Lawrence High’s boys basketball team has played in the Topeka Invitational Tournament for 49 years. On Saturday, the Lions will try to repeat as champions for the first time in school history.


After a four-point win over Wichita Southeast in the quarterfinals, the Lions ramped it up a notch in the semifinals for a 82-62 victory over K.C. Washington.


Now the only team standing in their way of another T.I.T. title is unbeaten Wichita East (11-0). It’s the game that everybody was rooting for — the two lone unbeatens in Class 6A.


“We wanted to get Wichita East in the final,” junior forward Fred Brou said. “A one-two (rankings) matchup. It will be great tomorrow. … It should be one of the best games I’ve played in.”


If Friday night was any gauge, the Lions will be ready for East. They had some dominant stretches offensively and defensively throughout their win over Washington. LHS coach Mike Lewis said his team is at its best when it has a big game environment and big crowds.


It’s only the second time the Lions have made it back to the T.I.T. finals following a championship. They won the title in 1966, but lost to Topeka High in 1967. The last team to repeat was Highland Park, which won from 2007-2010.


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 and I’m bringing back the high school ratings for this basketball season. These individual rankings are just one person’s opinion, but it’s a good way to look at how each person impacted each game.

Lawrence High boys basketball

1. Anthony Bonner, sr. — The Colorado State commit set the tone for the Lions, drilling three of his first four shots on his way to a team-high 16 points. But it wasn’t just his hot hand that made a difference. He had five rebounds and three assists. Two of those assists came when the Lions were struggling for points in the second quarter.


2. Price Morgan, jr. — Morgan was dominant throughout the night, and he played arguably his best game of the season. With other forwards Fred Brou and Logan Applegate limited by foul trouble, Morgan had to step up and that’s exactly what he did. He scored 14 points and had six rebounds and three steals. He also tipped a few more passes that led to steals for his teammates.


“We always talk with Price about playing loose,” LHS coach Mike Lewis said. “He was real loose. He came out and made a good square up to the basket, and drove it and scored it. He made a couple of good passes. He just had a real comfortable feel about him.”


3. John Barbee, sr. — Barbee struggled to shoot the ball in the first half, scoring all nine of his points in the second half. But he didn’t let that affect any other parts of his game. He played lockdown defense and snagged five steals to go along with nine rebounds and three assists. His only downside was a missed dunk in the third quarter, but he made up for it with a hard slam in the fourth quarter.


4. Justin Roberts, jr. — The Lions’ point guard played aggressive man-to-man defense and frustrated Washington’s guards all game long. He found his offensive rhythm in the third quarter, scoring the first three points of the second half. He also made a layup with two seconds left before halftime. He has a great sense of when to push the ball up the court quickly after opposing scores to help get a quick bucket.


5. Fred Brou, jr. — Brou was limited by foul trouble but he still had a big impact on both sides of the court. He scored two and-1’s, and he made both free throws on his path to eight points. He also had a nice assist to Morgan for a layup in the first quarter.


6. Ben Rajewski, sr. — Rajewski played strong defense throughout the game, especially on help side. He also hit a big three-pointer in the second quarter. He finished with six points, two rebounds and a steal.


7. Anthony Harvey, jr. — Harvey didn’t have his same shooting touch as Thursday, but he scored five points and had three rebounds. Whenever he’s in the game, he does a good job of calming the Lions down, and helping them run their offensive sets, preventing opposing teams from holding momentum.


8. Logan Applegate, sr. — Applegate was on track to have a big game by scoring on back-to-back possessions late in the first quarter, one on a layup and another on a baseline jumper. But then he quickly went into foul trouble. He had six points, a rebound and an assist.


9. Jackson Mallory, so. — The sophomore made the most of his minutes in the fourth quarter, scoring five points and grabbing two rebounds. He looked aggressive on the court going against some of Washington’s starters.


10. Tae Shorter, sr. — Shorter scored three points, making a layup after a nice drive to the basket. He also had a rebound and got an assist for an Applegate layup.


11. Kyle Hoffman, sr. — Hoffman passed up a three-pointer, but was fouled a few seconds later and he went 1-for-2 at the free throw line. He also dished an assist to Mallory for an easy layup.


• Next up: 5:30 p.m. Saturday vs. Wichita East at Topeka Invitational Tournament. Record: 12-0.
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