The Lawrence High bench watches as time expires in its sub-state playoff game against Leavenworth on Friday, March 4, 2011 at Olathe North High School. The Lions lost to the Pioneers 63-50.

Olathe ? After a 63-50 season-ending loss to Leavenworth, senior Jake Johnson stood in the hallway outside the Olathe North gymnasium and stared into space.

Other members of the Lawrence High boys basketball team fiddled with their cell phones. Some looked straight down at the ground.

There just wasn’t much to say.

“It’s been such a good ride,” Lawrence High coach Mike Lewis said. “It’s been a roller coaster. We just buckled in and tried to hold on. You blink and it’s over. That’s what hurts.”

The Lions, just two days after upsetting top-seeded Olathe South, took an early 5-4 lead before watching the Pioneers sustain a 22-2 run. Leavenworth led by 16 points in the middle of the second quarter.

“We didn’t have any offensive firepower to get ourselves back into it,” Lewis said. “It was pretty obvious that they were the better team tonight.”

Junior KJ Pritchard, the Lions’ leading scorer during the season, wasn’t 100 percent after spraining his ankle in Wednesday’s victory. He couldn’t drive to the basket with the authority he did during the season and was forced to settle for jumpshots.

Lewis said having Pritchard at full strength might have helped, but noted that high school basketball is subject to randomness on a night-to-night basis.

Junior Anthony Buffalomeat led the Lions (8-14) with 12 points. Pritchard and junior Logan Henrichs added 10.

The Pioneers (16-6) held a 29-18 lead at halftime. Leavenworth’s Grant Greenberg, who finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, often scored after grabbing offensive rebounds.

The Lions closed the gap to seven at the start of the fourth quarter, but couldn’t pull within five the rest of the way.

“The reality is, we weren’t good enough tonight,” Lewis said.

The loss ends the career for the Lions’ four seniors: Jake Johnson, Ross Johnson, Trent Edwards and Garrett Wagner. The seniors didn’t play a ton of minutes, but Lewis knows that he will have to find players to replace their leadership.

“You just miss out on those opportunities to see them the rest of the year,” Lewis said.

Eight other Lions who played Friday will return for Lawrence, including four starters. Sophomore Jake Mosiman and freshman Bryce Montes de Oca played especially well in the Lions’ two sub-state games.

Mosiman scored seven points Friday.

Montes de Oca scored six points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots.

The program’s depth has been building for a couple of years now, and Lewis knows expectations for next season will be high. He also recognizes that the Lions will have to work in the offseason to become better basketball players.

“I know our guys will commit to what we’re doing and support each other, but you’ve really got to dig your heels and work hard at it,” Lewis said.

Despite the loss, Lewis is proud of his team.

“I really feel like we’ve taken some good steps in the right direction this year, maybe even a leap and bound now and then,” Lewis said.