Lawrence High's girls basketball team played its way into the championship of the Firebird Winter Classic with a big come-from-behind victory over Kansas City Sumner on Friday.
Whether the Lions will actually play in the championship remains to be seen.
Minutes after the Lions' 65-47 victory over Sumner, LHS players learned that the father of one of the Lions' reserves apparently committed suicide Friday evening, casting a pall over the Lions' victory.
Patrick Cochrane, 48, whom Lawrence Police identified as the father of LHS sophomore reserve Jodie Cochrane, was discovered about 4:45 p.m. in a vehicle parked at the Eighth Street boat docks, just north of the Kansas River. He had died of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
Tournament officials will decide after a meeting this morning between Lawrence players and a grief counselor whether to play the championship. The rest of the tournament will go as planned.
LHS (5-8) is scheduled to play Hutchinson (10-1) at 2 p.m. today in the final.
The Lions reached the title game after an exciting third quarter comeback that featured stingy defense and an offensive explosion.
"We really showed a lot of heart in the third," a clearly shaken Lawrence coach Kristin Mallory said.
LHS, which trailed Sumner 30-22 at halftime, quickly erased its deficit behind full-court pressure defense that forced the Sabres to commit 10 turnovers in the third.
The Lions responded by going on a 12-2 run and took their first lead since early in the game when Rachael Klingler scored on a quick layin with just over five minutes left in the quarter.
But LHS wasn't done, as it would outscore Sumner 25-9 in the quarter and took a commanding lead into the fourth.
Four players scored four or more points in the third with sophomore Cherrale Ricks leading the way with eight points in as many minutes.
The victory was the second in as many days for the Lions. But after beating second-seeded KC Schlagle in a thrilling opening-round victory Thursday, the Lions got behind Sumner (7-3) late in the first and struggled offensively.
It was LHS that committed early turnovers and Sumner's athletic forward, Carlai Moore, had her way, scoring 14 points and giving the Sabres an 11-point advantage.
However, Moore picked up her fourth foul in the third quarter and the Sabres seemed lost without her.
The fourth quarter provided much of the same as Sumner committed numerous turnovers and a spirited Lions squad scored at will.
LHS' finished with three players in double figures, led by sophomores Klingler and Ricks, who each had 16 points. Junior Leigh DeBiasse scored 10.
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