photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence sophomore Cami Nauholz drives through contact in a 54-51 win over Shawnee Mission North on the road on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.

Overland Park — The Lawrence boys and girls basketball teams traveled to Shawnee Mission North on Tuesday, with the girls hanging on to win 54-51 while the boys lost 67-49.

The Lawrence girls basketball team held off a late push from Shawnee Mission North to win 54-51 on the road.

The Lions took an early lead with a hot offensive start, scoring 20 points in the first quarter. Sophomore Cami Nauholz had a size advantage in the paint, and the offense featured Nauholz posting up frequently. She scored 9 of the team’s first-quarter points with four field goals.

The Bison kept up with the Lions on shooting. After the opening quarter, their three 3-pointers kept them within one possession.

Lawrence started to separate in the second quarter and built upon the 3-point first-quarter lead. Freshman Jayla Colter scored five points, while seniors Ajala Glover and D’ema Barnes added 3s. At halftime, the Lions led 34-27.

Nauholz took over in the second half. Senior Brynnae Johnson was the only other Lion to score in the second half, and her only score came on a free throw. Nauholz accounted for the team’s other 18 points.

“(Nauholz) played well,” Lawrence assistant coach Olivia Lemus said. “I don’t think she came out of the game at all, so she battled the whole time. She gets double and triple-teamed sometimes and still battles every day.”

Nauholz pushed the lead to 13 points early in the third quarter, and the Lions continued to push the pace against the Bison. By the start of the fourth, the Lions held a 15-point lead.

From there, Shawnee Mission North started to pour on the shots and marched back into the game while the Lawrence offense sputtered, and only Nauholz could score.

Lawrence led 52-51 with 14 seconds left when Nauholz rebounded the ball on a missed free throw and scored her 30th point of the night, leaving the Bison with under 10 seconds left to hit a game-tying 3-pointer. The Lions pressed on defense and didn’t allow the Bison to get too close to the 3-point line. Their final 3-point heave fell short, giving the Lions a 54-51 win.

The Lions hope to keep their momentum going after wins over Shawnee Mission North and Free State. With one regular season game remaining, their goal remains to return to the state tournament after missing it in 2024.

The boys basketball team started slower and couldn’t keep up with the Bison in a 67-49 loss.

The game started with back-and-forth scoring between the Lions and the Bison. With a 14-10 lead, the Bison closed the quarter with a field goal and a free throw to push their lead to seven points.

To start the second quarter, the Bison scored five quick points. They hit another 3 after a bucket from Lawrence junior Eddie Roman Nose, giving the Bison a 13-point lead. Lawrence junior Josh Galbreath scored his second field goal of the game before the Bison scored 6 straight. By halftime, the Bison led 33-19.

Lawrence started the third quarter slow, prompting the Lions to take a timeout. Coach Nick Wood’s fiery speech rejuvenated the Lions’ energy, leading to a 9-point swing.

The Bison took the momentum back from the Lions right after and outpaced them for the remainder of the game. After the brief LHS run, they outscored the Lions 25-14 and finished with a nearly 20-point victory.

Both Lawrence teams will be at Gardner Edgerton for their regular-season finals on Friday, starting at 6 p.m. for the girls and 7:30 p.m. for the boys.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence freshman Jayla Colter fights through contact in a 54-51 win over Shawnee Mission North on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Aden Ramirez drives toward the basket in a 67-49 road loss to Shawnee Mission North on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence junior Josh Galbreath fights off defenders in a 67-49 road loss to Shawnee Mission North on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.