Basketball, like any sport, can hinge on emotion. Passion, determination and competitiveness can be key for any team to come out on top.

But when a player or coach loses control of their emotions, even for just a moment, it can be costly.

Payson saw that firsthand in the the first half of Tuesday night's game at Springville when some frustration resulted in a Lion technical foul. The Red Devils, who had also been fouled on the play, took advantage by hitting 3-of-4 free throws and draining a 3-pointer.

That six-point possession sparked a 13-3 Springville run that turned a close game in favor of the home team. The Red Devils never looked back, pulling away for the 73-59 win over Payson.

"We had a lot of energy tonight," said Springville head coach Chris Kitchen. "There were some lapses where we got complacent but overall I was pleased with our energy and our offensive execution. Offensively we looked as good as we have all year and thats because we were sharing the basketball."

Kitchen also said that its always important for a team to take advantage of its opportunities, like the stretch that turned the 21-21 contest into a 34-24 Springville lead.

When you have technical fouls, they can be game-changers, he explained. We didnt expect an easy game. I have a lot of respect for Payson head coach Dan Lunt and we knew they would be well-coached, so we expected a dogfight. But little mistakes like that can change the game.

While that run gave the Red Devils the lead, the Lions were still close enough to threaten early in the second half.

With the score 46-39, Springville scored seven straight points to extend the lead and Payson never got the deficit back to single-digits the rest of the way.

I felt like the first few minutes of the second half where we build the lead was the key stretch in the game, Kitchen said.

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Springville Red Devils roll past Payson boys basketball