Payson boys basketball hold off Wasatch
Both Payson head boys basketball coach Dan Lunt and Wasatch head coach Norm Hayter were quick to point out that the difference in Friday night’s non-region contest between the Wasps and the Lions in Payson came down to defensive stops.
The Lions got the ones they had to have; the Wasps didn’t.
That was what gave the home team the slight edge it needed in the fourth quarter to be able to build a slim lead and hold off Wasatch to get the 63-58 win.
“It came down to defensive stops because both teams had some pretty good offensive players,” Lunt explained. “We got some crucial stops and that was the difference in the game. Wasatch is a very good team that is deliberate and patient, and when we got those stops it made them play a little faster.”
After the first three quarters proved to be a back-and-forth battle, Payson put together a mini-surge capped by an NBA-range 3-pointer by senior BJ Ford to go up 48-41 – the biggest lead of the ball game for either team.
The Wasps responded with a pair of 18-foot jumpers by senior Alex Probst to make it a 3-point margin going into the final minutes.
But from that point on, every time Wasatch scored the Lions found a way to answer.
“Our defense broke down mentally and we gave up too many easy buckets,” Hayter said. “You’ve got to get defensive stops. It all starts with defense. We weren’t solid and consistent for 32 minutes. We also turned the ball over too many times and didn’t hit our free throws like we are used to.”
The Wasps were able to get as close as two points after senior Mike Brown nailed three foul shots after being fouled shooting beyond the arc, but Payson junior Tanner Newbold calmly nailed both ends of a one-and-one after being fouled to stretch the lead back to four.
“Wasatch was 11-1 for a reason and they have beaten some pretty good teams,” Lunt said. “But we were able to keep hitting shots when we needed to.”
The visitors made themselves comfortable in the early going, shooting their way to a 12-6 advantage. A pair of Lion 3-pointers, however, nullified that difference and set the tone for an exciting high school basketball game.
“This is what high school basketball is all about,” Lunt said. “You had two great teams with a great atmosphere and neither one was backing down.”
Payson got a big game from senior forward Braden Wright, who scored 18 points a frequently worked the high-low game with senior forward Kolten Jewett to get points for the Lions. Ford also had 18, including three bombs from beyond the arc.
Brown led all scores with 23 points in the losing effort.
Both teams now turn their attention to league play. Payson (10-1) starts Region 8 action at Maple Mountain on Jan. 14 while Wasatch (11-2) hosts ALA in Region 10 play on Jan. 11.
Tip off is scheduled at 7 p.m. for both games.
Jared Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@heraldextra.com.