LIBERTY– The Lisbon and Liberty boys basketball teams felt honored by be playing in the inaugural “Hoops at Noon” game in front of a packed gymnasium with students.

“The crowd for that game was as loud as any TV game or district game I’ve been a part of,” Lisbon head coach Chris Huckshold said. “It reminded me of some of the high school games I played in at the old Lisbon gym. It reminded me of an old-school game with the crowd and band.”

Liberty gave new head coach Steve Arnold his first win with the program as the Leopards beat Lisbon, 64-58.

“We just thought it was a really unique way for our kids to play in front of 1,500 people that they normally wouldn’t play in front of,” Liberty athletic director Todd Smith said. “Also for our student body, kids that maybe don’t have the opportunity to come and watch a basketball game, come to a varsity game, they don’t have a ride on Friday night or parents have work, to give them the opportunity to come to a game.”

The game lasted almost two hours as the teams combined for 67 free throws and three Lisbon players fouled out.

“It was the longest game I ever coached in,” Huckshold said. “All the officials had games (on Friday night). They were joking about it.”

Liberty had three players score in double figures with Dearmani Franklin getting 14 points, Evan Bates 13 and Joe Croom 12.

AJ Ramgeet topped Lisbon with a game-high 27 points, six rebounds and five rebounds. Aiden Ramgeet added 10 points and Alex Brown grabbed five rebounds.

Huckshold said the Blue Devils went to one period of school before being excused for a team breakfast and got on the bus.

Lisbon had two busloads of high school and junior high students as a reward based off of the district’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program

“Some coaches said that was a tournament-style atmosphere,” Huckshold said.

He said the loudest cheer came when the Liberty players were being announced.

“The only roar I heard that was close was when Isaac Davidson drilled a three at the buzzer to beat us in the old Holiday Tournament in East Liverpool,” he said.

Both teams are doing it again n Feb. 5 when the Lisbon girls host Liberty.

“I hope it brings some awareness for the kids who were there,” Huckshold said. “I hope some of those kids look at it and say it was pretty fun and they want to come back.”

The teams are planning on making it annual series.

Both teams play Tuesday with Lisbon (0-3) at Brookfield and Liberty at Girard (1-1).

LISBON: 14- 9-19-16–58

LIBERTY: 20-11-13-20–64

LISBON SCORING: Aiden Ramgeet 2-5-10, Blaine Barnes 2-0-5, Luke Kraft 1-3-5, Tim Brandon 1-1-3, AJ Ramgeet 7-11-27, Ashton Hinchliffe 1-2-4, Alex Brown 2-0-4. TEAM TOTALS: 16-40, 22-36: 58.

LIBERTY SCORING: Zad Amireh 1-0-2, Ramsey Hadi Coy 2-4-9, Evan Bates 6-0-13, Joe Croom 4-4-12, Luke Bates 2-4-8, Dearmani Franklin 5-4-14, Julius Ferrell 1-4-6. TEAM TOTALS: 21, 20-31: 64.

Three-point goals: Lisbon 4-16 (AJ Ramgeet 2, Aiden Ramgeet, Barnes), Liberty 2 (Coy, Bates).