A few steps away from a Lawrence High student wearing a Superman costume, Kristian Pope did his best hero impression at Thursday’s boys basketball sub-state game against Olathe North.

After watching Spencer Essman sink a half-court, overtime-forcing shot in the teams’ first matchup, Pope got revenge Thursday when he drained a shot three steps beyond halfcourt at the end of the first quarter.

The points would prove important down the stretch, as the Lions fought off a late Eagles run for a 58-54 victory.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Pope said of his 55-foot heave. “I was looking at it and thought, ‘It’s probably going to fall short in front of the rim.’ Coach (Chris Davis) said it was a payback for them.”

Lawrence High trailed only once, using the hot hand of Tyler Knight to take a 21-12 lead after eight minutes.

The 6-foot-2 senior made each of his seven shots, including a pair of three-pointers, in a 15-point first quarter.

“We came out with big intensity,” Knight said. “We were way more intense than we have been all year.”

The focus especially could be seen on defense, where LHS mixed it up by playing a man-to-man defense after using mostly zone all season.

The result was a dismal shooting night for North, as the team made just four of its 33 attempts (12 percent) from behind the arc.

“I’m sure they came into the game expecting to shoot a lot of open threes,” Davis said, “and that just didn’t happen.”

The Lions held a 56-45 lead with 1:52 remaining when the Eagles started to make their move.

North went on a 9-1 run to pull it within three, but Nathan Padia knocked in the second of two free throws with 14 seconds remaining to secure the victory.

Knight led Lawrence with 20 points, and Cameron Hershiser picked up the load offensively in the second half. The senior scored nine of his 14 points in the final 16 minutes, with most of his scores the result of drives to the basket.

“Cameron’s been on a steady climb since two or three games ago,” Pope said. “He’s been playing really well.”

Nathan Padia and Chance Riley each added seven.

For the most part, Lawrence advanced without its greatest strength: outside shooting. The Lions did not make a three-pointer after the first quarter and finished 4-of-13 overall.

The victory sets up a much-anticipated matchup with No. 2-ranked Olathe South. The Eagles, who defeated the Lions, 77-60, last month, came away with a 20-point victory against Olathe Northwest to advance.

Saturday’s game at Topeka High will begin at 5 p.m., with a trip to the state tournament in Emporia on the line.

“I think we have more rivalry with South than we do Free State,” Knight said. “They handed it to us at home, so we want to hand it to them at sub-state and end their season.”

Lawrence High boys 58, Olathe North 54

Olathe North (54)

Jay Brown 4 5-6 15, Jared Milo 7 1-4 15, DeMarkis Dobbins 5 3-3 14, Spencer Essman 2 2-2 7, Brandon Gant 1 0-0 2, Sherard Washington 0 1-3 1, Darren Tidd 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 12-18 54.

Lawrence High (58)

Tyler Knight 6 5-6 20, Cameron Hershiser 4 6-7 14, Chance Riley 3 1-1 7, Nathan Padia 3 1-2 7, Tyron Mumford 2 0-0 4, Kristian Pope 1 0-4 3, Nathan Hickey 0 3-6 3, John Novotny 0 0-0 0, Daniel Green 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 16-26 58.

Olathe North 12 12 12 18 – 54

Lawrence 21 9 15 13 – 58

Three-point goals: Olathe North 4 (Brown 2, Dobbins, Essman), Lawrence 4 (Knight 3, Pope). Turnovers: Olathe North 7, Lawrence 12. Total fouls: Olathe North 20, Lawrence 18. Technical fouls: Lawrence (Green). Records: Olathe North 9-12, Lawrence 11-10.