Lawrence High's Chisom Ajekwu, left, E'lease Stafford (40) and Hannah Stewart (1) huddle during a stoppage in play in their game against Shawnee Mission South on Friday evening at LHS.

After a nine-point victory in the City Showdown on Friday, Lawrence High’s girls basketball players were thrilled they helped the program take a big step forward.

The win meant more than bragging rights. It secured home-court advantage throughout sub-state.

On a four-game winning streak, the second-seeded Lions (11-9) will play No. 7-seed Shawnee Mission East (4-16) at 7 tonight at LHS, hosting their first sub-state game since 2008 — the same year the Lions won a state championship.

The Lions, who will likely be without leading scorer E’lease Stafford (leg injury) for sub-state, are plenty familiar with that ’08 team. In a few practices over the past two seasons, second-year LHS coach Jeff Dickson has brought the state championship trophy to practice.

“We see the girls in the pictures and we want that to be us,” LHS junior guard Olivia Lemus said. “We want to be able to share that moment with each other in front of this community.”

With the state title trophy at practice, the Lions will practice their celebration. They will watch the final seconds tick off of the clock, have an announcer say they are the state champions, and the seniors will grab the trophy to bring back to the rest of their teammates to celebrate.

“We practice everything,” Dickson said. “We want to make sure that we’re ready for those moments and how we’re going to handle it. I think that gives the girls something to dream about or think about, and they know the coaching staff is planning for that to happen. We’re planning for that to happen this year.”

Rome wasn’t built in one day, and a winning culture can’t be created overnight.

Before tournament week, on Jan. 25, Dickson invited former coach Kristin Mallory to speak to the team, who led the Lions to the ’08 title. Mallory coached a few of the current Lions at Southwest Middle School.

In Mallory’s speech, she spoke to the Lions about working hard, staying mentally tough and playing together.

“A couple of things she said in her speech, coach Dickson kind of took it and we talk about it before every game,” senior forward Emma Bentzinger said. “It just brings us together and gets our head all in the same place before the game so we’re all focused and ready to go.”

Lemus added: “She knows what it takes to get there and if we listen, maybe we can get there, too. It was great advice.”

All of the ties to the ’08 season are no coincidence. Despite losing seasons filling the past few years, Dickson wants the Lions to know the school’s history with 10 state tournament appearances and three titles.

“Our girls need to know that,” Dickson said. “They are a part of that history and have a responsibility to get the program back to that level. That was one of the things that I wanted (Mallory) to relay to them, too, for them to understand it’s not been that long and we have connections to greatness.”

The Lions, who have won seven of their past 10 games, have only scratched the surface of where they want the program to be, but they are proud of the direction they are headed.

“The names will change, and the kids will come and go, but we’re going to be a state championship-caliber team come hell or high water,” Dickson said. “We’re not spending time downgrading our talent. It’s up to other people, maybe, to assess whether those are reasonable goals, but it doesn’t matter who is in our gym — that’s our goal and what we’re going to push for.”