LHS girls thrilled for state tourney opener

Preparing for the program’s first trip to the Class 6A state tournament since 2008, Lawrence High senior guard Olivia Lemus remembers when that didn’t seem like much of a possibility.

Following the 2008 season, the Lions went seven years without posting a winning record.

Now, the Lions are dreaming of a state title. Lawrence will play No. 3-seed Olathe South (18-4) at 4:45 p.m. today at Wichita State’s Koch Arena.

“It’s definitely a great feeling,” Lemus said of the state-clinching win. “I was so emotional when it happened. It’s really hard to describe because coming in my freshman year, it was kind of hard to see us going. Now all of the work that we’ve put in with (coach Jeff) Dickson, it’s been amazing.”

The sixth-seeded Lions (18-4) will enter state with a seven-game winning streak — all of them by at least 10 points.

With a focus on defense, the Lions have held opponents to under 45 points in five of their last six games.

“Now they finally, I think, truly see themselves as championship-caliber talent,” said Dickson, in his third year with LHS. “Whereas before, I think in the back of their minds, they weren’t sure if they really believed it. Now I think they really do.”

Playing in the state tournament, the Lions are confident that they will adjust to the big stage. They’ve played at Wichita State’s summer camps, so they are used to the court and locker rooms, and they are plenty familiar with Olathe South.

The Falcons beat Lawrence, 54-38, on Jan. 6, which was the second Sunflower League game for both teams.

“I feel like we’ve gotten more experience under our belts so I feel like it’s going to go better,” sophomore point guard Hannah Stewart said.

The Lions have brought the 2008 state championship trophy to practice throughout the past few seasons, visualizing what it would be like to win a state title.

“I’m happy to be able to go to the state tournament during my high school years because freshman year, I didn’t see me going,” Lemus said. “Now just everything is going great. I hope to keep it up.”