KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? Lawrence High basketball coach Chris Davis will take the Lions’ 53-49, season-opening victory over Kansas City Wyandotte on Friday at Wyandotte High.

After all, the win was no easy task considering the traditionally athletic Bulldogs played as advertised and were plenty physical. Add in the small confines of Wyandotte’s ancient arena, and there was more to be concerned about.

But all Davis wanted was to leave Wyandotte with the “W” and no controversy. Sorry, coach.

“We’ll take it,” David said. “But you know we can’t go anywhere without controversy.”

Last season, the Lions not only broke the state record for their prowess behind the three-point line but also had to had to forfeit a couple of games because of an ineligible player. LHS found itself in a few down-to-the-wire games in which the outcome wasn’t always as clear-cut as the final tally.

Things haven’t changed much.

Friday’s concerns weren’t that big of a deal but did provide a bit of a break for Lawrence down the stretch. The Lions held a 52-49 lead with 11 seconds left thanks to a three-pointer from senior guard David Freeman a little more than a minute earlier.

After a missed three-pointer, Wyandotte fouled LHS guard Brennan Bechard, who was supposed to be shooting two free throws. But, after Bechard missed the first, the Bulldogs rebounded the ball and called time out, thinking they were down just three with possession of the basketball.

The referees were notified of their error by the scoring table — which recently had allowed more than three seconds to run off the clock against Wyandotte after play was stopped — and the refs allowed Bechard to shoot his second free throw.

Bechard, who was one of five LHS starters to score eight or more points Friday, nailed the charity, making Wyandotte coach David Johnson even more frustrated.

The Bulldogs — as had been the case all evening as their 1-of-23 effort behind the three-point line would indicate — went down and missed another desperation three.

“We hadn’t been getting many calls all night, but the ones at the end went our way and actually gave us a pretty big break,” said Freeman, who tallied 10 points and hit three of the Lions’ four treys. “To start the season winning a game like this on the road is a pretty big deal.”

Lawrence High actually looked like they might run Wyandotte out of the gym when they started the game with a 7-0 run.

But LHS big man Tony Anderson, who led LHS with 11 points, got into foul trouble, and Wyandotte’s up-tempo pace helped the Bulldogs to a 13-10 lead by the first quarter’s end.

The next two quarters would go back-and-forth, but Lawrence High again went on a spurt, a 6-0 run by Allen, at the start of the fourth to take the lead.

However, James Bush’s putback and free throw with 2:20 to go tied things until Freeman broke the game back open, and Bechard secured the victory with his free throw.

“I think you could tell we had some first game nerves,” said Bechard of the Lions, who also hit only 15 of 31 free throws. “But you can’t really ask for much more in an opener than to win a close one against a talented team like them at their place.”