Basketball, like any sport, can hinge on emotion. Passion, determination and competitiveness can be key for any team to come out on top. <\/p>\n
But when a player or coach loses control of their emotions, even for just a moment, it can be costly. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\"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.\" <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
While that run gave the Red Devils the lead, the Lions were still close enough to threaten early in the second half. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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Springville Red Devils roll past Payson boys basketball<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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. Continue reading