Lawrence High’s Justin Roberts looks to pass behind a Highland Park player as the Lions defeated the Scots 72-64 in the semifinal round of the Blue Valley Shootout Thursday night in Stilwell.

Lawrence High boys basketball coach Mike Lewis said the first goal of the season was to play for a championship in the Blue Valley Shootout.

So far, so good.

Behind 32 points from senior point guard Justin Roberts, the Lions advanced to the title game with a 72-64 semifinals victory in overtime against Topeka Highland Park on Thursday at Blue Valley High.

The Lions, who won the eight-team tournament last season, will face Lee’s Summit (Missouri) in the title game at 8:30 tonight.

At the end of regulation, the Lions were relieved to just make it to overtime. With the game tied and 5.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Scots inbounded the ball under the opposite basket and quickly broke the Lions’ trap defense before missing a layup and putback attempt before the buzzer.

“We gambled too much,” Roberts said. “We got lucky on that.”

In overtime, the Lions went on a 7-0 run over the final 1:35 with six points by Roberts, including four free throws when the Scots were forced to foul after missing three straight shots.

“There was way too much chaos in that game for my taste,” LHS coach Mike Lewis said. “Two teams that were just getting up and down and it was getting rowdy and chaotic. You just have to kind of buckle in and survive.”

The Lions (3-0, ranked No. 9 in Class 6A) trailed by seven points at the beginning of the fourth quarter before responding with a 12-0 run. Junior guard Jackson Mallory hit a three-pointer from the wing and a layup, junior forward Kobe Buffalomeat added a bucket and Roberts scored five points at the free throw line for a 54-49 lead.

But Highland Park (1-1) eventually found its rhythm with 10 straight points from senior guard Malik Keith, who finished with a team-high 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

Mallory hit a free throw with 38 seconds left to tie the game, 61-all, and Roberts helped the Lions get the ball back by forcing a five-second call with tight defense on the perimeter. With the ball, Roberts missed a three-pointer from the right wing before Highland Park missed two layups to send the game into overtime.

“My adrenaline was going so I don’t remember a lot of it,” senior forward Fred Brou said. “Luckily we had our chance to come back and win in overtime.”

The Lions played without senior forward Price Morgan, who was in New York on a college football visit, but Brou stepped up with 16 points and nine rebounds, including the first seven LHS points. Buffalomeat, who took Morgan’s spot in the starting lineup, added four points and four rebounds.

Senior guard Anthony Harvey added seven points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Braden Solko picked up four rebounds and an assist.

“Our December schedule is pretty crazy,” Lewis said. “You just look at who we are playing and the situations. It’s a really great experience for our guys. We’re not supposed to be at our best right now. For us to kind of scratch and claw to find a way to get this one done, it’s a great win for us.”

Lawrence (72)

Justin Roberts 8-18 13-15 32, Fred Brou 5-9 6-7 16, Anthony Harvey 3-6 1-2 7, Jackson Mallory 4-8 1-2 11, Kobe Buffalomeat 2-5 0-2 4, Braden Solko 0-3 0-0 0, Austin Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Noah Butler 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 23-51 21-28 72.

Highland Park (64)

Malik Keith 8-13 5-6 25, Dalshoun Fox 2-5 3-3 7, Dae’Quan Rayton 0-0 0-2 0, Ahmad Fox 1-6 0-0 2, Harold Emmanuel 7-12 0-0 15, DaShawn Williams 0-1 1-2 1, Larry White 0-4 3-7 3, Kenny Stewart 1-1 0-0 3, Will White 1-4 0-1 2, Dasani Giardina 2-2 0-0 6. Totals 22-48 12-21 64.

Lawrence 12 18 12 19 11 — 72

Highland 12 11 23 15 3 — 64

Three-point goals: Lawrence 5-16 (Roberts 3, Mallory 2); Highland Park 8-19 (Keith 4, Giardina 2, Emmanuel, Stewart). Fouled out: Mallory, D. Fox. Turnovers: Lawrence 16, Highland Park 15.