photo by: John Young

Free State senior Chrision Wilburn, left, defends Lawrence High senior Justin Roberts, right, while Roberts eyes the basket during their game Friday evening at LHS.

At this point of the high school basketball season, wins and losses don’t mean a ton. But a win in the City Showdown meant everything for Lawrence High’s girls basketball team.


The Lions picked up one of their biggest wins in the past few seasons with a 49-48 victory against Free State on Friday at LHS. It ended a 12-game losing streak to the Firebirds, and tossed the proverbial monkey off of their back.


For a young LHS team, it’s a confidence boost that could be crucial going into winter break and into Sunflower League play. The losing streak never bothered the Lions, but I think it was validation that their hard work was paying off with a signature win against a top ranked team in the state.


For the Firebirds, it was a tough way to head into winter break, but they have plenty of talent and have to be considered contenders at the top of the league. They shot 29 percent from the field and only lost by a point. The biggest key will be finding consistent No. 2 and No. 3 scorers behind junior Madison Piper.


Lawrence High’s boys basketball team rolled to a 79-65 victory over Free State at LHS. The Lions had all of the momentum in the second half, drilling shots and grabbing 50-50 balls.


It’s impressive how well some of the new starters (Fred Brou, Anthony Harvey and Jackson Mallory) have played for the Lions, stepping into a much bigger role after coming off of the bench last year. I think the Lions have to be thrilled to end their December schedule with a 5-1 record after playing some quality teams.


The Firebirds showed a ton of poise in the first half, taking a six-point halftime lead in a raucous environment on the road. The ball didn’t roll their way in the second half, but that’s not an easy game to play in just your third game of the season. It’ll be fun to see how this team improves after winter break.

photo by: John Young

Free State senior Chrision Wilburn, left, defends Lawrence High senior Justin Roberts, right, while Roberts eyes the basket during their game Friday evening at LHS.

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In case you missed it, we’re copying one of the popular features of KUsports.com, “Keegan’s Ratings,” where Sports Editor Tom Keegan ranks KU football and men’s basketball players after every game he attends. These individual rankings are just one person’s opinion, but it’s a good way to look at how each person impacted each game.

Free State girls basketball

1. Jaelyn Two Hearts, soph. — The Firebirds needed some offense and Two Hearts stepped up and knocked down big shots. At the end of the first half, Two Hearts scored eight points in a two-minute stretch, draining a pair of threes. In the final seconds, she did a good job of creating space for a potential game-winning shot. She added five rebounds and a steal.


2. Madison Piper, jr. — The Lions focused on stopping Piper and she was held to 10 points. But even on an off night shooting the ball (3-for-16), that didn’t stop her from making a big impact. She nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds, to go along with four assists, two blocks and some great defensive plays in the second half.


3. Cameryn Thomas, soph. — Thomas only recorded one steal, but she was a huge reason the Lions had 19 turnovers because of her full-court pressure. The 5-foot-7 point guard added six points and five boards, including a key rebound with under 30 seconds left on a missed free throw.


4. Hannah Walter, sr. — When the Firebirds struggled to create offense in the first quarter, Walter stepped up with a free throw and a layup. She ended up with seven points, five rebounds and two steals.


5. Caiti Schlesener, sr. — The senior transfer from Topeka Cornerstone just knows how to step up in crunch time. In the fourth quarter, Schlesener hit a huge three-pointer with 1:02 left, cutting the Firebirds’ deficit to one point. She finished with nine points and three steals.


6. Peyton Brown, sr. — Brown had a tough defensive assignment in the first half, guarding the 6-3 Ajekwu, but that didn’t stop her from grabbing tough rebounds. Brown had five boards and assisted on a three-pointer by Two Hearts.


7. Jaycie Bishop, jr. — Drained a huge three-pointer in the third quarter after the Lions went on a 5-0 run to tie the game. Bishop added a steal in the first quarter.


• Next up: 5:30 p.m. Jan. 5 at SM East. Record: 3-1.

Free State boys basketball

1. Chrision Wilburn, sr. — Wilburn had a tough matchup, lining up against some athletic forwards. But he held his own, scoring 13 points with five rebounds and two assists. He scored an and-one in the first quarter and hit a nice jumper to open the second half.


2. Hunter Gudde, sr. — The 6-foot-2 senior did a good job in the third quarter earning trips to the free throw line with strong drives to the rim. He also had a nice coast-to-coast layup in the fourth quarter. He scored 13 points and added five rebounds.


3. Sloan Thomsen, jr. — Thomsen carried the Firebirds in the second quarter, scoring nine points. Usually known as a sharpshooter, he dominated with putbacks, doing a good job of reading misses off of the rim. He had 12 points and five rebounds.


4. Jay Dineen, jr. — Dineen brought a ton of energy off of the bench for the Firebirds, making plays on both sides of the court. He scored nine points, including a buzzer-beating layup at the end of the third quarter on a wild sequence with a few turnovers by both squads. He added four rebounds and a block.


5. Kristian Rawls, sr. — In the fourth quarter, Rawls did his best to keep his team in the game with free throws and a layup on back-to-back possessions. He just didn’t have many driving lanes throughout the night, finishing with seven points and two rebounds.


6. Jacob Pavylak, jr. — Pavlyak played well defensively in the first half, preventing drives to the rim. He had three points, scoring the first FSHS points of the game. He also had a steal and an assist.


7. Drew Tochtrop, sr. — A versatile defender, Tochtrop didn’t attempt any shots but played solid defense in the paint and on the perimeter. He had a rebound, assist and a steal.


8. Shannon Cordes, jr. — Cordes drilled a three-pointer during the second quarter, shooting 1-for-5 from the field.


9. Simon McCaffrey, soph. — Playing in his first City Showdown, McCaffrey scored on a layup in the third quarter and he missed a three-pointer. He also assisted on a bucket by Cordes.


10. Darian Lewis, sr. — Lewis missed his only shot attempt, but he grabbed two rebounds.


• Next up: 7 p.m. Jan. 5 at SM East. Record: 2-1.

Lawrence High girls basketball

1. Skylar Drum, jr. — Drum was tasked with her toughest defensive assignment of the season and she used her athleticism to slow down Madison Piper, last year’s Sunflower League Player of the Year. On offense, Drum drained a clutch jumper to give the Lions a lead in the fourth quarter. She had six points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal.


2. Chisom Ajekwu, fr. — Nobody was more dominant in the first half. Ajekwu used her 6-foot-3 length to score on putbacks in the paint. She completed a double-double by halftime and finished with a team-high 12 points and 16 rebounds. The Firebirds denied her the ball in the post in the second half, but Ajekwu cleaned up the glass in the final minute, grabbing two key rebounds on Free State missed shots.


3. E’lease Stafford, soph. — In the fourth quarter, playing with four fouls, Stafford carried the Lions on offense. She gave them the lead for good on a putback and she made two free throws after a nice drive to the rim. She ended up with 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists.


4. Alexis Boyd, sr. — It looked the like the wheels were going to fall off for the Lions in the third quarter when Stafford went to the bench in foul trouble and they had a few turnovers on offense. Then Boyd stepped up with five straight points, using her height in the post to make baskets from close range.


5. Olivia Lemus, jr. — Lemus didn’t have her best night shooting the ball, but she’s never scared to pull the trigger when she finds space behind the three-point line. Lemus knocked down some huge shots in the second half, giving the Lions momentum. She had 10 points, three assists and two steals.


6. Hannah Stewart, fr. — Against a full-court press for most of the night, Stewart was poised in her first City Showdown. She had a couple of turnovers, but she didn’t let that affect her. Stewart scored two points and grabbed three rebounds.


7. Gracie Reinsch, sr. — Reinsch recorded all of her stats on one offensive possession, missing a layup, but scoring on the putback. She always brings good energy for the Lions when she’s on the court.


8. Talima Harjo, soph. — When Drum needed some rest on the bench, Harjo guarded Piper and did a good job of running through screens. She missed two shots, but grabbed a rebound.


9. Leslie Ostronic, fr. — Ostronic didn’t attempt any shots, but grabbed two rebounds off of the bench.


10. Emma Bentzinger, sr. — Bentzinger does a solid job of denying passes in the post. She missed her only shot attempt.


• Next up: 5:30 p.m. Jan. 5 at Leavenworth. Record: 4-2.

Lawrence High boys basketball

1. Justin Roberts, sr. — The bigger the game, the better Roberts usually plays. He was in rhythm offensively, scoring a game-high 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including eight points in a 14-1 run in the third quarter and an assist on a dunk by Fred Brou. Roberts had three rebounds and two assists.


2. Price Morgan, sr. — Morgan picked up his second foul with more than three minutes left in the first quarter. He sat for a long stretch, but credit to him for staying in rhythm when he returned to the court. He scored nine points in the third quarter, taking defenders off of the dribble or posting up in the low post. He finished with 20 points and four rebounds.


3. Fred Brou, sr. — Brou was amped in the first few minutes, skying high for rebounds but missing his first three shots. Once he settled in, he was a dominant force. He scored five of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, including a one-handed slam that likely closed the door on any comeback attempt with three minutes left. He completed a double-double with 10 rebounds and made some nice passes, dishing three assists.


4. Jackson Mallory, jr. — When the Lions are playing at their best, Mallory is usually a big reason behind it. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but he has great vision and sets his teammates up for easy baskets, and he plays solid defense. Mallory had five points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.


5. Anthony Harvey, sr. — Harvey just knows how to hit big shots during key moments. He drilled a pair of three-pointers and he opened the fourth quarter with a nice drive down the lane for a layup. He added four rebounds.


6. Kobe Buffalomeat, jr. — Buffalomeat is only becoming more comfortable on the defensive end. He had a big block on a layup attempt in the second quarter, wshihc quickly turned into a layup for Roberts. Buffalomeat had four points and a rebound.


7. Braden Solko, jr. — Solko played solid defense on the perimeter, grabbing a steal in the second quarter. He added a layup near the end of the first quarter, assisted from Mallory.


8. Austin Miller, jr. — Missed a three-pointer at the end of the first quarter, his only shot attempt.


• Next up: 7 p.m. Jan. 5 at Leavenworth. Record: 5-1.

photo by: John Young

Free State junior Madison Piper (14 ) lines up a three point shot over Lawrence High junior Skylar Drum (3) during their game Friday evening at LHS.

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As always, feel free to comment, email me, or find me on Twitter @nightengalejr.