LISBON FALLS – Meet the stars of Extreme Makeover: Mountain Valley Conference Edition.

Eighteen years after its last legitimate Western Class B tournament appearance, Lisbon High School is movin’ on up to the high-rent district of MVC girls’ basketball. The Greyhounds dropped another building block into place Thursday night, routing the well-established Winthrop Ramblers, 48-33, at Manchester Gymnasium.

Lisbon (3-4) ripped open a close game with a nearly perfect third quarter. Freshman forward Renee Moore scored 10 of her 16 points in that stretch, hoisting the ‘Hounds from a tenuous 20-19 halftime advantage to a 39-25 lead.

Moore and the Greyhounds warmed up to 9-of-15 from the field and committed only one turnover in the third period. This from a program that lost all 18 games last winter and endured an epic losing streak earlier in this decade.

“We’re playing more as a team. We don’t have anyone out there trying to do it all themselves,” said Heather Parry, who scored seven points and is Lisbon’s lone senior.

If the Maine Principals’ Association upholds Jay’s recent forfeit due to the use of an ineligible player, Lisbon actually has a winning record. Oh, and not to mention a world of confidence. Five different players have been the team’s leading scorer at least once this season.

“It’s mostly a case of learning how to win,” said fourth-year Lisbon coach Jake Gentle. “We lost a lot of close games last year: Monmouth in overtime, Carrabec at the buzzer, two close ones to Wiscasset. We’re finally reaching the point where we put a whole game together.”

Lisbon never trailed after junior co-captain Emily Moore swished a 50-footer at the buzzer to give the Greyhounds an 11-8 cushion at the end of the first quarter.

Christy McAuliffe scored 10 points for the Greyhounds, including an offensive put-back that started Lisbon’s 15-1 run to christen the third quarter.

“I’ve seen them play twice, and if someone told me they didn’t win a game last year I wouldn’t believe it,” said Glen Chase, who is Winthrop’s third different head coach in as many seasons.

Kaley Ball scored seven of her team-high 10 points in the final two minutes of the first half for the Ramblers (2-4). Otherwise, Winthrop struggled from the floor (14-for-48) and had trouble protecting the basketball (30 turnovers). Amanda Garwood added seven points and five assists.

One happy note for the Ramblers: Senior captain Katie Pushard played her first minutes of the season. She is still recovering from a broken leg suffered during the soccer campaign. Pushard’s classmate and fellow captain Brittany Gaudet is also due back soon from a stress fracture.

“That means we won’t have other people playing so many minutes,” Chase said. “And we’ll have seniors out there doing what all seniors want to do, which is play.”


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