Lawrence High boys hoops wins Topeka; Free State boys bounce back against Lansing

It’s the Year of the Comeback in Lawrence this season.


Down 14 points with 4:05 remaining in the Topeka Invitational Tournament championship, Lawrence High’s boys basketball team fought back to force overtime and eventually rip out a 62-61 victory against Highland Park.


On one hand, the improbable comeback was impressive considering they were playing without leading scorer and senior point guard Justin Roberts. But it was also a matchup between the Lions and Highland Park, which always produces dramatic games. The Lions beat Highland Park in December, picking up a 72-64 victory in OT in the Blue Valley Shootout.


In the past four seasons, the Lions own a 4-2 record against Highland Park, with three games separated by four points or less. That also includes a one-point win by LHS in the T.I.T. title game in 2013.


The Lions (12-1, ranked No. 2 in Class 6A) weren’t at their best during the tournament, especially on offense without Roberts (dislocated shoulder Friday), but it’s a credit to them that they were able to pull out three wins in three days.


Free State’s boys basketball team, which already picked up a win when down by 18 in the fourth quarter, took second place at the McPherson Invitational over the weekend. Back home, the Firebirds won 66-53 against Lansing on Tuesday.


The Firebirds, who were unranked for too long, won’t be underestimated by any teams for the rest of the season. They are ranked No. 6 in 6A, and they have so much depth that they usually can find somebody to step up for a big night.


Additionally, Free State’s only two losses were in some of the toughest atmospheres for road teams: at Lawrence High and at McPherson (12-1, ranked No. 1 in 4A-I). The Firebirds (10-2) will have some tough games when their league schedule resumes, but they’ve proven they’re one of the top teams in the state.


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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 boys basketball

1. Price Morgan, sr. — The Lions needed somebody to step up with Roberts out, and Morgan filled that role. He scored a game-high 20 points, scoring in a variety of ways through layups, putbacks, mid-range jumpers and drives to the rim. Even after taking a big hit when jumping in the air for a pass and colliding with an opponent, Morgan was huge in the paint. He also had six rebounds, three assists and a block.


2. Fred Brou, sr. — Brou saved some of his best basketball for the end of the tournament. He scored eight points in the fourth quarter and, of course, scored the game-winning on a tip-in at the buzzer in OT. Brou finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a block.


3. Noah Butler, fr. — As the season progresses, Butler continues to keep improving on the court. He made some huge plays in the final minutes of regulation, knocking down two threes and blocking a shot off of the backboard. He added a banked in layup in OT. Butler scored 13 points with three rebounds and two blocks.


4. Jackson Mallory, jr. — Mallory was sick throughout the weekend, but he estimated he was about 90 percent for the championship Saturday. Taking over the primary ball-handling duties for Roberts, he scored eight points with five rebounds and two assists. He’s one of those players that just makes all of his teammates better.


5. Anthony Harvey, sr. — After scoring 18 points in the semifinals, Harvey couldn’t get his shot to drop Saturday. He scored three points — all at the free throw line. But he played solid defense and attacked the glass for five rebounds.


6. Kobe Buffalomeat, jr. — Buffalomeat does such a good job screening for his teammates, helping set up the offense. He scored two points, and nearly showed off his range with a three-point attempt. He added three rebounds and a block.


7. Braden Solko, jr. — Solko missed a three, but provided his usual hard-nosed defense. He grabbed one rebound and had one assist.


8. Austin Miller, jr. — Miller didn’t attempt any shots but played good defense on the perimeter without fouling.


• Next up: 7 p.m. Feb. 5 vs. SM South. Record: 12-1.

Free State boys basketball

1. Hunter Gudde, sr. — Gudde found his rhythm in the second quarter with six points in a two-minute stretch. He jumped passing lanes for three steals and was strong to the rim in transition. He scored a game-high 17 points with two rebounds, going 9-of-12 from the free throw line.


2. Kristian Rawls, sr. — When Rawls goes into attack mode, he’s tough to stop. He scored eight points with a few drives through traffic. He added four rebounds and a steal, playing solid defense on the perimeter.


3. Cameron Clark, jr. — Clark nearly finished with a double-double, recording eight points and eight rebounds off of the bench. He played well in the post and did a good job setting up screens for his teammates on offense.


4. Drew Tochtrop, sr. — The Firebirds needed a boost on offense in the first quarter and Tochtrop stepped up. First it was a nice drive to the rim, banking in a bucket. Then he added a three in transition. An all-tournament selection at McPherson last weekend, Tochtrop had seven points and a steal before exiting in the third quarter because of a knee injury.


5. Jacob Pavlyak, jr. — Matched up against Lansing’s top scorer, Sam Lorenzen, Pavlyak did his best to make his shots difficult in the second half. Lorenzen still hit a couple of threes, but Pavlyak prevented any further damage. He scored six points and had three rebounds.


6. Shannon Cordes, jr. — In the second quarter, Cordes caught fire and helped the Firebirds to an 11-point lead. He scored eight straight points, knocking down a pair of threes and two free throws on a nice drive to the rim. He added two steals.


7. Sloan Thomsen, jr. — Thomsen only took one shot, missing a three, but he was engaged on the defensive end and grabbed four rebounds.


8. Chrision Wilburn, sr. — Wilburn battled some foul trouble in the first half, but he scored five points, grabbed two steals and had one rebound.


9. Darian Lewis, sr. — Always in the right spot to make plays, Lewis grabbed three rebounds and assisted on a layup in the fourth quarter. He scored on a putback in the first quarter.


10. Jay Dineen, jr. — Dineen brought his usual energy. He scored on a layup-and-the-foul bucket in the third quarter, receiving a nice hi-lo pass, and he grabbed three rebounds.


11. Simon McCaffrey, soph. — He looks like he’s becoming more confident on the court. He missed on his only shot attempt but assisted on a three to Cordes.


12. Reece White-Downing, soph. — Entered in the fourth quarter and knocked down three of his four free throws in the final minute.


• Next up: 7 p.m. Feb. 5 vs. SM Northwest. Record: 10-2.
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