Chris Davis couldn’t remember if any of his Lawrence High boys basketball teams had ever recorded more three-point goals than two-pointers in a game.

“No coach has had that happen often,” Davis said.

It happened Friday night to the Lions, and it didn’t do them any good in a 57-53 loss to Shawnee Mission Northwest in the LHS gym.

Lawrence had nine three-point goals — four by Bryan Cargill, three by Brandon McAnderson and one each by Taylor Parker and Joe Crane — yet only eight two-point goals.

There was a reason. SM Northwest went to a zone after the first few minutes and the Lions’ inside game evaporated.

“We played a lot of zone because of their big kid,” SM Northwest coach Ben Meseke said, “and we don’t normally do that.”

Meseke had to switch from his standard man-to-man because Lions’ 7-footer Brad Collier launched five close-in shots in the first two minutes. Unfortunately for Lawrence High, Collier missed all of those chip shots.

“Brad had look after look after look, and they didn’t go in,” Davis said. “We got exactly what we wanted, and then they went to zone. After that, we played like we thought we should have been ahead by 10 points.”

Collier had only two more shots the rest of the way — he made one of them — against the Cougars’ zone.

Despite the early struggles, Lawrence led 18-17 with five minutes remaining in the first half. Then the Cougars went on a 12-2 run to post a nine-point lead (29-20) — their biggest of the night — and the Lions never led again.

Still, Lawrence had a handful of opportunities either to forge a tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter. The Lions closed to within a point (46-45) with 4:23 remaining.

Shawnee Mission Northwest's Jon raffel, left, attempts to block a shot by Lawrence High's Brad Collier. The Cougars won, 57-53, Friday at LHS.

Only twice in the late going, though, did the Lions have the ball and an opportunity to tie or take the lead. Cargill misfired on a three-pointer with a little more than three minutes remaining and the Lions down by two.

Then with just 23 ticks to go and the Cougars ahead, 55-53, Cargill was whistled for traveling while being closely guarded beyond the arc.

“I think I did step after I caught the ball,” said Cargill, a 6-foot-1 senior, “but that’s one of those things you have to roll with. All game it seemed like we couldn’t find any rhythm.”

The Cougars’ Earvin Gray ended the Lions’ hopes when the 6-2 junior hit two charities with :13 showing. Gray cashed 10 of 11 free throws and finished with 16 points.

Lawrence high's brandon mcanderson, right, attempts to swipe the ball from Shawnee Mission Northwest's Earvin Ray during Friday's game at LHS.

C.J. Moore, an unsung 6-1 senior, led the Cougars, 4-4, with 18 points in only his second start.

“Forty minutes before the game I didn’t know if he’d start,” Meseke said. “He was the last guy to make the team, and he stepped up and had a huge game tonight.”

McAnderson led the Lions, 4-4, with 13 points, Cargill had 12 — all on his three-point goals — and Taylor Parker added 11.

Davis spent several minutes debriefing his players after the defeat.

“Our mental toughness isn’t where it needs to be,” the Lions’ coach said. “The guys are trying to grow up, and we’re getting closer.”

Next for the Lions is a date with Topeka High at 3:15 p.m. Thursday at Topeka Seaman in the first round of the Topeka Invitational. Lawrence High clubbed the Trojans, 55-39, in the season opener.