If there was ever a game that brought a playoff atmosphere to the regular season, look no further than Lawrence High on Friday against Olathe East.


The Lions were eliminated by the Hawks in 2014 during the sub-state title game, and both schools were in the Class 6A state semifinals last season. With a fired up crowd, the Lions picked up one of their biggest wins of the season with a 69-61 victory.


The Hawks were missing two key starters, but it was a big momentum boost for the Lions heading into the Topeka Invitational Tournament this week.


For Lawrence High’s girls basketball team, I made the point last year — and it applies again — no team in the state has a tougher schedule in the first two weeks back from winter break. In the team’s first four Sunflower League games, LHS opponents have a combined 15-1 record in the league and 30-6 overall.


The Lions were encouraged by their 44-43 loss to Olathe East, and they hope it’ll turn into momentum for the rest of the season. It was a big game for sophomore Talima Harjo, who scored nine points in the fourth quarter, leading the charge for a comeback.


The Lions need reliable scoring options outside of junior Olivia Lemus and sophomore E’lease Stafford, so Harjo’s play would make the Lions a lot more dangerous.


On the other side of town, it’s hard to win games in more dramatic fashion than Free State’s boys basketball team over the weekend. On Friday, the Firebirds fought back from an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 69-68 win at Olathe Northwest. The next afternoon, they picked up a 83-81 win in triple overtime against Lee’s Summit North.


When things are going well, sometimes the ball just rolls your way. The Firebirds benefitted form some missed free throws in their big comeback and a missed layup in OT against Lee’s Summit North.


The only team I didn’t see over the weekend was Free State’s girls basketball team, which picked up a 65-44 victory over Olathe Northwest, a nice bounce back after a loss against Leavenworth.
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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.

Lawrence High girls basketball

1. Olivia Lemus, jr. — It seems like whenever the Lions need a big bucket, Lemus finds a way to deliver. She scored a team-high 12 points, knocking down two threes in the third quarter. She was active on the glass and defensively, grabbing five rebounds and winning the races to loose balls.


2. Talima Harjo, soph. — In the fourth quarter, it turned into the Harjo show. She scored eight straight points for the Lions, tying the game with 1:39 left. She hit a baseline jumper and threes from opposite sides of the arc. After her offensive explosion, she forced a turnover on defense with a deflection. She had 11 points and a steal.


3. Skylar Drum, jr. — It’s not easy to score on Drum. She uses her athleticism to play defense in the post and on the perimeter. She held O-East’s Caroline Hoppock (15 points) scoreless in the second half. Drum added six points and five rebounds.


4. E’lease Stafford, soph. — Stafford didn’t have her shot dropping, but she showed assertiveness by calling for the ball on offense. She had seven points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.


5. Chisom Ajekwu, fr. — Ajekwu didn’t have her best offensive night, going 0-for-4 from the field, but defensively she was strong in the post. The 6-3 freshman had four rebounds and three blocks.


6. Hannah Stewart, fr. — Stewart is starting to play with more confidence. She tied the game in the fourth quarter with a teardrop floater down the middle of the lane. The freshman had five points, one rebound, one steal and one assist.


7. Leslie Ostronic, fr. — Ostronic missed her only shot attempt, but she played solid defense and was reliable with the ball. She had two rebounds and a steal.


8. Alexis Boyd, sr. — Boyd went 1-for-4 from the floor, scoring in the second quarter on a turnaround jumper.


9. Emma Bentzinger, sr. — Bentzinger played good defense on the court, actively denying passes, but she missed her only shot attempt.


• Next up: Jan. 28 at Topeka Tournament. Record: 4-6.

Lawrence High boys basketball

1. Justin Roberts, sr. — Roberts has been known for his clutch plays over the years and Friday was just another chapter. He gave the Lions a lead with under a minute left when he was fouled on a three-point attempt, then stole an inbounds pass which turned into a layup for Price Morgan. Roberts had a team-high 24 points with three rebounds, four assists and three steals.


2. Price Morgan, sr. — The recent Air Force football commit showed off his potential on the basketball court. He scored 17 points with four rebounds and two assists. He was huge in the third quarter when the Lions couldn’t find a rhythm on offense, getting to the free throw line and scoring on a layup-and-the-foul bucket.


3. Fred Brou, sr. — Brou had one of his toughest defensive assignments of the year, trying to slow down Olathe East senior Josiah Talbert. He avoided giving Talbert any layups, but couldn’t prevent his hot shooting. Offensively, Brou had six points and five rebounds, including two dunks. He also had a great assist to Morgan in the final minute, giving the Lions a crucial two-possession lead.


4. Anthony Harvey, sr. — Harvey stepped up with some big shots, scoring six points in the fourth quarter. Early in the final period, he was fouled on a three-point attempt, giving the Lions a lead, then raced past defenders for a layup less than a minute later. He finished with 11 points.


5. Jackson Mallory, jr. — He dealt with a little bit of foul trouble and hit shots weren’t falling, and Mallory still found a way to make a big impact. He had five points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal. His best stretch in the fourth quarter was a full-court pass to Harvey for a layup, then two possessions later, he hit a three from the right wing.


6. Noah Butler, fr. — Butler provided a nice spark off of the bench. He used his athleticism for a nice dunk in the second quarter and he grabbed a rebound and a steal.


7. Braden Solko, jr. — As usual, Solko played solid defense on the perimeter, limiting drives past him. He scored on layup in the second quarter and grabbed a rebound.


• Next up: 3:15 p.m. Thursday vs. Wichita Northwest in Topeka Invitational Tournament. Record: 9-1.

Free State boys basketball

1. Hunter Gudde, sr. — He scored 12 of his team-high 23 points in the three overtime sessions, giving the Firebirds a big boost offensively. He sat out all but two minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, and once he returned to the court he found his rhythm. He added four rebounds, a block and a steal.


2. Sloan Thomsen, jr. — In the first half with Free State’s two leading scorers on the bench, Thomsen stepped up with some big baskets. He knocked down three triples in the first quarter, and he scored on a putback in the second quarter. The 6-foot-5 wing also had a team-high six rebounds and three assists.


3. Kristian Rawls, sr. — Rawls knows how to play well under pressure. With 1:36 left in regulation, he knocked down two game-tying free throws. Once again down by two, he scored on a running shot in the middle of the paint before the buzzer to send the game into OT. He scored 14 points with four assists before fouling out in third OT.


4. Jacob Pavlyak, jr. — Free State’s top defensive specialist grabbed a steal on an inbounds pass with 30 seconds left in the third OT, giving the Firebirds the ball for their game-winning possession. Pavlyak only had two points but his impact on defense was huge. He also had four assists.


5. Darian Lewis, sr. — Off of the bench, Lewis had seven points and five rebounds, including a game-tying three-pointer in the third OT.


“Darian hasn’t hit in a three in practice in two years,” FSHS coach Sam Stroh joked. “But he made a play. Someone has to step up and make a play. I trust the bench. Darian is the example and epitome of a team guy. Never complains about playing time. Busts his rear when he gets in there. That’s what we’re all about.”


6. Shannon Cordes, jr. — Cordes scored 11 points, no shot bigger than his game-tying three-pointer in the first OT. He was a perfect 3-for-3 on shots inside of the arc, and he had one rebound.


7. Cameron Clark, jr. — Clark was tasked with guarding Lee Summit’s North top post player in the final minutes of regulation and he did a good job of not allowing him to catch and turn for layups. Clark had six points and four rebounds before fouling out in the second OT.


8. Chrision Wilburn, sr. — Plagued by foul trouble all game, Wilburn didn’t spend many minutes on the court. He scored two points and had three rebounds.


9. Drew Tochtrop, sr. — Tochtrop turned a nightmare game into a dream ending. He scored the game-winning layup with less than two seconds left in the third overtime, making a nice play after receiving the ball from Gudde after missing his first three shot attempts.


“I was hoping (Gudde) would pass it to me,” Tochtrop said. “But then he passed by me, and I was like, ‘Oh, he didn’t see me.’ Then he just threw it behind his head and somehow it got to me. It was a pretty easy layup from there.”


10. Jalan Robinson, soph. — Playing in his second varsity game, Robinson scored on a layup in the second quarter.


11. Garrett Luinstra, soph. — In the final minutes after Rawls fouled out, Luinstra took over at point guard. He didn’t take any shots but he grabbed a rebound.


12. Simon McCaffrey, soph. — He had a nice assist on an inbounds pass to Lewis in the fourth quarter, and he missed two three-point attempts.


• Next up: 3:45 p.m. Thursday vs. Wichita North in McPherson Tournament. Record: 7-1.
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Sunflower League boys basketball standings


Team … League … Overall


Lawrence … 4-0 … 9-1


Free State … 4-0 … 7-1


SM North … 4-0 … 6-3


Olathe East … 3-1 … 7-2


Olathe South … 3-1 … 7-2


SM South … 2-2 … 5-4


SM West … 2-2 … 3-5


Olathe North …1-3 … 5-4


SM Northwest … 1-3 … 4-4


Olathe Northwest … 0-4 … 3-6


Leavenworth … 0-4 … 1-7


SM East … 0-4 … 1-8


Sunflower League girls basketball standings


Team … League … Overall


Olathe South … 4-0 … 9-0


Leavenworth … 4-0 … 8-1


Olathe East … 4-0 … 8-1


Free State … 3-1 … 6-2


SM North … 3-1 … 5-3


SM West … 3-1 … 5-4


SM Northwest … 2-2 … 7-2


SM South … 1-3 … 1-6


Lawrence … 0-4 … 4-6


Olathe North … 0-4 … 2-5


Olathe Northwest … 0-4 … 4-5


SM East … 0-4 … 0-7
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As always, feel free to comment, email me, or find me on Twitter @nightengalejr.