photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High's Brynnae Johnson (11) gestures to teammate Nyasia Ramos (22) against Free State in the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

Through one half of the girls’ City Showdown on Friday night at Lawrence High, not a lot was separating Lawrence from Free State. However, the Lions came out of the locker room and used a big second-half run to defeat the Firebirds, 69-39.

The difference in the second half for Lawrence High was turning up the pressure defensively.

“I think doing the press, just being aggressive defensively, kind of got us going off,” Lawrence High assistant coach Jeff Colter said.

In addition to an energized team defensive effort, the Lions relied on their stars, senior Brynnae Johnson and sophomore Cami Nauholz, to carry the load and produce on the offensive end.

“Cami, she’s tough to stop. We know that she’s going to get boards and get points and give us big offense,” Colter said. “And Brynnae, just leading the ship, and so we need all her leadership.”

With Johnson in her senior season and part of a class that had not lost to Free State, she didn’t want her last year to be the first time it happened.

“I think we were all hectic to win,” Johnson said. “We didn’t want to take an L our senior year so I think we’re all a little scrambled, but at the end of the day we came together as a team during the halftime and we were like ‘We’re going to win this game, we’re going to put them away.'”

The Firebirds got a spark of their own from junior Addie Fulscher, who scored 12 points, including nine in the first quarter.

Even when shots weren’t falling for Fulscher, she said the mental part definitely came into play, trying not to get into her own head while playing in front of a packed gymnasium.

Lawrence got off to a quick start with a 3-pointer by Nyasia Ramos and three more points at the free-throw line to take a 6-0 lead. Fulscher got the Firebirds on the board with a 3-pointer of her own before Nauholz and Jayla Colter teamed up for a 5-0 run to spread the lead to eight points.

Fulscher singlehandedly made it a two-point game with two more 3s before Lawrence scored five straight points once again. Free State’s Aedri Grooms responded with another 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to make the score 16-14 in favor of Lawrence at the end of the first quarter.

After the game, Colter credited the Firebirds’ ability to shoot in allowing them to keep the game close throughout the first half.

The Lions began the second quarter in a similar fashion to the first, by way of a 3-pointer by Ajayla Glover. The Firebirds responded with a triple of their own from Marlea Copeland, and after a field goal by Nauholz, cut the deficit to one with another 3-pointer by Peyton Moore.

As the Firebirds kept clawing back, the crowd got louder, a factor for which head coach Summer Frantz said she was able to prepare her team in practice by blasting speakers to simulate how loud the crowd might get.

After seeing its lead cut back to one, Lawrence adjusted by going into a full-court press. The press sped Free State up, and the Lions were able to capitalize by going on a 9-1 run, forcing a timeout for the Firebirds with nearly 90 seconds left in the half.

Copeland cut the lead down to six points with her second 3 of the quarter, but Colter made a free throw with 16.6 seconds left to send the Lions to the locker room with a seven-point advantage.

The second half began with an and-1 by Lawrence’s Brynnae Johnson before turnovers and foul trouble began to pile on for both teams. That didn’t hold the Lions back, however, as they scored the next five points and held a 15-point lead.

Moore and Fulscher stopped the bleeding momentarily with a pair of 3s, but the Lions continued to press heavily and got the ball inside to Nauholz for easy layups. Nauholz scored four points and had multiple blocks to lead the Lions to a 55-34 lead at the end of the third quarter.

“Cami’s really tough, we knew going in,” Frantz said. “She’s a phenomenal player.”

Nauholz continued her second-half dominance with the first two points of the fourth quarter, as Lawrence built a 31-point lead following a 10-0 run. Free State outscored Lawrence 5-4 in the final four minutes of the game, as the Lions emptied their bench and were able to cruise to victory.

The Free State girls will host Shawnee Mission Northwest on Tuesday, while the LHS girls will travel to Shawnee Mission North.

LHS – 16 15 24 14 – 69

FSHS – 14 10 10 5 – 39

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The Lawrence High bench is all smiles at the City Showdown against Free State on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Jayla Colter (4) reaches out to teammate Macyn Ramsay (24) during the City Showdown against Free State on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Cami Nauholz grabs the ball against Free State at the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Brynnae Johnson (11) gestures to teammate Nyasia Ramos (22) against Free State in the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Addie Fulscher jumps to defend an inbounds pass at the City Showdown against Lawrence High on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Chloe Clossen drives against Lawrence High at the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Chloe Clossen dribbles against Lawrence High’s Brynnae Johnson at the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Sarai Preston looks to make a pass while guarded by Lawrence High defenders at the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Lucy Juelsgaard goes for the ball against Free State at the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Cami Nauholz battles in the post against Free State in the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Ajala Glover shoots during the City Showdown against Free State on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Brynnae Johnson slings a pass against Free State defenders Libby Easter (11) and Marlea Copeland (14) at the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Chloe Clossen shoots over Lawrence High’s Nyasia Ramos at the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Cami Nauholz prepares to shoot against Free State at the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Addie Fulscher shoots at the City Showdown against Lawrence High on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Chloe Clossen dribbles against Lawrence High in the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Brynnae Johnson brings the ball up during the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Marlea Copeland and Lawrence High’s Cami Nauholz go up for a jump ball at the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Brynnae Johnson is introduced at the City Showdown against Free State on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Libby Easter is introduced during the City Showdown at Lawrence High School on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The Free State girls basketball team lines up ahead of the City Showdown at Lawrence High School on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.