WISCASSET
Basketball coaches often implore their charges to come out strong. Lisbon High School boys basketball coach Jake Gentle certainly had to enjoy watching his team’s opening quarter against Wiscasset on Saturday.
The Greyhounds scored the game’s first 23 points and cruised from there for an 80-32 Mountain Valley Conference victory.
Lisbon’s fourth straight win has the Greyhounds riding a 5-3 record, with a home date with Carrabec slated for Wednesday (7 p.m.).
In this one, the hot early shooting of DJ Douglass and Issac Burnell had Lisbon rolling, with Douglass draining three 3-pointers and Burnell picking six quick points, including a trey.
“We talked about coming out with intensity and playing the entire 32 minutes,” said Lisbon coach Jake Gentle, who discussed his team’s most recent practice. “We had a not great practice yesterday, and we cut it short and sent them home. But today they came out and gave that 32 minutes of effort.”
Lisbon’s Issac Burnell (10) guards Wiscasset guard Christian Loyola during a boys MVC basketball game on Saturday at Wiscasset. The Greyhounds jumped out to a 23-0 lead to record an 80-32 victory. (Bob Conn / The Times Record)
“We were working as a team and making those extra, good passes,” said Lisbon guard Corey Wiers, who scored all seven of his points in the first half. “We knew that we had to push this team and take them seriously. We need to keep playing good defense and continue to work as a team.”
After Lisbon jumped out to a 9-0 lead, Wiscasset first-year coach Jamie Jones called a timeout to stem the tide. It didn’t work, as Douglass hit a quick 3-pointer, followed by treys from Burnell and Douglass for an 18-0 lead. Burnell and Owen Fish finished off the 23-point run before the Wolverines scored with 47 seconds remaining in the opening quarter on a Haiden Dunning putback.
For Jones, it was a tough winter break for his squad.
“I thought we would have a good start, but it was a reflection of the winter week that we had,” said Jones, whose 1-7 Wolverines are slated to host Mt. Abram on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. “Between guys being injured, sick or away, I had one starter and just a couple swing players at practice. We just had 4-6 players at practice, so to introduce new things was a reflection of tonight.”
Wiscasset put up 10 points in the second quarter, with Dunning finding room both inside and outside. He drove the lane for two points, then stepped outside to can a trey before a pair of free throws gave him nine points at the half.
“Haiden was solid on both sides — 17 points, 11 rebounds. After the start, I thought
Wiscasset senor forward Caleb Gabriele (11) looks for someone to pass to while guarded by Lisbon’s Ring Ring (24) on Saturday in MVC boys high school basketball action. The Greyhounds rolled to an 80-32 win. (Bob Conn / The Times Record)
we played well,” said Jones. “All year, they haven’t quit. We have been beat against good teams by 60 points. I tell them the scoreboard is off and to play good, quality basketball. If we play and lose, we will hold our heads up high.”
No stopping ’Hounds
Lisbon continued to play well. On defense, the Greyhounds forced Wiscasset into 17 first-half turnovers.
Offensively, Burnell continued to hit, leading Lisbon with 14 points at the break. Wiers hit a trey as the Greyhound lead stretched out to as much as 30 points (35-5) before settling for a 39-12 halftime advantage.
“We know that we can be competitive with a lot of teams in our league,” Gentle said. “Ball movement is important to our offense and we are pretty balanced. We just keep attacking, attacking, attacking. That works for us.”
The Lisbon starters began the second half, with the Greyhounds putting up 20 more points for a 59-20 edge. Douglass keyed the third quarter, nailing three more 3-pointers and finishing with seven treys along with a game-high 26 points. In all, 13 Greyhounds found the scoresheet. Ring Ring pulled down nine rebounds and had four steals, while Seth Tapley dished out four assists. Wiers and Burnell each finished with three steals.
“Every win is important, and we just know that we want to keep playing hard and keep the same intensity,” said Gentle, who said his team will face a tough second-half schedule, including a visit to talented Hall-Dale on Friday. “Right now, we are playing teams that are not playing their best basketball. For us, it is about preparing for those battles down the road. Every night is a challenge.”
Matt Chapman chipped in six points for Wiscasset, while Billy Pinkham added five points and seven rebounds.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
