The Payson Lions will square off against the Desert Hills Thunder at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The timing is sure in Payson's favor as the squad sits on four straight wins at home while Desert Hills has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.
Payson proved they can win big last Tuesday (they won by 20) and on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Uintah 64-61. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Lions have posted since December 8, 2023.
Kade Jenson
| 02/07/25 vs Uintah | 8 |
| 01/28/25 vs Provo | 7 |
| 12/20/24 vs Smoky Hill | 6 |
| 11/19/24 vs Box Elder | 6 |
| 12/21/24 vs Capital | 5 |
Kade Jenson had a dynamite game for Payson, going 7-for-16 en route to 17 points in addition to eight rebounds and seven assists. The dominant performance gave Jenson a new career-high in boards. Another player making a difference was Joesph Wolfe, who posted 12 points.
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Desert Hills had no problem doing just that on Wednesday. They blew past the Bruins 70-45. The Thunder's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Payson better keep an eye on Mason Rasmussen. He was instrumental in Desert Hills' win, shooting 6-for-11 from deep and almost dropping a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds. They are 4-1 when Rasmussen posts 15 or more points, but 8-11 otherwise. Jack Openshaw was another key player, going 6-for-10 on his way to 12 points and six boards.
Jenson wasn't the only one working in the assist department: Desert Hills was working as a unit and finished the game with 18 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Payson's win bumped their record up to 17-5. As for Desert Hills, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 12-12.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Payson has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 27.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Desert Hills struggles in that department as they've been averaging 24.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Payson beat Desert Hills 51-40 when the teams last played back in December of 2021. Will Payson repeat their success, or does Desert Hills have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
