photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence coach Nick Wood sits and talks with his team during a timeout in the third quarter of a loss to Shawnee Mission East on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Shawnee Mission East High School.

Prairie Village — Lawrence basketball finished its December stretch of games at Shawnee Mission East on Friday, with the girls team winning and the boys losing.

The girls got a 45-42 win over the Lancers with a strong defensive effort from the Lions.

“To go out on a win on the road is important,” Lawrence assistant coach Olivia Lemus said. “We will see what we need to work on over winter break and attack it on Jan. 2.”

Lawrence’s offense got off to a slow start, going the first six minutes without a field goal. The Lancers held a 4-1 lead up to that point, with sophomore Macyn Ramsay hitting a free throw for the lone Lawrence point in that time.

Sophomore Lucy Juelsgaard hit a 3 late in the quarter to tie it up. It was the lone field goal of the quarter, which ended with Shawnee Mission East leading 7-4 after hitting three late free throws.

Ramsay hit a 3-pointer to start the second quarter, which momentarily tied it up. The Lions couldn’t keep the offensive momentum moving for much of the second quarter and fell back into a 13-7 deficit.

Eventually, the Lions started to find a rhythm after Juelsgaard and freshman Marley Doleman each scored. The Lancers answered with a 3-pointer, but sophomore Zoey Barber responded with a bucket, and Ramsay added another point with a free throw. Freshman Layla Simmons was fouled on a late 3-point attempt, and she knocked down all three free throws, giving the Lions their first lead of the game at 17-16 going into halftime.

“The people that played stepped up and played huge minutes,” Lemus said. “Our whole team is pretty young, and it’s good to see. We’ve already grown so much, and we’re going to keep attacking.”

Ramsay opened the second half with another 3-pointer, and Doleman later added two points on free throws to keep the Lions in the lead. Junior Cami Nauholz scored her first bucket on a 3-pointer, and she followed that with two free throws. The Lions built on their lead late in the third quarter after Simmons hit a 3-pointer and Nauholz scored with two late 2s.

Lawrence flipped the script from the first quarter for the final quarter, as the Lions shut down the Lancers’ offense for a long stretch. Nauholz hit a 3-pointer after Doleman hit a free throw to give Lawrence a 40-32 lead midway through the fourth.

The Lancers made a late push with free throws, but the Lions were able to maintain the lead and hold the Lancers at an arm’s length for the remainder of the game and finished with the 45-42 win.

“We had a few people in foul trouble… but overall the momentum of the team picked us up, and we ultimately won the game with our defense.”

Lawrence’s boys team fell short against Shawnee Mission East, losing 55-44 in a game where coach Nick Wood believed the team showed what the team’s identity could be.

“If they play that hard, that competitive the rest of the way, some really good things are going to happen for us,” Wood said. “We didn’t win a basketball game, but we started to figure out who we are. I saw guys battling their tails off to put us in position to win.”

It was a slow offensive start for the Lions with only three field goals in the first quarter. But the defense kept the Lions in the game and held the Lancers to 11 points.

Junior Caleb Wingerd scored the first Lawrence points with a 3-pointer, followed by junior Kenyon Doleman scoring while cutting to the basket with an assist from senior Landon Bland. Bland later scored in the paint late in the quarter that ended with the Lancers leading 11-7.

Shawnee Mission East started with a quick five points to open the second, but Doleman answered with a five-point run of his own. Sophomore Simon Simien followed Doleman with a bucket, cutting the Lancers’ lead to only two and forcing a timeout.

The Lancers closed the half with authority with a 9-2 run while taking a nine-point lead over the Lions.

Even with only scoring 16 points in the first half, the Lions were right in the game with how the team’s defense played. As the season carries over into the spring semester, the Lions will work to keep that defensive intensity.

“I saw a group of guys that played like Lawrence High kids,” Wood said. “We can build on that. We’re going to be OK.”

Senior Devin Foster opened the second half with a bucket from under the basket, and freshman Axl Bland hit a 3-pointer that started a chain of deep shots from the Lions. Simien hit one, followed by sophomore DaMarre Cunningham and sophomore Joey Dooley. Doleman drove inside for a layup then hit a 3-pointer of his own.

While the Lions were hitting a groove from deep, the Lancers were keeping pace. Still, the shooting burst showed a glimpse of the potential of the offense.

“That’s the key — we need to be more consistent,” Wood said. “We know we have guys who can make those shots.”

Lawrence tied it up early in the fourth quarter after Axl Bland hit two free throws then found Doleman for an open bucket. The Lancers responded with a 7-0 run to regain control, and the Lions couldn’t make up the difference. The Lancers finished strong and ended the game with an 11-point win over the Lions.

Lawrence girls basketball will be back at home on Jan. 2 against Blue Valley West, while the boys won’t play until a home boys and girls doubleheader against Topeka on Jan. 6.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence freshman Marley Doleman shoots a free throw in a win over Shawnee Mission East on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Shawnee Mission East High School.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence freshman Axl Bland drives into the paint in a loss to Shawnee Mission East on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Shawnee Mission East High School.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence freshman Layla Simmons drives into the paint in a win over Shawnee Mission East on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Shawnee Mission East High School.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence sophomore Joey Dooley moves around a defender in a loss to Shawnee Mission East on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Shawnee Mission East High School.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence sophomore Lucy Juelsgaard looks to pass in a win over Shawnee Mission East on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Shawnee Mission East High School.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence sophomore Simon Simien passes the ball in a loss to Shawnee Mission East on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Shawnee Mission East High School.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence junior Cami Nauholz passes from the free throw line in a win over Shawnee Mission East on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Shawnee Mission East High School.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence sophomore Joey Dooley passes the ball out of the paint in a loss to Shawnee Mission East on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Shawnee Mission East High School.