The Kansas Cagers 15-and-under AAU team was fueled by incoming Lawrence High freshmen Trey Quartlebaum and Brett Chapple to two victories Friday in the Sunflower Showcase youth basketball tournament at Sports Pavilion Lawrence.

The Cagers coasted to a 67-20 victory over the Missouri Rain Makers to begin the day. Chapple was 6-for-6 from the field and collected 13 points, six rebounds and three steals.

“I felt pretty good because I just felt shots were going in, and we played as a team, so that’s all that really matters,” Chapple said.

While Chapple was a force inside for the Cagers, Quartlebaum got in going from the outside by nailing three of six attempts from behind the arc on his way to a team-high 15 points.

Quartlebaum was a nuisance at the front of the Cagers’ three-quarter-court press, which helped force 26 Rain Makers turnovers.

“It was really effective,” said Quartlebaum of the Cagers’ backcourt pressure. “We found their weaknesses and forced them left. Our backside defense helped us, too, if we got beat.”

Warrior Hoops forward Mark Weinhold reaches for a pass in the paint against Illinois Rise players during the Sunflower Showcase at the Sports Pavilion Lawrence on Friday, July 24, 2015.

Nebraska Select Sullivan turned the tables on the Cagers.

Nebraska Select Sullivan pressed full-court to open the game, for which Cagers guard and LHS sophomore Jacob Rajewski said his team wasn’t ready.

“We weren’t mentally prepared for the game,” Rajewski said. “Once we got into that mind-set, we broke the press easy, but we had to get into that mind-set first.”

The press gave the Cagers fits early, but they started to work the ball toward the middle of the floor to open the passing lanes and get into a rhythm offensively. The Cagers seized momentum late in the first half and never let up on the way to a 75-61 win.

Quartlebaum paced the Cagers again with 22 points after shooting 6-for-7 from the field and 9-for-17 from the free-throw line.

Chapple was aggressive again underneath on his way to scoring 20 points and pulling down five boards. The Cagers forward was 9-for-11 from the field.

The Cagers (3-1 in pool play) will take on the Iowa Fire at 12:45 p.m. today. If the Cagers win, they’ll play again at 5:45 p.m.

Weinhold enjoying home tournament

Veritas Christian School senior Mark Weinhold will be the quarterback of the Eagles’ football team in the fall, but he is playing basketball with Warriors Hoops 17-and-under AAU team this summer.

Weinhold and the Warriors went 0-3 in pool play.

“This is awesome,” Weinhold said. “I’m so happy it’s here. I just wish we had more close ones like this.”