The Lisbon girls’ basketball team opened the season with a 27-point win over Clinton Prince of Peace back on Nov. 25.

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, the Lions beat the Irish by 39 points, 69-25, and looked a lot better doing it.

“I feel like we’ve grown in a lot of different aspects,” junior Kamryn Kahl said. “I think we’ve definitely slowed our game a little bit. At the beginning of the year, we were really rushed with our offense.

“We’ve really slowed it down and calmed down a little bit on the court and that’s really helped out a lot.”

In the first game, Lisbon had 25 turnovers. This go-round, they had only 13.

“The big thing is fewer turnovers,” Lisbon coach Jack Leighty said. “That gives you more opportunities to score some points.”

Their 69 points was a season high. Morgan Sauser led the attack with 22 points. Emersyn Reiter added 14 points and Kamryn Kahl had 12 points. Kyla Kahl and Emma Pleasant each added nine points.

“We are becoming more balanced,” Leighty said. “Morgan got the Lions’ share (no pun intended) but we spread it around.

“We’ve got some others who have started to chip in and assert themselves.”

Lisbon (5-7) opened the game with an 11-0 run and never trailed. The Lions led 32-14 at half, then enjoyed a big third quarter, outscoring the Irish 25-7.

Sauser hit three of her six 3-pointers in the third quarter.

Thanks to fewer turnovers, and 35 offensive rebounds, the Lions were able to take 90 shots.

Pleasant led the rebounding with 14. Kyla Kahl had a team-high six steals.

“Every girl is becoming more of a threat, which really helps our team out,” Kamryn Kahl said.

Lisbon would take two losses to close the week. Durant beat them, 37-30, on Thursday, Jan. 9, and Edgewood-Colesburg topped them, 61-58, on Friday, Jan. 10.

Against the Wildcats, Sauser had 20 points. The Lions were outrebounded 39 to 13, and only got two offensive rebounds.

Versus the Vikings, Sauser had 19 points, followed by Kyla Kahl with 14 and Reiter with 11. The Lions were outrebounded 43 to 23 but made 12 3-pointers.

PRINCE OF PEACE (25) – Ella Eshelman 0-1 0-2 0, Lilly Smith 3-12 0-0 7, Taylor Evans 3-8 0-0 7, Claire Kenneavy 1-5 0-0 2, Heaven Powell 2-8 1-2 6, Rebekah Frana 0-0 0-0 0, Peyton Huebner 0-0 1-2 1, Tabitha Eshelman 0-0 0-0 0, Mallory Schnier 0-0 0-0 0, Aven Leslie 0-0 0-0 0, Sophie Schultz 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 10-46 2-6 25.

LISBON (69) – Emersyn Reiter 5-13 0-0 14, Kyla Kahl 4-18 0-0 9, Ava Ahrendsen 0-4 0-0 0, Morgan Sauser 8-19 0-0 22, Kamryn Kahl 4-12 4-4 12, Emma Pleasant 3-11 3-4 9, Quinn Roos 0-1 0-0 0, Maleeah Adams 1-3 0-0 3, Brynnley Patterson 0-2 0-0 0, Schaefer Krie 0-0 0-0 0, Payton Curtis 0-0 0-0 0, Riley Clark 0-0 0-0 0, Carly Long 0-0 0-0 0 . Totals 25-83 7-8 69.

Prince of Peace 5 9 7 4 – 25

Lisbon 17 15 25 12 – 69

3-point goals – PoP 3-13 (Smith 1-9, Evans 1-3, Powell 1-1), Lisbon 12-41 (Reiter 4-10, Ky.Kahl 1-9, Sauser 6-14, Ka.Kahl 0-4, Adams 1-3, Patterson 0-1). Rebounds – PoP 32 (Huebner 7), Lisbon 50 (Pleasant 14). Turnovers – PoP 34, Lisbon 13. Total fouls – PoP 5, Lisbon 3.