SPRUCE MOUNTAIN GUARD Austin Darling (5) looks to get by a pressing Josh Huston (20) of Lisbon late in the game during Saturday’s Class B quarterfinal basketball game at the Portland Expo. The Phoenix downed the Greyhounds, 88-66.
From the start of Saturday’s Class B South quarterfinal boys high school basketball game at the Portland Expo, Lisbon and Spruce Mountain shooters showed their range, with the Greyhounds hitting three 3-pointers and the Phoenix nailing two from beyond the arc.
The problem for seventh-seeded Lisbon was No. 2 Spruce Mountain shot the 3- ball with greater success in the first half, taking a big lead in rolling to an 88-66 victory.
Phoenix sharpshooter Mason Shink nailed seven from long distance — in the first half. He tied the state mark and broke the Southern Region record late in the third quarter with his eighth 3-pointer and finished with a game-high 38 points.
“We always try to focus on scoring in the 60s, knowing that if we do that we can beat nearly anyone,” said Lisbon coach Jake Gentle. “You don’t count on Mason Shink going 8-for-14 from the 3-point line. They will beat anybody doing that. It is just one of those things where they shot extremely well.”
“That is the way we play, we are going to play fast, shoot a lot of threes, and the kids just like playing that way,” said Spruce Mountain coach Scott Bessey. “On the nights we are shooting the ball well, it makes things easier. Our defense wasn’t that good, but when you make shots, you can get away with that.”
Strong start
Lisbon’s Jonah Sautter scored on the Greyhounds’ first shot, a deep 3-pointer from the corner, to answer Shink’s first from distance, and Sean Scott hit two more treys as Lisbon claimed a 9-7 advantage. A pair of free throws by Tyrese Joseph gave the Greyhounds an 11-9 edge.
Lisbon (9-10) concentrated on Phoenix guard Austin Darling, who looked for openings in the Greyhound defense. But, Shink led a big run, scoring 13 first-quarter points. A dead ball technical foul on Lisbon followed by two makes at the line allowed the Phoenix to close the frame on a 14-0 run for a 23-11 advantage.
“It is unfortunate, but that was the way that it was, and we needed to do a better job to be patient there,” said Gentle of the technical foul.
Lisbon tried to answer. The Greyhounds made six from the beyond the arc in the first half, but failed to keep up with the Phoenix, who made nine. Shink had 25 points at the break as Spruce Mountain extended out to a 46-27 lead.
“Shink definitely caught us off-guard. He is a very good shooter,” said Joseph.
Shink put up 11 more points in the third quarter, including his final 3-pointer. Spruce Mountain (16-3) led 71-41 heading to the fourth.
Lisbon didn’t quit, closing the deficit to 16 points, 82-66, as Joseph scored 11 in the final frame. But, Darling and Noah Preble led the Phoenix down the stretch, with Darling putting up 10 of his 14 points in the fourth and Preble nailing his team’s 12th and final trey, finishing with 22 points in giving Spruce Mountain its first quarterfinal win in four seasons.
Joseph had a double-double to pace Lisbon, scoring 20 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Scott had 14, with Sautter adding 12 points and three steals. Lucas Francis picked up nine points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, with DJ Douglass coming off the bench for eight points.
The Greyhounds shot 50- percent (23-of-46) from the floor and made 9-of-14 from the free-throw line.
“I am happy with our offensive output, but you just have to give credit to Spruce,” said Gentle. “They have more than one shooter from the outside, and they can spread you out pretty well, they are quick and can dribble-drive.”
Gentle was proud of his team for making it back to the quarterfinals.
“Any time we can make it to the Expo for a quarterfinal is all positive for Lisbon basketball, and hopefully it creates more of a buzz and we can keep generating players and players, advancing to the semis and maybe the finals some day,” said Gentle.
Spruce Mountain, which faces No. 3 Wells at Cross Insurance Arena on Thursday at 6 p.m., shot 52.7-percent from the floor (29-of-55).
No. 2 Spruce Mnt. 88,
No. 7 Lisbon 66
Class B North Quarterfinals
Saturday, at the Portland Expo
Lisbon — 11 16 14 25 — 66
Spruce — 23 26 22 17 — 88
Lisbon — Jonah Sautter 4-1-12,
Josh Huston 1-0-3, Tyrese Joseph 6-
8-20, Lucas Francis 4-0-9, Sean Scott
5-0-14, DJ Douglass 3-0-8, Andrew
Balser 0-0-0, Morgan Perron 0-0-0,
Brandon Keith-Williams 0-0-0. Totals
— 23-9-66.
Spruce Mountain — Andrew Shaw
2-0-4, Caulin Parker 0-0-0, Noah Preble 8-3-22, Mason Shink 12-6-38,
Austin Darling 4-6-14, Nick Lombardi
0-0-0, Jordan Daigle 2-1-6, Shane
Pelletier 0-0-0, Josh Stewart 0-2-2,
Tyler Poisson 0-0-0, Cameron
Mitchell 1-0-2, Carson Gross 0-0-0,
Tate Walton 0-0-0. Totals — 29-18-
88.
3-point field goals — (L) Scott 4,
Sautter 3, Douglass 2, Francis, Huston; (SM) Shink 8, Preble 3, Daigle.
Records — Spruce Mountain 16-3;
Lisbon 9-10.
Note –— Lisbon’s season is completed.
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