LISBON — There were two thoughts heading into Wednesday’s Unified basketball regular-season finale between Brunswick and Lisbon.
First, the Greyhounds are in full preparations for what they hope is a long playoff run as the two-time defending regional champs.
The Dragons were looking to finish strong and see the continued improvements from the players that have worked so hard again this season.
Lisbon came away with a 58-32 victory and will head to the South regional postseason with a 6-2 mark.
Meanwhile, Brunswick finished 1-7 and will miss the playoffs. However, there were no sad faces as the Dragons walked out of Lisbon’s gym.
As with most Unified games, there were several moments of loud applause coming from the stands, with fans rooting for all of the players throughout.
“It’s is the best sports team that I have played on, hands down,” said Brunswick’s Stephen Backman, who oftentimes was attached to the hip of teammate Jack Parker throughout Tuesday’s contest. “It is all fun. The kids are smiling no matter what. Even after a tough game like this, the kids are all high-fiving, smiling and having a good time.
“Someone like Jack Parker, who had never hit a shot in a game and is in his third season, made two this year, which is amazing. I hold him through all the practices and it is great to see him loving this. Tim Humphrey in his third year, he played so amazing.”
On Lisbon’s side, Michael Farrington was nearly unstoppable inside.
“This is good,” said Farrington, who scored a game-high 14 points, including 10 in the first half.
“Someone like Michael, who scored once last year, tonight he scored seven times, and I have seen him grow,” Lisbon’s Tanton Mattson said. “This is another level of fun. Out here, you don’t have those expectations. You’re just playing for them. It is fun to represent your town.”
Quick start
Lisbon started quickly, scoring the game’s first eight points and leading 20-4 midway through the first half. Jake Patenaude and Wesley Lucas each scored six first-half points, while Dawson Martel and Misty Coleman had four points apiece.
For Brunswick, Andrew DuRoss was all over the paint and scored six points to pace the Dragons, who trailed 34-10 at the half.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair, with Lisbon out-scoring Brunswick by a close 24-22 count.
Dragon Nathaniel Hall nailed a long 3-pointer, highlighting a nine-point half. DuRoss made a free throw and matched Hall with a team-high nine points, while Humphrey chipped in four points. Others contributing to Brunswick’s point total were Brycen Cardeli, John Johnson of Mt. Ararat, Ketty Stinson, Cayman Almondovar and Parker.
“We see these kids everyday practicing, the kids love it, we all love it, the coaches love it,” said Backman.
For Lisbon, which will likely host a quarterfinal contest next week, Amanda Mason, Brandon Bartlett, Martel and Lucas each had eight points, while Patenaude finished with six points, along with Coleman.
“It is always fun watching them learn new stuff,” Mattson added. “They get more and more competitive, and it is fun when they compete. At first, when someone scores, you are so happy for them. And they know you’re happy for them. Then they don’t want to score once. They want to score a lot. That makes this so worthwhile.”
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