photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence sophomore Joey Dooley goes up for a layup in a 75-56 loss to Andale on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Halstead.

HALSTEAD — Lawrence boys basketball’s inconsistent play across 32 minutes led to a 75-56 loss to Andale in the first round of the Adolph Rupp Classic on Monday.

LHS coach Nick Wood saw a lot of highly competitive minutes from the Lions, moments where players were fighting for loose balls, playing tight defense and running in transition. At the same time, there were too many moments without the competitive effort to win.

“Unfortunately we showed we weren’t quite ready to step up to the challenge mentally and physically,” Wood said. “Credit to Andale — they did. Our guys struggled with that. We have to go back and get better for two days.”

The Lions started the game with that competitive effort, even as the offense wasn’t seeing too many shots fall in the first few minutes. Immediately off the tipoff, senior Eddie Roman Nose brought the ball up the court and hit a midrange jumpshot. The offense slowed down after that, while the Andale offense got going with some big 3s to take a 10-2 lead.

Lawrence junior Kenyon Doleman got the Lions going with a 3-pointer, followed by a layup for sophomore Joey Dooley. Doleman hit a second 3-pointer, and sophomore Truth Pope hit two free throws. Roman Nose hit a 3-pointer to give Lawrence a 15-10 lead.

“Really good start to the game; we were playing hard and staying with a really good team,” Wood said. “… There were some really good moments in that first half.”

Andale took a lead with two 3s, and the game went back and forth for the rest of the first quarter. Dooley hit two free throws, and Doleman hit his third 3-pointer late in the quarter, while Andale held a 24-20 lead after the first eight minutes.

Both defenses dominated the start of the second quarter, with neither team scoring for nearly three minutes. Lawrence sophomore Simon Simien hit two free throws for the first points of the quarter near the five-minute mark, and he got the team to 24 points with a field goal soon after.

Andale found success in the latter half of the second quarter by driving to the rim, while Lawrence struggled to score beyond the charity stripe. Roman Nose hit a free throw, then got a steal and a fast break bucket to make it a three-point deficit, but Andale hit two field goals to regain control. Dooley hit another free throw, but Andale finished the half with a free throw of its own to take a 35-28 lead.

The third quarter is where the Lions failed to match Andale’s physicality and ultimately lost control of the game.

“At halftime, I said we were three or four possessions away from being right there,” Wood said. “I felt like we could go out there and win that game. The first three or four minutes of the third quarter, we had to be the aggressor and attack, and unfortunately it went the other way.”

Andale started on an 8-0 run before senior Devin Foster scored in the paint and hit an and-1. Andale responded with a field goal, and Foster came back to score a free throw. Andale scored the next four points at the free-throw line, including two that were technical free throws. That put Andale up 52-32 over Lawrence.

“They came out with a purpose, and we had some mental and physical breakdowns,” Wood said. “Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We have to get better in two days and come back.”

The Lions kept the game right around the 20-point mark but were unable to make progress. Simien hit a big 3-pointer and Roman Nose continued to attack, hitting two free throws and getting a fast-break bucket following a steal from Pope. Foster hit a free throw with no time left in the quarter to make it a 19-point deficit for the Lions.

Roman Nose was a bright spot for the Lions, and he showed what a dynamic and intense weapon he can be for the team. He scored 16 points and was active in getting steals and pushing the pace of the offense while continuing to work his way back from a leg injury in the fall.

“He’s going to help us out a lot,” Wood said. “The biggest thing is giving himself some grace. It’s going to take a minute to get his basketball legs underneath him. But he was fun to watch tonight.”

Roman Nose started the fourth quarter with another steal and fast-break bucket. Doleman blocked a shot, which led to junior Caleb Wingerd going to the paint and getting a free throw. But the momentum didn’t stay, as Andale went on a 6-0 run. Lawrence got a few late buckets from Pope, senior Khyree McGee and sophomore Lincoln Neuhofel, but the points were too little, too late.

“They have to understand that it takes all of us,” Wood said. “We have to compete at such a high level every single possession … We’re really young. It’s a journey. It’s a great learning experience, and we still need to put it together consistently.”

Lawrence will be back in Halstead on Thursday for a consolation game in the Adolph Rupp Classic.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence sophomore Truth Pope goes up for a layup in a 75-56 loss to Andale on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Halstead.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Jaxon Becker corrals the ball in a 75-56 loss to Andale on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Halstead.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence sophomore Lincoln Neuhofel dribbles the ball in a 75-56 loss to Andale on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Halstead.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence sophomore Simon Simien dribbles the ball in a 75-56 loss to Andale on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Halstead.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Eddie Roman Nose looks to pass in a 75-56 loss to Andale on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Halstead.