Stillwell ? A dominating first quarter was all that it took for Lawrence High’s boys basketball team to defeat Blue Valley, 60-52, in the Blue Valley Shootout on Friday and advance to today’s championship game against Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North.

Anyone showing up after the first quarter would have seen both teams playing virtually evenly the rest of the way, but the Lions came out roaring to a 20-6 advantage to open, and the Tigers never made a game of it.

Unlike Lawrence’s victory Thursday against Ralston, Neb., in which forward Tony Anderson dominated play down low with 23 points, the Lions managed to spread the scoring among their guards against the Tigers.

“We did get in a little foul trouble with the big guys, so they had to sit,” Lions coach Chris Davis said, “so we went with a small lineup for a while and were able to keep the lead about where it was with that group.”

But it was the perimeter shooters — David Freeman and Tyler Knight — who helped put Lawrence well ahead before Anderson racked up a pair of early fouls.

Freeman shot a pair of long three-pointers and added a three-point play to supplement Anderson’s six points in the paint in what might have been Lawrence’s best quarter of basketball so far this season.

The Lions’ success from the outside was surprising considering their size advantage over Blue Valley, but it appeared there was little the Tigers could do to contain Lawrence anywhere on the court early on.

Lawrence High's Ian Handshy fights for the ball against Blue Valley's Nick Biagioli. Handshy and the Lions knocked off the Tigers, 60-52, Friday in Stilwell to advance to tonight's championship game of the Blue Valley Shootout.

“We knew coming in that they like putting the ball on the floor,” Blue Valley coach Chris Hansen said. “We didn’t contain them well at all. We were willing to give it up, and they got a lot of clean looks.”

Blue Valley did manage to reel Lawrence in the rest of the game, but never managed to get the upper hand. Neither team gained any momentum from the other as the rest of the game was spent mostly exchanging baskets. Davis said his team lost some of its focus after grabbing the early lead.

“We just had a little bit of individual play, and I think that slowed us down a bit,” Davis said. “But that’s nothing I don’t think a team doesn’t have happen early in the season.”

The Lions seemed to lose control in the third quarter when Blue Valley quickly cut the lead to 10. Lawrence’s Brennan Bechard snuffed out any opportunity of a sustained Blue Valley rally with a three-point shot, followed by a Freeman turnaround jump-shot in the paint that put Lawrence up 43-28.

Photo Gallery: LHS vs. Blue Valley

Bechard also kept the Tigers at arms length when they started fouling late in the fourth quarter. Bechard, who struggled shooting in the first half, made six of eight free-throw attempts down the stretch.

Lawrence High's David Freeman (24) triggers over Blue Valley's Lance Morris in the Lions' 60-52 victory. The Lions won Friday in the Blue Valley Shootout in Stilwell.

Lawrence faces its toughest challenge so far, and perhaps will be of any game this season, against Lee’s Summit North in today’s championship. Lee’s Summit coasted to easy victories against Ponca City and Sumner Academy in earlier rounds of the tournament, thanks to its dominant play down around the basket.

“We got an unbelievable test,” Davis said. “They might be as good a basketball team as we’ll see. We’re going to have to really pay attention inside and see what we can do to keep them from dominating us inside.”

The championship game is at 7 this evening at Blue Valley High.