Leavenworth ? Chris Davis couldn’t believe Wednesday’s Class 6A sub-state boys basketball score — Olathe North 33, Olathe South 27.

“I was shocked,” said Davis, Lawrence High’s boys basketball coach.

The score wasn’t a misprint. The seventh-seeded team in the Leavenworth sub-state did stun the No. 2 seed by taking the air out of the ball.

Now Lawrence High and Olathe North will collide tonight with a berth in next week’s Class 6A state tournament on the line.

Tipoff will be 5 p.m. in the Leavenworth High gym. Host Leavenworth and top seed Free State will battle at 7:45 for the other state spot.

Ten days ago, Lawrence High (14-7) had no trouble disposing of the Eagles (5-16), posting a 75-50 triumph in the LHS gym. But this is sub-state time, and Davis is concerned because the Lions haven’t faced a team all season that put the ball in the deep freeze.

“We’ll do everything we can to work on it,” Davis said prior to Thursday’s practice. “Believe me, we’ll deal with it a lot.”

The key for the Lions could be 6-foot-7 post player Tony Anderson.

“We just really have to take advantage of Tony inside,” said Davis, noting that Olathe North’s tallest player stands 6-4. “And if they slow it down, we just have to be patient.”

6Sports video: Free State, LHS look to advance at sub-state FSHS boys basketball schedules/stats LHS boys basketball schedules/stats

Free State (18-3) also will be facing a team it defeated earlier in the season. Last month, the Firebirds tripped Leavenworth, 66-58, in the FSHS gym. In that game, Free State built a big halftime lead, then lost focus and had to hold on down the stretch.

“Last time we played them, they played us straight man. They didn’t gimmick Brady (Morningstar),” FSHS coach Jack Schreiner said of Free State’s leading scorer. “We just have to play smart and play like we’ve been playing, and we’ll be OK.”

Those wanting to check out both city teams tonight will have a financial hurdle to clear. KSHSAA rules dictate that separate admission be charged for each of tonight’s games. That means the gym will be cleared after the Lions meet the Eagles.

“I think that’s a shame,” Davis said. “It will keep a lot Free State fans from coming early and cheering for us, and prevent many of our fans from staying and cheering for them.”

Schreiner echoed Davis’s complaints.

“I think it really hurts us, because I know a lot of Lawrence people would stay,” Schreiner said, “but I don’t know how many are going to stay if they have to pay five more dollars.”

A replay of the Free State-Leavenworth game will be shown at 10:30 tonight on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6.