Second loss of the season tough pill to swallow
FINAL: Payson 23, Maple Mountain 54
The Lady Lions didn’t score a field goal until halfway through the second quarter on Tuesday night.
The Maple Mountain Eagles, on the other hand, scored more points from the free throw line in the first half than Payson scored total in the half.
Tuesday night’s game against 4A Maple Mountain exposed the 3A Payson girls basketball team’s struggles. The most glaring weaknesses in the Lady Lion’s armor — poor passing, no offensive penetration, and sloppy fouls.
The Lions had no answer for Maple Mountain’s Sadie Williams and Aleksa Gappmayer. Combining to score 23 points, Williams and Gappmayer together scored as many points as the entire Payson squad. Their aggressiveness underneath the basket forced the Lions into foul trouble which sent the tandem to the stripe for 18 free throw attempts.
Adding to the Lion’s woes was their inability to find shots close to the basket. Coach David Hiatt turned most of his bench loose during the game to try to find a combination that could score against the tough Eagle defense. Nine Payson players were able to score, but seven of them scored only two points or fewer.
It’s only two games into the season, but the Lady Lions will need to find their scorers and take better care of the ball in their upcoming games against the Provo Bulldogs and Pleasant Grove Vikings if they hope to get out of their early funk.
Hiatt has been impressed with the girls’ work ethic and fortitude. During both games the players seemed to maintain a determination to keep going despite being in the hole. If they can keep working as hard as they are, Payson could turn this slow start into a decent season.
Payson takes on Provo tonight at 7:00 p.m.
Watch the Live Stream here at inSantaquin.
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