If you ever have watched Princeton University’s men’s basketball team play and thought the action moved along too fast, you would have enjoyed Olathe Northwest’s game plan against Lawrence High on Wednesday night.

“It was slower than we’ve played all year long,” LHS coach Chris Davis said. “As long we played smart, we figured we could weather that.”

During the opening-round game of the Class 6A boys sub-state tournament, Northwest eschewed the 2-2-1 press it had relied on most of the year. Instead, the Ravens played a zone defense and meticulously waited for their best shot on offense.

LHS, though, eventually mastered that strategy and won, 52-43, advancing to play Leavenworth on Friday at Olathe Northwest. The winner of that game will move on to the state tournament.

During Wednesday’s contest, the Lions did not score until the 5:42 mark of the molasses-like first period, which ended with the score tied at 6.

“We played a pretty decent first quarter under the circumstances,” Davis said. “There just weren’t as many possessions as there are in a normal quarter.”

Sophomore Dorian Green gave LHS its best offensive spark during that quarter. With Northwest crowding the interior, he saw the open space and drove for back-to-back layups along the baseline.

“That was our advantage,” Davis said. “He just got the basketball and recognized it.”

Green also made a big play during the second quarter, answering Jeff Thomas’ three-pointer with one of his own at the 6:22 mark. The Lions took over during that quarter, scoring 21 points and forcing their own tempo by employing a pressure defense and converting points in transition.

“We just tried to push the ball,” senior Nathan Padia said. “Our fast breaks were open.”

Once the Lions (15-6) began pushing the ball, they effectively employed the game plan of throwing the ball in to 6-foot-7 John Schneider. One could see that design from the get-go; the first LHS play of the game was a set one for Schneider.

The junior, who scored 12 points – including a third-quarter-ending buzzer beater – had four inches on Nick Williams, Northwest’s starting post player.

“They don’t have a match for him down low,” Dorian Green said. “We expected that John should have a pretty big game tonight, and he did that.”

During the third quarter, Nick Wagner, who scored a game-high 13 points, converted a four-point play to stretch the lead to 30-18.

“We needed a basket right about then,” Davis said. “He’s been great for that. I’m just happy it ended up in his hands right there.”

Wagner’s play provided a dagger. The 12-point margin proved difficult to overcome, considering the Ravens’ style of play.

As the No. 8 seed, Northwest (7-13) figured it did not have the talent to keep up with top-seeded LHS and turned to that unique game plan.

“When a one plays an eight, something’s usually going to be different,” Davis said. “To their credit they didn’t come out and just stall. They were looking for open shots.”

The Lions’ win sets up Friday’s 5 p.m. game against fourth-seeded Leavenworth (14-7), which LHS defeated, 59-5,7 during a back-and-forth game Feb. 16. Davis called it “one of the most physical games I’ve ever seen.”

Expect a repeat of that intensity but no slow-down offenses when the two Sunflower League heavyweights meet.

“That’s not gonna happen,” Davis said with a smile.