After some close losses earlier this season, Lawrence High’s girls basketball team wasn’t going to let its latest chance just slip away.


When the pressure was turned up a little bit in the fourth quarter, the Lions answered with 14 straight points to put the game away and rip out a 45-31 victory over Wichita Northwest.


It was a weird game in that the Lions’ lead always felt safe even when Northwest cut its deficit to within four points. But it’ll be interesting to see how the Lions respond to their first win since early December with a game at 10:30 a.m. today and another one on Monday.


Free State High’s girls basketball players were frustrated with their 35-34 loss to Hutchinson, but it should help them in the long run.


They struggled against the press without freshman point guard Cameryn Thomas, but hopefully they can develop some more ball handlers on the fly. It was also impressive to see that defense stayed strong, even when the Firebirds struggled to score in the second half. As the saying goes, you learn more from your losses than wins.


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 girls basketball

1. Marissa Pope, sr. — Pope does a lot of things that don’t show up on the box score, such as providing strong ball security on offense and calling out defensive assignments. On Friday, she also showed up in the box score plenty with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists. She had three turnovers, but got some of the possessions back with strong defense.


2. Alexis Boyd, jr. — Boyd isn’t listed in the Firebird Winter Classic’s program, but she made a big impact on Friday. She scored 12 points and added six rebounds. She was shooting with confidence throughout the game, whether it was finding space in the paint or knocking down baseline jumpers.


3. Skylar Drum, so. — The 5-foot-6 guard scored five points, but she played great defense on the perimeter and she always attacks the glass hard for rebounds. She had four boards and three assists.


4. Olivia Lemus, so. — Lemus had trouble finding her shot on Friday, going 1 for 7 from behind the three-point arc. But that didn’t affect the rest of her game. She grabbed three rebounds and had two assists.


5. E’lease Stafford, fr. — The 5-foot-10 freshman played with a little more poise than she did on Thursday. She scored on a layup late in the fourth quarter but added two rebounds and an assist.


6. Matia Finley, sr. — She was limited in the first half because of foul trouble, but Finley scored on a putback in the fourth quarter and added four rebounds.


7. Gracie Reinsch, jr. — Reinsch went 0 for 3 from the field, rushing a couple of shots, but she brought a lot of energy off of the bench. She grabbed three rebounds and played good defense.


8. Devon Spoonhunter, jr. — The 5-foot-11 junior forward scored the Lions’ first two points of the game, dropping a shot over a couple of defenders in the low post.


9. Madison McKinney, so. — McKinney had limited minutes on Friday, and she missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw.


10. Rebecca Finley, sr. — Finley picked up a quick foul when she entered the game, trying to grab a rebound. She didn’t shoot the ball or record any stats.


11. Asia Goodwin, fr. — Goodwin played a few minutes off of the bench but didn’t record any stats.


• Next up: 10:30 a.m. today vs. Highland Park at Free State Winter Classic. Record: 2-9.

Free State girls basketball

1. Madison Piper, so. — Piper scored nine of her 12 points in the first half, before Hutchinson did its best to keep her away from the ball. She did her best to fight through a few holds and even spent a little time as the team’s point guard. When the Firebirds needed a basket at the end of the game, they wanted the ball in her hands. She added four rebounds, an assist and two big blocks.


2. Sarah Coversup, sr. — Coversup was dominant offensively in the first half, scoring 10 points in the first quarter. She made her first five shots from the field and at the free throw line. But Hutchinson’s full-court press didn’t allow her to make the same impact in the second half. Credit to her, she tried to help out a little at point guard, but had a few turnovers. She finished with a game-high 18 points to go along with 10 rebounds to complete a double-double.


3. Adriana Jadlow, sr. — Jadlow wasn’t as aggressive with her shot, but scored four points, all in the third quarter. She hit the boards hard, grabbing five rebounds, and she also added two assists and a steal. She did a nice job playing the passing lanes on defense tipping a few other passes.


4. Jaycie Bishop, so. — Bishop missed her only shot, a three-pointer that hit the back of the iron. She also had two rebounds, and played solid defense against Hutchinson’s guards, never allowing them open looks for threes.


5. Morgan Gantz, sr. — Gantz did her best against the Salthawks’ full-court press, but had a few turnovers. She missed a free throw, but grabbed a rebound and dished an assist to Piper in the second quarter for an open jump shot. She also played some strong defense on the perimeter.


6. Hannah Shoemaker, sr. — She grabbed two rebounds, but didn’t attempt a shot.


7. Hannah Walter, jr. — Walter always brings energy off of the bench on both sides of the ball. She had one rebound and didn’t attempt a shot.


• Next up: 12:30 p.m. today vs. Wichita Heights at Firebird Winter Classic. Record: 9-2.
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