Lawrence seniors Austin Miller (3), Braden Solko (2), Kobe Buffalomeat (50), and Jackson Mallory (31) pose with the second-place trophy after Saturday’s Kansas 6A state championship game at Wichita State's Koch Arena on March 11. The Lions lost to Blue Valley Northwest, 64-61.

Wichita ? When Lawrence High’s boys basketball players exited the locker room following a 64-61 loss in the Class 6A state championship game Saturday, some of their devastation turned to pride.

On the court, during the trophy ceremony, the Lions were still stunned by their near comeback, fighting back from an 18-point deficit to Blue Valley Northwest at the start of the fourth quarter to a one-possession game in the final 30 seconds.

After watching the Huskies celebrate their title, the Lions walked to the student section and slowly walked down the line, one by one, to embrace their fans. Most of them received the same message: keep your head up.

For Lawrence’s group of four seniors: Kobe Buffalomeat, Jackson Mallory, Austin Miller and Braden Solko, it was their final time playing together, which included three straight Final Fours at Wichita State’s Koch Arena.

“They’ll be able to look back on their basketball career and I really hope just focus on all the good times,” LHS coach Mike Lewis said. “Just a nice, nice steady progress with that group. They care about Lawrence High. They care about their teammates and they cared about being leaders. Just very proud to be connected with that group of seniors.”

The pain of losing a state title wasn’t new to them. Buffalomeat and Mallory played off of the bench in the 2015 state title game — a 15-point loss to Wichita East.

But there was plenty of pride on taking a team that had one returning starter (Mallory) to the school’s 12th state title game in program history.

“Braden was actually one of my very first friends in kindergarten. I’ve grown up with him my whole life,” Buffalomeat said. “And Jackson, I started playing ball with him about second or third grade. Then Austin, I kind of knew from middle school, then he came here sophomore year and we became pretty close. Those guys are the world to me.”

Mallory added: “We’ve been through a lot together…. We had all the ups and downs this year, so we just fought together.”

Free State’s boys basketball players put their disappointment from a state semifinal loss aside Saturday during a 43-42 victory over Blue Valley North in the state’s third-place game.

It matched the school’s best finish in program history — Free State took third in 2007.

“We started as freshmen, all playing together,” FSHS senior Sloan Thomsen said. “Then to finish as seniors and especially winning, it’s indescribable.”

Free State coach Sam Stroh opted for an all-senior starting lineup to open the game — Cameron Clark Shannon Cordes, Jay Dineen, Jacob Pavlayk and Thomsen — and was proud of the progress they’ve made during his two years at the head of the program.

“The future is bright,” Stroh said. “We’re getting closer. These seniors have done a good job of showing the younger guys how to play.”

Thomsen and Cordes credited last year’s seniors — who led the Firebirds to a 15-7 record — for setting an example for their class.

When the Firebirds listed out their goals at the beginning of the season, they reached two of the biggest ones: Sunflower League title and state tournament participant.

“We’ve worked so hard all year long to go out and end on a win,” Cordes said. “I think it says a lot about our group, not just the seniors, but all the coaches and everyone involved in the program.”