Lawrence High's Baba Diallo, left, and Free State's Weston Wiebe go for the opening tip of January's boys city showdown at LHS, won by Free State The Lions and Firebirds will renew their hardwood rivalry tonight.

If school administrators decided to turn tonight’s boys basketball showdown between Lawrence High and Free State into a two-on-two match-up, odds are the game still would draw a sellout crowd.

That’s because both the Lions (8-11 overall, 3-7 Sunflower League) and Firebirds (13-6, 7-3) feature a pair of dynamic duos capable of taking over games by themselves.

Regardless of the emphasis placed on Free State’s Weston Wiebe and Kris Wilson and LHS’s Dorian Green and John Schneider, those associated with this rivalry know the contest will be decided by much more than just two players.

“We don’t really look at it as just us two against those two,” said Wiebe, a 6-foot-4 senior forward. “We can’t win any game with just the two of us. We’re definitely going to need some of our other guys to step up if we’re going to win (tonight).”

Ditto for LHS.

All season, both teams have battled to find a consistent third scorer to complement their big two. Discovering that tonight could go a long way toward determining a winner, just as it did in the first match-up in December, when Free State junior Conner Monarez stole the show with four three-pointers and a career-high 15 points in the Firebirds’ 71-64 victory at LHS.

Both teams expect things to be different this time around, simply because so much time has passed since the last meeting.

After struggling to find their footing throughout the season, the Lions have begun to hit their stride and are playing some of their best basketball of the season. Rather than worry too much about the rivalry or the Firebirds, LHS coach Chris Davis said his squad plans to focus on playing good basketball.

“That’s the most important thing for us,” Davis said. “We just need to keep the momentum going of what’s been happening with us lately. We’ve been playing a lot better.”

LHS has won two of its last three games, the only loss coming by two points to first-place Leavenworth.

Free State, meanwhile, raced out to a 9-2 start but then slipped up and lost four of five midway through the season. The Firebirds countered that run with three straight victories and enter tonight’s city showdown riding a winning streak.

Both coaches expect the emotion and atmosphere that comes with the rivalry to play a big role in how things go early on. After that, however, it becomes about playing basketball, and the team that executes better on both ends will have the advantage.

A focal point for both teams will be the LHS three-point shooters. Along with Green, guards Bobby Davis, Lance Kilburn and Preston Scheibler all have shown the ability to knock down the outside shot throughout the season.

“If they’re making their three-point shots, they’re extremely tough to guard,” FSHS coach Chuck Law said. “And then there’s (Schneider). He’s a load. And it’s going to be a huge challenge for us to find a way to guard him in the post.”

Mismatches will present themselves on both ends of the floor. Both coaches said the team that handles them best will be in a prime position to win the game.

The outcome of tonight’s final regular-season contest figures to have a direct impact on the sub-state seedings for next week. With a victory, Lawrence High could earn the No. 6 seed and therefore would play the No. 3 seed in the first round of sub-state next Thursday. Right now, Free State has the inside track on earning that 3-seed, making tonight’s match-up even more interesting than it already would have been.

“Playing Free State, if that doesn’t get you ready for sub-state and it what it takes to do well there, nothing else does,” Davis said.

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at FSHS.