Olathe ? Senior Daniel Green, Lawrence High basketball’s fiery leader, emerged from the postgame locker room, his eyes reddened from tears.

“This is my last game, man. It sucks,” Green said. “We wanted to go to Emporia. We thought we were one of the best teams in the state.”

Leavenworth, the No. 4 seed, ended top-seeded Lawrence High’s basketball season one game short of the Class 6A state tournament. The Pioneers defeated the Lions, 69-48, during the second round of sub-state play Friday night at Olathe Northwest.

The rout was on from the very start. Brandon Dougherty scored a fast-break layup off the opening tip, and the Pioneers made their first five shots as part of a 10-2 run to start the game.

“They came out and didn’t miss,” Green said.

Leavenworth also forced five Lions turnovers to take a 21-9 lead at quarter’s end.

The Lions, however, roared back in the second quarter, causing the Pioneers to turn the ball over five times. Lawrence limited Leavenworth to five points and narrowed the gap to 26-23 by halftime through improved defense and rebounding.

That momentum unraveled during the third quarter. The Pioneers opened with a 17-5 run, which put the game out of reach.

“Once they get that big lead,” senior Nathan Padia said, “it’s tough to battle back in a game like this.”

Lions senior Nick Wagner, who led the team with 15 points, did his best to try and keep the Lions close during the quarter, hitting back-to-back baskets and three straight free throws with 12 seconds left.

“Nick has been pretty solid for us all year long in being able to hit big shots,” LHS coach Chris Davis said. “And tonight he did it again.”

But this Leavenworth team bore little resemblance to the squad the Lions defeated in Leavenworth, 59-57, on Feb. 16. The Lions’ leading scorer during the season, Chance Riley, racked up a game-high 18 points during the previous meeting. But on Friday he scored only one basket, which came with 2:53 left in the game and the outcome long decided.

With six players above 6-feet tall, Leavenworth (15-7) ruled the boards. Using superior depth and athleticism, the Pioneers also quickly converted the Lions’ misses into fast-break points.

“They got a lot of easy baskets,” Davis said.

Guard Antoine Branch, whom Green frequently jawed with, delivered many of those quick points, scoring a game-high 22. He also drilled two three-pointers.

“He had his game going,” Davis said. “You can’t lay off of him because he can shoot, and you step up on him and he can drive. He makes it pretty difficult.”

Despite the hurting Branch and Co. laid on Lawrence, the Lions enjoyed a strong year, improving from 11-11 last season to 15-7 this season. They also matured as the season wore on, winning six of seven games after a cohesion-buidling, 77-51 victory against Olathe East on Feb. 2.

“We came a real long way,” Padia said. “At the beginning of the year, we weren’t playing with each other. We wanted to be individuals and stuff. That O-East game turned things around. We started playing more as a team.”

While adjusting to a new offensive scheme, emphasizing post play, the Lions finished second in the Sunflower League and captured the No. 1 seed in sub-state.

“I’m really proud of how we played all season long,” Davis said. “This team played with an awful lot of heart.”