It was an easy choice, really. Either sit in front of the television and watch a weeping judge and then a video of Anna Nicole Smith talking in a far-away manner, seemingly unaware her face had been painted, or head out to the “Jungle” to watch a high school basketball doubleheader.

The seat was hard, but the basketball was a blast to watch Friday night.

The parking lot was full before the start of the girls game. The refrigerators were stocked to the brim with soda in anticipation of an overflow crowd, and get this, the last soda was sold before the boys game tipped off, and man was it hot indoors.

The popularity of the Free State-Lawrence High basketball rivalry has outgrown the Jungle. The solution? Arrive earlier. Bet you thought I was going to say move the game to a bigger venue. Tempting, but that would require surrendering too great an atmosphere.

The Lawrence High boys came out of the night with a 66-59 victory and a No. 1 seed in next week’s Class 6A sub-state tournament.

A pair of Free State senior wings visiting the Jungle for the last time didn’t make it easy on the Lions.

Nick Devin, the hard-driving lefty with the floppy hair and soft jump shot, swished four three-pointers on the way to a 16-point night. Kyle Schreiner shot the Firebirds back into it with 12 fourth-quarter points, the final two on a high-flying, yet smooth, up-and-under move, on his way to 17-point night.

All nine of Christian Ballard’s points came in the first three quarters, and he could have scored more had he been fed the ball more often.

Free State played well, but didn’t win for the simple reason the Firebirds aren’t as good as LHS this season.

The Lions have so much depth, such flexibility and so much experience that when things aren’t going well, they never seem to lose faith that better times are imminent.

For example, when Devin, Schreiner and Ballard sparked Free State to a 12-2 start, no sense of dread was evident on the faces of any Lions. A new platoon of players was sent in, and the mood remained calm on the bench. Plenty of time.

The Lions separate themselves from other teams with their four-deep bench. Senior Kevin Logan hit a huge three-pointer during a 15-2 third-quarter run, and classmate Jace McNabb fed the post superbly. John Schneider, a 6-foot-7 junior with a soft shooting touch, gets more comfortable all the time down on the block. He scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half.

And then there is sophomore point guard Dorian Green, who has the best feel for the game of basketball of anyone on the floor Friday. The city’s best prospect, Green always seems to know where to go with the ball. He weaves through crowded lane traffic so smoothly it looks almost as if he’s bored, then, wham, the ball ends up in a teammate’s hands for an easy bucket.

Green supplied the night’s best highlight when he blocked a shot off the backboard, picked up the loose ball, took it down the court, smoothly sped through the lane, darted down the left side and dropped it in off the backboard with his right hand. Catch his act live, soon.

This team is an extremely entertaining one to watch and will need the support in its first-round game in the Jungle. Just in case, arrive on the early side.