Lawrence High senior Anthony Bonner shoots a three over flying KC Washington senior Kalem Harrison (23) during the semifinals of the Topeka Invitational Tournament Friday evening in Topeka.

Topeka ? Lawrence High’s boys basketball players had something to prove against Kansas City (Kansas) Washington on Friday night.

After a four-point win in the quarterfinals on Thursday, the Lions dominated on both sides of the court in a 82-62 rout in the Topeka Invitational Tournament semifinals at Highland Park.

The Lions were locked in from the opening tip, jumping to a 23-10 lead in the first quarter. Senior guard Anthony Bonner paved the way with 10 points, draining two three-pointers in the first three minutes.

“Last night, it was kind of a slow, lethargic game — a lot closer than we expected it to be,” junior forward Price Morgan said. “We wanted to come out, make a point, make a statement, and show that we’re a better team.”

Morgan had no problems going up against Washington’s front line featuring a 6-foot-9 center and a 6-foot-8 forward off of the bench. The 6-foot-4 Morgan deflected numerous passes on defense that led to steals, and he didn’t back down on offense. He scored six of his 14 points in the first quarter.

Logan Applegate, a 6-foot-3 senior forward, scored on back-to-back possessions in the first quarter, and 6-foot-5 junior Fred Brou scored eight points throughout the game.

“We’re used to it,” Brou said about facing Washington’s height. “We’re undersized in nine of the 10 games we play. So we’re used to it, and we play physical.”

Washington (8-3, ranked No. 6 in Class 5A) clawed its way back to a seven-point deficit in the second quarter with a 7-0 run midway through the period.

But the Lions (12-0) responded with a 13-4 run to open the second half. Morgan and Brou scored seven of those points, punctuated by a layup-and-the-foul by Brou, which was assisted by Morgan.

“I was getting to the basket,” said Morgan, who had six rebounds and three steals. “Guys were feeding me. Overall, it just worked out really well.”

The Lions were focused defensively for the entire third quarter, forcing the Wildcats to 20 percent shooting (3-for-15) and four turnovers. LHS senior guard John Barbee, who led the team with five steals and nine rebounds, added five points in the last four minutes of the third quarter, highlighted by a fast-break layup-and-the-foul bucket.

“You have to hand it to Washington. They amped it up in that second quarter, and I think we got a little bit comfortable,” LHS coach Mike Lewis said. “Then we challenged our guys to come out in the third and continue to get better, and they responded well.”

The Wildcats never pulled closer than 15 in the fourth quarter, with the Lions finding scoring from all 11 players who stepped on the court. Bonner led the team with 16 points, while Morgan had 14 points and Barbee and junior point guard Justin Roberts each scored nine.

The Lions will play Wichita East (11-0) in the tournament championship game at 5:30 p.m. today, the only other undefeated team in 6A.

“I’ve been looking forward to this one,” Morgan said. “They’re a great one. Number one vs. number two match-up. It should be a good one to watch.”

LAWRENCE (82)

Justin Roberts 3-12 3-4 9, Price Morgan 5-9 4-5 14, Ben Rajewski 2-3 1-2 6, Anthony Bonner 6-13 2-2 16, John Barbee 4-10 1-3 9, Fred Brou 3-4 2-2 8, Anthony Harvey 1-3 3-4 5, Logan Applegate 2-3 0-0 6, Tae Shorter 1-2 1-2 3, Jackson Mallory 2-2 1-2 5, Kyle Hoffman 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 30-60 19-28 82.

KC WASHINGTON (62)

JaMarkus Dawn 1-3 0-0 2, James McNeal 8-22 5-7 22, Donald Metoyer 2-5 3-6 7, Kalem Harrison 7-8 3-4 17, William Jefferson 2-5 0-0 4, Trayvon Hards 2-2 0-0 4, DeMarco Smith 2-3 0-2 4, Daimon Jackson 0-2 2-2 2. Totals 24-50 13-20 62.

Lawrence 23 15 18 26 — 82

KC Wash. 10 19 10 23 — 62

Three-point field goals: Lawrence 3-15 (Bonner 2, Rajewski); Washington 1-12 (McNeal). Turnovers: Lawrence 7, Washington 14.