Iowa City Regina's backcourt duo of Michael Martin, Eddie Petersen shine in win over Lisbon
Winning away games is not easy.
The Regina boys basketball team was up for the challenge though, facing a Lisbon team who were unbeaten on their home court.
That changed when the Regals handed Lisbon a 61-44 loss on Thursday.
It was a matchup that Regina had circled on their calendar.
"We knew that they were a good opponent," said Regina senior guard Michael Martin. "They have good scorers on their teams so [we] had to come out and play."
Lisbon (8-3), who came into the game on a six-game winning streak, averaged 66 points per game heading into Thursday night's matchup. They were held to 44 points.
"I thought, for the most part, that we followed the gameplan really well," said Regina coach Paul Rundquist. "We recognized who we're guarding and that's really a testament to the kids and their ability to focus."
Martin scored a team-high 18 points, while Eddie Petersen tallied 16 points.
Michael Martin and Eddie Petersen were a two-punch combination
Martin scored on three straight possessions in the first quarter, including a four-point play that gave Regina a 13-2 lead and lifted the Regina fans out of their seats.
He finished with nine points in the first eight minutes. Martin, known for his scoring spurts, attributed his on-court success to his teammates.
"I think [I call myself] a shooter, Martin said. "Shoutout to all my teammates who give me great looks, because a lot of threes I take are pretty open...to get those drives, have the defense sink and then have me open on the perimeter."
Petersen contributed on the offensive side. In the third quarter, his hustle showed as he drove to the basket, got blocked, grabbed the basketball in mid-air, and scored.
"He finds ways to score that I don't understand all the time," Martin smiled. "He's a great player, he dishes the ball to everyone, [gives] me great looks and he's a great point guard for us."
Regina stopped a Lisbon rally
The Regals' defense did a great job forcing Lisbon to take bad shots, which led to defensive rebounds.
But the Regals, who were up 20 points, saw their lead shrink to 11 as Lisbon attempted a comeback in the second quarter. A couple of 3-point baskets helped Lisbon's cause.
"We didn't guard for about a minute and that was three-consecutive 3-point shots, so knocks the lead...down to 11," Rundquist said. "Teams are going to make runs and you just got to be able to be strong enough mentally to overcome them."
And Regina did just that.
Their tight defense, coupled with their scoring, helped Regina extend the lead to as many as 23 points in the third quarter, and maintained control for the remainder of the game.
The Regals (9-2) will look to win their 10th-straight game as they face Mid-Prairie on Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Michael Martin, Eddie Petersen shine during Regina's win over Lisbon
