Not even a one-man full-court press could stop Dorian Green.

Green, Lawrence High’s talented point guard, scored 22 points as the Lions opened the boys basketball season with a 64-53 victory over Washburn Rural on Friday night in the LHS gym.

“We pretty much knew that would happen this year,” Lawrence coach Chris Davis said of Washburn Rural’s strategy.

While one member of the Junior Blues shadowed Green from baseline to baseline, the other four Washburn Rural players dropped back in a loose man-to-man on the other Lions.

It wasn’t a box-and-one, a typical defense designed to stop one player.

“It was a man-on-one,” Davis said.

Although Rural’s ploy didn’t produce a victory, it did have an effect on Green at the free-throw line, where he made only seven of 13 attempts.

“It definitely showed up in free throws,” Green said. “I was just tired. But it’s also the first game.”

The 6-foot-1 Green, who also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, sat on the bench for only about two minutes during the second quarter — a plan Davis plans to use throughout the season.

“I hope to be able to rest him a little in the first half,” the Lions’ coach said, “then have him fight his way through the second half. He’s in shape, and he’ll get in better shape.”

Not that Green was a one-man show. He did lead the Lions with a trio of three-point goals, but five of his teammates added one triple apiece, including 6-4 senior Lance Kilburn, who finished with 17 points.

“We knew they’d face-guard Dorian,” Kilburn said, “and we knew we had to step up.”

As might be expected in the first game at home, the Lions came out blazing, making eight of 12 shots on the way to a 19-12 first-quarter lead. But then the Junior Blues took over the second quarter and squeezed a 34-32 halftime lead.

“We started so well we may have taken a break and relaxed,” Davis said.

Whatever it was, Davis made sure to mention their second-quarter swoon during the halftime break.

“Coach challenged us,” Green said, “and we stepped up. We did it as a team.”

Not right away, they didn’t. The Lions didn’t break this one open until the last five minutes, when they snapped a 48-all deadlock with a 7-0 spurt — a decisive two-minute sizz that featured an inside twister by Kilburn, a stick-back by Marcus Ray and an NBA-range three-pointer by Green.

Washburn Rural never came any closer than six points the rest of the way as the Junior Blues missed eight of their last 10 shots, and the Lions made three of their last five free throws.

Mainly, though, the Lions won because of torrid 51.1 percent shooting (23-45), while the Junior Blues shot 38.7 percent (19-49), including a chilly 27 percent (7-of-26) in the second half.

Bobby Chipman, son of Washburn University men’s coach Bob Chipman, led the Junior Blues with 15 points.

Next for the Lions will be a first-round game in the Blue Valley Shootout. Lawrence will meet Ponca City, Okla., at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.