Lawrence High and Free State High have taken different routes to the Topeka Invitational boys basketball tournament, yet their paths could cross again this weekend.
The Lions (7-2) have won six in a row heading to the three-day tourney at Topeka West. The Firebirds (2-6) have lost four straight, starting with a 53-44 setback to LHS on Dec. 21.
"Obviously we're on a nice little winning streak here going into the tournament, but it's going to be a real tough tournament," said LHS senior guard Stephen Vinson, who averages 15.4 points a game. "We're going to find out what we're made of. We know Free State more than likely if we win is our second-round opponent. We know that's a battle."
LHS will open the tournament at 3 p.m. today against Topeka Highland Park, ranked No. 5 in Class 5A at 7-3. Free State (2-6), the lone team with a losing record in the eight-team field, will play Topeka Seaman (5-3) at approximately 8:15 p.m. If both LHS and FSHS win in the first round, the two city schools will play in the semifinals on Friday. If they both lose the opener, the two will meet in the losers' bracket on Friday.
"We're in it to win the tournament and we're in it to win that first game," Vinson said. "But any time we face Free State, we're not just in it for the tournament, we're in it to beat them."
With his squad struggling, Firebird coach Jack Schreiner is in no position to think of the semis.
"If were 6-2 instead of 2-6, that'd be something we'd talk about," said Schreiner, whose squad hasn't won since Dec. 8 and is off the worst start in the program's five-year history. "We haven't brought Lawrence High up. We're just concerned about getting a win to jump-start us."
LHS and FSHS have never met at an regular-season tournament. The past four years, the two schools rotated between the Topeka Invitational and the now defunct Capital City Classic.
"I think both Free State and us would like for that not to happen," LHS coach Chris Davis said of a possible second-round meeting. "We want to play, but when we play we want to play in Lawrence. We like playing here. But if that happens, hopefully that's a good thing and we both won games and end up matching up there.
"Obviously, any time Lawrence High and Free State hook up, it's a great matchup."
LHS has thrived in tournaments the past two seasons. The Lions, 8-1 in their past three regular-season tournaments, won the Blue Valley Shootout and Capital City Classic last season. They placed third at Blue Valley last month.
"This is really about where I had us pegged at this point," said Davis, whose losses are to Topeka and Kansas City Sumner. "I figured somewhere in the neighborhood of two or three losses. I didn't know we'd win six in a row. I hadn't really counted on that, but the real meat of the schedule is getting ready to hit us hard."
The January portion of its schedule hasn't been kind to Free State. The Firebirds, known for strong finishes the past two seasons, are 11-19 all time in January.
"We usually don't turn the corner until February, so we have a ways to go," Schreiner said, jokingly. "We've been in every game. In the fourth quarter, we've either been ahead or within four to six points. We just haven't been able to finish it. We've got to get mentally tougher. We need to put some of these teams away. Hopefully, we'll pick things up and get more aggressive."
Whether it's driving to the hoop or pulling up for a clutch three-pointer, LHS has one of the most aggressive backcourts around in Vinson and D.J. Watkins (19.7 ppg). The senior guards account for 55.6 percent of the Lions' scoring and have combined for 44 three-pointers.
"It is one of the best guard duos," Davis said. "But we still have to learn how to just finish the little things with those two guys. For the most part, they're looking for each other and when one of them is covered, they know how to find the other guy. They really feed off each other very well."
Free State is led by junior Keith Wooden (16.1 ppg) and Dain Dillingham (10.3).
Firebird senior Sam Strickler-Hut, sidelined the past two games because of a lower leg injury, has practiced this week and Schreiner is optimistic the forward will play at the tournament.
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