Payson Roundup

A Lady Longhorn goal tomorrow, Jan. 25, will be to put an end to a three-game losing streak against a visiting Mogollon Lady Mustang team that PHS ran roughshod over, 55-18, earlier this season.

Payson’s three-game slide includes losses to Blue Ridge, 58-54, on Jan. 17, and to Snowflake, 70-56, a day later in a rescheduled game that had been postponed on Dec. 13.

The streak reached three on Jan. 20 near Scottsdale where Salt River overwhelmed the PHS girls 68-35.

SR’s win over Payson High was their second this season. On Jan. 11 in Wilson Dome, Salt River prevailed 49-36.

The loss to Snowflake was a bit tough to absorb because the Lady Horns had upset the homestanding Lobos 52-50 on Jan. 5.

That win might have been a season highlight.

In the second game, the Lady Horns were without the services of leading scorer Teanna Lopez who is sidelined with an injury.

Without her in the lineup, Payson struggled without a double-digit scorer.

Harley Turney was the closest the Lady Horns had to a big-time offensive threat, finishing with nine points, five of which came on free throws. She also corralled three rebounds and had a steal.

Jaymi Carlen tallied eight points, Arianna Paulson had seven and Molly Davis contributed six.

Although Chioya Hill scored just four points on an off shooting night, she pounded her way inside for a team high nine rebounds.

Defensively, Carlen shined with five steals.

Although the Lady Horns came up on the short end of the score, they were frequent visitors to the free throw line being awarded 29 shots.

But the girls didn’t take full advantage of their opportunities, making good on just 17 of their shots for a woeful 58 percent average.

Following tomorrow’s showdown against Mogollon, the Lady Horns have just four games remaining on the regular season schedule to rack up the power points they’ll need to receive an advantageous seed into the Division III, Section III tournament when it is held Feb. 7 to 11 in Surprise.