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

Lawrence High junior Cami Nauholz pulls up for a shot during the City Showdown basketball game on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, at Free State High School in Lawrence.

The Lawrence High girls basketball team (11-10) extended its City Showdown winning streak to five games on Friday night, taking down Free State (7-14) on the road, 63-28.

“I feel great — that’s probably the highlight of, like, all my seasons (is) not losing to Free State this whole time,” Lawrence senior Jada Baars-Turner said. “I hope that the freshmen and sophomores and all the people below me get to experience it, too.”

The Lions got a balanced performance offensively, led by junior Cami Nauholz, who led the way with 18 points, while sophomore Macyn Ramsay added 15 and Baars-Turner chipped in 14.

“We shared the ball really well,” Lawrence assistant coach Olivia Lemus said. “Everybody was hustling; it was all-around good to see. It feels good going into the last few (regular season) games and sub-state.”

The Firebirds were led by freshman Quinlynn Vail, who scored 13 points, while fellow freshman Morgan McClorey added eight points.

Free State head coach Summer Frantz said she was disappointed with the result and felt the team got away from its game plan while letting the raucous environment play a factor.

The Firebirds got on the board first with a pair of free throws from Vail, before the Lions’ size began to take over, as Nauholz scored four of the first six points for the Lions.

Lawrence continued to build its lead with points in the second-chance points and made the score 15-4 with a 3-pointer by Baars-Turner and another bucket by Nauholz. Free State cut the deficit to 15-6 at the end of the first quarter after a midrange jump shot by Vail.

Baars-Turner did more than just make 3s throughout the game, as she took an early charge, which she said helped bring the team’s energy up and settle into the game.

“We came out pretty hot,” Baars-Turner said. “We got in their heads more than they got in ours, and I think us playing together really got to them.”

The Lions started hot in the second quarter with a 7-0 run. Sophomore Zoey Barber and Nauholz each had buckets from close range, while Baars-Turner hit her second 3-pointer of the game to force a Firebird timeout.

After a bucket by freshman Taylor Hulcher to get Free State back on the board, Lawrence’s pressure continued to cause problems for Free State, leading to a 9-0 run that lasted nearly four minutes. Hice finally stopped the run at the free throw line, and after another bucket by Nauholz, Vail ended the first half with a 3-pointer as Lawrence led 33-12 heading into the locker room.

The full-court pressure was an emphasis coming into the game, and it was evident as the Lions never allowed the Firebirds to find any sort of comfort.

“It was super important,” Lemus said. “I think we learned a lot with our defense tonight, and we just improved a lot, especially in that atmosphere.”

Freshman Morgan McClorey began the second half with a 3-pointer and soon hit another later in the quarter, but not before a 9-0 run by the Lions gave them a 42-18 lead.

Nauholz scored the next four points for Lawrence, all from the inside, while Ramsay added to the lead with a bucket in transition. Vail scored the final four points of the quarter for Free State, as Lawrence held a 48-22 advantage.

The Lions began the fourth quarter by scoring six straight points to put the game out of reach. Vail responded with a field goal for the Firebirds before a 3-pointer by Marley Doleman extended the Lions’ lead even further.

Lawrence continued to put its foot on the gas and finished strong to finish off the win, marking a 4-0 record against Free State for Baars-Turner and fellow senior La’Keyshia Woods.

Despite the result, Frantz was still complimentary of her group and knows there’s room for improvement with two more regular season games remaining.

“I was proud of all of them,” Frantz said. “I was really proud of our freshmen. I was proud of our upperclassmen for being good leaders out there.”

Lawrence will finish the regular season with two home games against Shawnee Mission North on Tuesday and Gardner Edgerton on Friday. Free State will be on the road twice, starting with Shawnee Mission Northwest on Tuesday and closing the regular season at Mill Valley on Friday.