LHS sophomore Anthony Buffalomeat tries to get the loose ball in first half action Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010 against Leavenworth. The Lions lost 63-46.

If there was a silver lining in the Lawrence High boys basketball team’s 63-46 lopsided loss to Leavenworth on Tuesday, it may have been that Lawrence rediscovered its shooting touch in the second half.

“I hope so,” Lions’ coach Mike Lewis said.

Lawrence was coming off its two lowest-scoring games of the season, managing just 35 points against Olathe Northwest and 32 against Blue Valley North.

That frigid shooting continued in the first half Tuesday when the Lions scored a mere 11 points, two in the first quarter. But they erupted in the second half, shooting better than 50 percent (14 of 26) and actually outscoring the Pioneers (13-6), 35-34.

“The second half showed what we can really do,” said senior Marcus Ray who scored eight of his team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter. “We’ve just got to shoot like that from the git-go.”

Time will tell if the Lions really have turned their shooting around. Lewis knows, for instance, there is no guarantee just because his players caught fire in the second half.

“Sometimes you shoot better when you have nothing to lose, when there’s no pressure on you,” he said. “The main thing is we have to stick together, move on and get ready for Friday.”

The Lions will entertain Free State, hoping to even the intra-city series after falling to the Firebirds, 50-45, last December on the other side of town.

“It’s a rivalry game,” Lewis said. “If you can’t get up for that, you should check it in.”

Lawrence (4-15) has dropped seven of its last eight, and is assured of a road game in next week’s 6A sub-state.