AUBURN — After scoring 20 points in an overtime loss to Dirigo on Wednesday, Lisbon’s Tyrese Joseph popped in 20 more Friday in a 58-26 Mountain Valley Conference win over St. Dominic Academy.

Joseph dominated the Saints in the paint, pulling down 11 rebounds for a double-double and adding four steals as the Greyhounds improved to 3-1.

Joseph felt it was important for the Greyhounds to bounce back after the loss to Dirigo.

“We didn’t really expect to beat a team like Dirigo, but we had a good outing and knew that we had to come out here tonight and play well from the start,” Joseph said. “We locked in as a team defensively and were able to get some easy layups. We are running a good offense. We are really coming together, playing as a team instead as individuals.”

“We want to make sure that we defend every possession, and it was a real point of emphasis tonight and in the preseason,” Lisbon coach Jake Gentle said. “We did a better job of getting behind the zone and getting outside and open for some threes.”

Early run

The winless Saints (0-4) struggled out of the gate, falling behind the Greyhounds 12-0 before getting a 3-pointer from Sam Rines and a short jumper from Camden Jalbert to close to 12-5.

Lisbon led 14-5 after a quarter behind six first-quarter points from Joseph and five from Noah Carter.

The Greyhounds showed their dominance in the second quarter. Lisbon forced 23 first-half St. Dom’s turnovers and used a 17-0 run highlighted by eight points from Joseph for a 33-8 lead.

Lisbon led 35-10 at the intermission as Joseph matched his jersey number with 14 points.

“He is a tough player, and we want to get him the ball when working outside-inside,” Gentle said. “And, he is tough in the defensive end, just a presence inside. He does a great job.”

Fist-year St. Dom’s coach Jacob Webb wanted his Saints to step up their game in the second half. The Saints committed just 12 miscues in the second half and were only outscored by a much closer 23-16 margin.

“These kids are working hard, but sometimes things just don’t go well for us,” said Webb, whose Saints take on Winthrop on Thursday. “We are young. We give the kids little goals during the game and they respond. Tonight, the second half was much better for us. We are trying to build a foundation as we go forward.

“Lisbon played a heck of a game. Plus, we missed a lot of bunny shots and just couldn’t make it happen.”

Joseph added six more points in the third quarter as the Greyhounds claimed a 54-18 edge. Both teams emptied the benches throughout the fourth quarter.

Next comes a pair of tough tests for the Greyhounds. Lisbon visits Winthrop on Monday before hosting undefeated Wiscasset on Thursday.

“We need to look at the film, knowing that we have just one practice to prepare for them,” Gentle said. “Winthrop is always a tough place to play. We will go up there and play the best that we can. If we do that, we will have a chance.”

Carter finished with 11 points, five steals and four assists for Lisbon, with Troy Galarneau adding seven points and four assists. Guard Jonah Sautter pulled nine rebounds as Lisbon held a 32-25 edge on the glass. He also dished out five assists and had five steals.

Rines led St. Dom’s with seven points, followed by Jalbert with six and Jake Bussiere with five points and a team-high seven rebounds.

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