photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Junior Eddie Roman Nose drives toward the basket in a 64-54 loss to Olathe East on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at Topeka High School.

Topeka — Lawrence finished the 64th Topeka Invitational Tournament fourth of eight teams after the Lions lost 64-54 Saturday to Olathe East in the third-place game.

The Lions finished 1-2 in the tournament, and coach Nick Wood saw plenty of positives in the three-day tournament and a lot to grow on. The Lions have five weeks before the postseason begins with the substate tournament.

“It was a great experience for us,” Wood said. “I felt like we played Wichita Southeast a full 32 minutes. Yesterday, we played a tough Highland Park team and competed like crazy. Today, there were segments of the game where we were really good, and there were segments where we weren’t good enough.”

Wood said that in the future, the team needs to shrink the time when the team isn’t playing well enough, and added that the game against Olathe East showed that the team still has “a long way to go.”

The Lions started the game by attacking the rim. The first quarter mainly featured points in the paint and free throws, although freshman Joey Dooley hit a 3-pointer late in the quarter. The Lions almost finished the quarter tied, but a last-second tip-in gave the Hawks a 17-15 lead.

Dooley continued to shine as he had in the tournament’s first two games. The 6-foot-2 forward has done some of everything for the Lions, and the coaching staff is pleased with his development.

“We continue to tell him, ‘Give yourself some grace,'” Wood said. “What he’s doing at this level is remarkable. He’s learning what it takes to compete at this level on a nightly basis and what the physicality of this level is. We’re excited for his future.”

Lawrence struggled on both ends in the second quarter. The Hawks started on a 7-2 run, but the Lions got right back into the game with 3s from Avery Johnson and Aden Ramirez. Those were the final points of the half for the Lions, while the Hawks finished on a 10-0 run, which gave them an 11-point lead into halftime.

That Olathe East run proved pivotal. Lawrence responded well and answered just about every Olathe East score, but the Lions couldn’t make up any ground and struggled to cut the lead down across the second half. Both teams scored 13 in the third quarter, and the Lions outscored the Hawks 18-17 in the fourth.

The second half featured some of the most minutes a few Lions have played all season. From freshman Truth Pope to junior Jaxon Becker, the game provided a chance for more players to learn their roles.

“Our guys are figuring out how to get in there and be successful, especially in a tournament like this where you have three games in three days,” Wood said. “These guys are getting more experience. We’re excited about continuing to develop our depth.”

Junior guard Eddie Roman Nose started to get in a rhythm offensively in the fourth. He scored 10 of the team’s 18 points, including 8 straight for the Lions. Ultimately, the Lions fell short in a 64-54 loss, which placed them fourth in the tournament.

The Lions will host Sumner Academy on Tuesday at 7 p.m.