing is never fun, the Skyhawks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Utah basketball rankings (they are ranked 64th, while the Lions are ranked ninth).
When it comes to explaining why Salem Hills lost on Friday, don't look at Kade Moser. Despite the final result, he went 8 of 11 en route to 18 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Grant Hardy, who went 5 of 10 on his way to 15 points.
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Even though they lost, Salem Hills smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 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.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Payson to victory, but perhaps none more so than Kade Jenson, who went 6 of 12 on his way to 18 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Those 18 points gave Jenson a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Micah Swasey, who went 6 of 11 on his way to 13 points and five rebounds.
Salem Hills' defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 3-5. As for Payson, the win keeps them at an undefeated 7-0.
Salem Hills will take on Mountain Ridge in a holiday battle at at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Mountain Ridge knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past three matches -- so hopefully Salem Hills likes a good challenge. Payson and El Rancho will compete for holiday cheer at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
