Coach Jack Leighty took over the program and tried to build a solid foundation. The Lions won nine games, including a playoff contest for the first time in five years.
The next step is to finish with more wins than losses for the first time since 2012.
“I’m not worried about a number,” Leighty said. “I’m just worried about getting better. If we take care of the little things, the wins and losses will fall into place.”
The good news is the Lions return pretty much their entire roster.
“We’ve got almost everyone back, and you can tell we’re ahead of where we were last year at this time,” Leighty said.
The bad news is that junior Morgan Sauser, the straw that often stirs the drink for Lisbon and their leading scorer (12.4 points per game), is still rehabbing from ACL surgery and may not return right away.
“We can’t control that,” Leighty said. “Morgan helps spread the floor with her shooting ability. And she’s a very smart basketball player.”
Lisbon will need to continue to find ways to score with or without her on the court. The Lions averaged just under 40 points per game last season.
“We showed growth last year,” Leighty said. “We’re really preaching on making everyone a threat to score when they touch the basketball. That makes it harder for teams to defend you.
“If we can get three kids in double digits (scoring), we’ll be a solid team.”
Senior Kamryn Kahl (9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds per game) and sophomore Kyla Kahl (8.2 ppg) return as the key returning scorers. Senior Emmersyn Reiter, junior Ava Ahrendsen and junior Emma Pleasant also started plenty last season. Sophomore Quinn Roos played a lot as a freshman.
“I think we have some kids that can score in different ways,” Leighty said. “And the defensive intensity will carry over from last year. That’s a big thing.”
Incoming freshmen Jaycie Happel and Alexi Jensen may also contribute.
This winter will be the final one in the Tri-Rivers East. The Lions finished fourth last year, and hope to climb the ladder.