photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Senior guard Avery Johnson maneuvers around a pick during a 69-36 loss to Mill Valley on Friday, January 17, 2025 in Lawrence.

For the second time in less than a week, the Lawrence boys and girls basketball teams split their games at home, with the girls winning and the boys losing to Mill Valley.

LHS girls basketball survives late push to beat Mill Valley 41-38

Friday’s girls basketball game between the Lions and the Jaguars was one of the closest games the Lions have played this season.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Freshman Jayla Colter drives inside during a 41-38 win over Mill Valley on Friday, January 17, 2025 at Lawrence High School.

Lawrence took an early 4-0 lead but struggled with turnovers, which allowed Mill Valley to take a first-quarter lead. The Jaguars had their own issues with turnovers but hit several 3-pointers to eventually take a 13-12 lead into the second quarter. Sophomore Cami Nauholz and senior Nyasia Ramos scored two late buckets to keep it a one-score game.

Both teams struggled to get their offense going. Lawrence took the lead from Mill Valley at the beginning of the second quarter with a layup-and-1 from Nauholz and a 3-pointer from Ramos. Those two field goals were the only ones for the Lions until Nauholz scored on another layup-and-1 with a minute and 18 seconds left in the half. Brynnae Johnson scored the final field goal of the half with a finish through contact at the rim, which put the Lions up 23-18.

Defensively, the Lions played one of their best stretches of the season in the second and third quarters. Senior Ajala Glover off the bench had a significant role in the team’s defensive performance. The Lions held the Jaguars to 5 points in the second and third quarters. In the third quarter, the Jaguars had several fast break opportunities that resulted in a blocked shot because of the effort by the Lions to get to the other end of the court. Ramos and Jayla Colter scored in the third quarter’s final minutes to give the Lions a 9-point lead.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

D’ema Barnes stays in front of the ball carrier in a 41-38 win against Mill Valley on Friday, January 17, 2025 at Lawrence High School.

That lead didn’t last long. The Jaguars forced the Lions into turnovers almost as often as the Lions did to the Jaguars. When the Lions seemed ready to pull away from the game, a lack of ball security helped the Jaguars make it a 2-point game.

The Lions played a good stretch midway through the final quarter, outscoring the Jaguars 7-2. Again, over the final few minutes, the Jaguars forced turnovers and costly mistakes, making it a 3-point game with 25.2 seconds left.

The Jaguars let the clock fall to four seconds on the final play before taking a deep 3-pointer short of the rim. The Lions kept it on the ground as time expired to win 41-38.

Nauholz was the only Lion to score in double figures with 16 points. Colter and Ramos tied for the second-most on the team with 7 points.

LHS boys basketball struggles to shoot in 69-36 loss to Mill Valley

The Lawrence boys basketball team had too many missed shots that Mill Valley made, which led to the 33-point loss at home.

The Lions started the game with some missed free throws, going 2-for-5 across the team’s first two trips to the line. Lawrence didn’t score a field goal — a 3-pointer from Eddie Roman Nose — until there were less than three minutes left in the quarter. After that make, the Lions got a bucket from Avery Johnson and Aden Ramirez, which kept the Lions within 3 points after the first quarter.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Freshman Joey Dooley handles the ball during a 69-36 loss to Mill Valley on Friday, January 17, 2025 in Lawrence.

The second quarter started promising with two 3-pointers early, but the Jaguars followed that with a 14-0 run and 29-16 lead before the Lions could score their third and final field goal. By halftime, a 3-point deficit ballooned to 12 points.

From there on, the Lions couldn’t gain any ground on the Jaguars. Mill Valley answered every bucket from Lawrence. The Jaguars’ lead became 20 points late in the third and stretched to 30 points during the fourth quarter. By the final buzzer, the Lions were down 36 points at home.

The Lawrence girls basketball team will play Shawnee Mission Northwest in Lawrence on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The boys are scheduled to play next in a tournament in Topeka on Thursday, Jan. 23.