Lawrence High junior Anthony Selden cuts through the defense for a layup attempt against Topeka during the Lions' season opener Friday at LHS.

The fourth quarter didn’t follow the script that Lawrence High’s boys basketball players planned, but Friday’s 53-49 victory over Topeka in the 2016-17 season-opener will go in the record books.

The win marked the 100th career victory for coach Mike Lewis and the Lions gathered around their coach at mid-court following the win, holding up a congratulatory sign before retreating to the locker room to celebrate with cookies.

“I’m just proud of the way our guys found a way to win that game,” said Lewis, who improved his record to 100-58 in his eighth year at the head of the program. “I didn’t go into this concerned with my 100th win. Most people who know me know it’s definitely not about me and it’s not about my record. Lawrence High is much bigger than Mike Lewis.”

The Lions (1-0) led by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter before watching the Trojans respond with a 13-2 run for a one-point lead with two minutes left. Topeka junior guard Reece White, who played at Free State last year, scored six straight points with a three-pointer from the corner and a layup-and-the-foul bucket.

Down by a point, LHS senior Jackson Mallory grabbed a steal on the perimeter and dribbled coast-to-coast. Mallory missed his layup attempt, but 6-foot-7 senior forward Kobe Buffalomeat grabbed the miss and put it back up for a one-point advantage.

After Topeka (0-1) missed a shot and fouled LHS senior guard Austin Miller, Buffalomeat noticed a smaller defender than usual next to him in the free throw lane. Miller missed the free throw, but Buffalomeat scored on a putback — after missing once — for a 50-47 lead.

“I know I’m a big part of this team,” Buffalomeat said. “I have to step up. I have to show these younger guys what to do.”

The Trojans cut their deficit to two points with 15 seconds left, but the Lions avoided a turnover on their inbounds play and sophomore guard Clarence King knocked down two free-throws with seven seconds remaining to seal the victory.

“It was a little nerve-wracking but I had belief in myself that I could knock them down,” said King, a transfer from AC Prep. The 6-foot-1 King, a star receiver on the football team, finished with 10 points in his varsity debut, showcasing no-look passes and shiftiness on drives to the rim.

The Lions featured plenty of young talent that showed flashes of potential along with growing pains. Sophomore point guard Trey Quartlebaum scored seven of his nine points in the first half. Sophomore Brett Chapple, the classic glue guy, had four points, five rebounds and three steals. Junior Anthony Selden had four rebounds and volleyball-like swat on defense.

“We just want to get guys out on the floor and see where we’re at,” Lewis said. “We’re not really sure exactly who we are yet and it might be a while. We might be into January before we really figure it out.”

In the fourth quarter, the Lions missed six shots and turned the ball over three times. Buffalomeat scored six of his team-high 12 points in the final period, grabbing four offensive rebounds when possessions were at their most valuable.

“We got sped up,” said Buffalomeat, who had a team-high seven rebounds. “We started playing their game and that’s when they started forcing turnovers and transition buckets. Sometimes we just have to slow down and set up the play right.”

It’s actually full circle for Lewis to watch Buffalomeat step up with key plays in the final minutes. Buffalomeat’s brother, Anthony, helped Lewis earn his first victory during a 4-17 season in 2009-10.

“It’s not about me,” Lewis said. “It’s just about our team and our program. I’m proud of who we are. I just look forward to maybe knocking down another 100 one of these days.”

The Lions will play Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North in the first round of the Blue Valley Shootout at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Blue Valley High.

Topeka (49)

Nysir Scott 4-14 5-6 15, Reece White 5-7 1-3 12, Jalen Wilson 4-9 1-3 9, Key’Andre Smith 0-2 1-2 1, Carson Denney 2-4 0-0 5, Ky Thomas 0-6 1-2 1, Demarous Allen 3-7 0-1 6, Darren Canty 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-49 9-17 49.

Lawrence (53)

Braden Solko 1-1 0-0 2, Anthony Selden 0-4 0-0 0, Noah Butler 3-6 2-4 9, Jackson Mallory 2-9 0-0 5, Kobe Buffalomeat 5-8 2-2 12, Austin Miller 0-2 2-4 2, Brett Chapple 2-2 0-0 4, Clarence King 4-6 2-3 10, Trey Quartlebaum 4-6 0-1 9. Totals 21-44 8-15 53.

Topeka 12 9 11 17 — 49

Lawrence 15 12 13 13 — 53

Three-point goals: Topeka 4-19 (Scott 2, White, Denney); Lawrence 3-11 (Butler, Mallory, Quartlebaum). Fouled out: Wilson. Turnovers: Topeka 10, Lawrence 16.