If there is such a thing as an acceptable defeat, this was it.

Lawrence High boys basketball team nearly pulled out a home victory Wednesday before bowing, 67-59, to Blue Valley North.

LHS, down by 18 heading into the fourth quarter, climbed to within three points, but the Mustangs hit five of six free throws in the final 30 seconds to preserve the victory.

“I told the guys, ‘I don’t like losing, but I can live with this one,'” LHS coach Chris Davis said. “It’s as well as we’ve played in a while, as far as effort goes. But I’m as proud as I can be with our comeback, and forcing the issue at the end of the game.”

The Lions (5-7) were playing without senior Derrick Newman, who was out with the flu. The 6-foot-4 forward’s absence left the Lions with just one player in the lineup, 7-foot senior Brad Collier, taller than 6-3.

The height differential was a nightmare for LHS. North’s 6-8 brothers Casey and Blake Crawford combined for 36 points, and the Mustangs (7-5) outrebounded the Lions 34-24.

“With Derrick out, it was guys 5-9, 5-10 guarding guys 6-2, 6-3,” said senior Brandon McAnderson, who led his team with 19 points. “But when you have people out, you have to make sacrifices. Derrick had been sick all week; we knew that. Everybody has to come in prepared to do that.”

Since the Lions couldn’t match North’s size inside, Davis started 5-10 sophomore David Freeman to bolster the perimeter defense.

“We decided to go with a bigger guard lineup,” Davis said. “When he started the game, he was pretty nervous. But he had a good game for us.”

Brandon McAnderson of Lawrence High drives to the basket around Blue Valley North defenders. The Mustangs defeated the Lions, 67-59, Wednesday at Lawrence High.

The Lions’ zone defense didn’t faze the Mustangs too much, as they took a 32-22 halftime lead on the strength of their offensive putbacks. Still, LHS kept the score close, thanks to eight first-half points from Collier and couple of three-pointers from senior Bryan Cargill.

In the third quarter, however, the Mustangs hit nine of their first 10 shots to go up 52-33. They closed the quarter up 56-38.

Davis told his team North’s hot shooting would pass; the Lions needed to make a run of their own.

On cue, LHS opened the fourth quarter with an 10-2 run. With three minutes left, the Lions switched to a full-court trap, which resulted in a Chris Fulton steal and basket, then a McAnderson steal and basket, bringing LHS to within six, 60-54.

McAnderson hit a three-pointer from the corner after yet another Lions’ steal, and the LHS bench and fans erupted in cheers.

“That was something else,” McAnderson said. “Everyone got into it. Our bench, our crowd — and they were there the whole way. They never gave up on us, and we were down by a lot.”

Taylor Parker goes up to score two of his six points for Lawrence High against Blue Valley North. The Lions fell to the Mustangs, 67-59, Wednesday night at the LHS gym.

But LHS couldn’t inch any closer, unable to hit shots down the stretch, while North hit its free throws.

Now, the Lions turn their attention to Friday’s game at Olathe North. McAnderson said the Lions won’t go into the game feeling like a team that’s lost two straight.

Davis would seem to agree.

“If this is an indication of where we’re going, then that’s a good sign,” Davis said.