A game of runs goes Lisbon’s way over Central City

LISBON — You don’t normally see a team build an 18-point lead in a boys’ basketball district game between teams that are similarly seeded.

Then again you don’t see a team down that many points go on an 18-0 run of its own to tie that boys’ basketball district game between teams similarly seeded.

And you sure don’t usually get a team that gives up said 18-0 run to win a boys’ basketball district game between teams similarly seeded.

But you got all that Monday night.

Lisbon owned the fourth quarter to own Central City, 64-47, Monday night in an entertaining Class 1A district first-rounder. The teams were tied after three quarters at 43.

Lisbon was the fourth seed in this district, and Central City fifth.

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“When you’re on that run, it’s nice,” said Lisbon Coach Levi Montague. “But when you’re on the other side of that run, it’s like ‘How do we get back to what we were doing? What are they doing to go on those runs?’ They started making shots that second quarter, and we kind of went away from the things that were working.”

Lisbon (12-10) was all over its fellow Tri-Rivers Conference opponent, building a lead of 19-10 after the first quarter and eventually extending it to 32-14 in the second. But then ...

The Lions stopped hitting shots offensively and let Central City’s Matthew Klostermann go off with drive after drive to the bucket. The talented junior guard either would get to the rim or pull up for short jumpers.

He was a major part of that aforementioned 18-0 run that began midway through the second quarter and finally ended midway through the third. His inside bucket brought Central City (9-13) all the way back into a 32-32 tie.

Lisbon went right back ahead, but, again, the Wildcats came back to make it 43 headed to the fourth.

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“We had about three of these games throughout the season,” said Lisbon guard Michael Gadberry. “One that we actually lost that was kind of the same. We were up 12 with, like, two minutes to go to West Branch, and they came back and beat us.

“So we already had that experience. We made sure we got it done this time.”

Lisbon went on a 13-0 run to begin the fourth quarter to take a 53-40 lead and never looked back.

“Not trying to be too conservative with the ball,” said Gadberry, who had a team-high 21 points. “The last time we did that, we ended up losing. We tried holding it and we just kept turning it over and turning it over. So we just played basketball the last eight minutes of the game.”

Now it’s top-seeded Dunkerton (18-4) for the Lions on Thursday night on the road. The overall record might not look that great for Lisbon, but consider it has been missing parts of its starting lineup over the last month of the season because of injury.

Gadberry, for instance, missed the final five games of the regular season with an ankle problem. Six-foot-6 forward Grayson Wollum added 14 points in this game and forward Daylin Schaefer 13.

“There’s always been somebody out of the lineup throughout the season,” Gadberry said. “We’re as confident as we’ve been all season. We feel really good.”

“Our players are talented,” Montague said. “Sometimes it’s just putting it together for four quarters. We usually play really well for two to 3 1/2 quarters. Then one quarter here, one run there kind of deflates us. If we can get over the hump like we did tonight ...”

Klostermann’s 29 points for Central City led everyone, though he was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. He missed a chunk of the regular season with a foot injury incurred during football season.

Lisbon 64, Central City 47

AT LISBON

CENTRAL CITY (47): Jayden Hanson 1-3 0-0 2, Jason Rose 1-3 0-0 2, Castor Abernathey 0-3 0-0 0, Matthew Klostermann 12-21 3-4 29, Aiden Klostermann 2-10 2-2 8, Mekhi Benton 1-11 0-1 2, Dalton Price 0-0 0-0 0, Max Arthur 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 18-52 5-7 47.

LISBON (64): Devin O’Brien 3-8 0-0 9, Daylin Schaefer 5-10 3-4 13, Grayson Wollum 4-7 4-4 14, Michael Gadberry 6-20 8-8 21, Mason Lehmer 2-5 0-25, Jackson Powers 1-2 0-0 2, Tyler Sauser 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-52 15-18 64.

Halftime - Lisbon 32, Central City 25. 3-point goals - Central City 4-20 (Hanson 0-1, M. Klostermann 2-6, A. Klostermann 2-7, Benton 0-5), Lisbon 7-22 (O’Brien 3-6, Wollum 2-3, Gadberry 1-9, Lehmer 1-3, Powers 0-1). Rebounds - Central City 26 (M. Klostermann 8), Lisbon 38 (Wollum 12). Total fouls - Central City 14, Lisbon 10. Fouled out - None. Turnovers - Central City 15, Lisbon 13.

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