photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence's Aden Ramirez (10) shoots a corner 3-pointer over Shawnee Mission West's Elijah Johnson (0) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

The Lawrence High boys basketball took another step forward Friday, earning their third regular-season win, 64-54 over Shawnee Mission West.

Senior Zaxton King led LHS (3-11) with a game-high 25 points – but it was senior Gordon Fineday (13 points) and sophomore Edward Roman Nose (11 points) who anchored things down the stretch when King, senior Kem Allen and sophomore Josh Galbreath (six points) each picked up their third fouls in the third quarter.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Zaxton King (2) goes up strong for a layup over Shawnee Mission West’s Brayden Everett (15) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

LHS coach Nick Wood said the win over a gritty 2-12 Vikings program with its own share of growing pains is indicative of where the Lions aspire to be every night.

“That’s the growth and maturity of what our team can be,” Wood said. “Once they’re embracing who we are as a group, we can do special things and that was so much fun to see out there.”

Winning the tipoff, LHS found the hole right away with a quick layup by Galbreath, who followed up the score with a monster block on the other end of the floor. LHS built off that pace with six points by King and another five points from Aden Ramirez in the first quarter.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Josh Galbreath (21) blocks Shawnee Mission West’s Ayden Nash (1) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Aden Ramirez (10) shoots a 3-pointer over Shawnee Mission West’s Ayden Nash (1) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

SM West got a lift off the bench, as sophomore Miles White (nine points) scored seven in the second quarter to keep the Lions in check with a just 26-21 lead at halftime.

Coming out of the break, Fineday and Roman Nose – combining for 24 total points – found themselves barging into the lane and chucking up 3-point baskets. Their newfound rhythm came in handy when King, Allen and Galbreath each picked up their third foul late in the third quarter.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Gordon Fineday (11) is guarded by Shawnee Mission West’s Elijah Johnson (0) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Kem Allen (14) looks to get position from Shawnee Mission West’s Steven King (2) and Brayden Everett (15) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

A particular and-one layup by Roman Nose, sending LHS up 36-32 with just four minutes left in the third quarter, quickly forced King out of his seat.

“When they come out here and show it, it gets me hyped,” King said.

“I’d never done that before until now,” Roman Nose added. “But I’m definitely going to be doing that more.”

A 3-point basket by Fineday kept LHS in control 46-41 when the fourth quarter arrived. A late run by SM West juniors Brayden Everett (17 points) and Steven King (13 points) tested the Lions’ endurance, but ultimately led to two trips to the free-throw line for Fineday.

Reflecting on the win, Fineday – who knocked down four late free throws to put away the Vikings – said the win is a major confidence booster for the remainder of the Lions’ February schedule.

“The work’s paid off a little bit now, but we’re still hungry,” Fineday said. “Being in front of our community, having that support behind us really helped us in this.”

LHS travels to Shawnee Mission South on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

BOX SCORE:

LHS 13 13 20 18 – 64

SM West 9 12 18 15 – 54

Lawrence High (64) Zaxton King 9-20 6-7 25; Avery Johnson 0-3 0-0 -; Banks Bowen 0-1 0-0 -; Gordon Fineday 4-5 4-4 13; Josh Galbreath 2-3 2-2 6. Totals: 23-49 14-15 64.

Shawnee Mission West (54) Elijah Johnson 1-5 0-0 2; Ayden Nash 2-4 1-3 6; Steven King 5-7 2-2 13; Caleb Hardin 2-6 1-4 5; Brayden Everett 2-5 13-13 17. Totals: 17-33 17-22 54.

3-point goals: LHS: 4-23 (); SM West: 3-11 (). Turnovers: LHS 15, SM West 16. Fouled Out: None.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Zaxton King (2) makes a play Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Zaxton King (2) shoots a 3-pointer Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Zaxton King (2) and Shawnee Mission West’s Ayden Nash (1) chase a loose ball Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Avery Johnson (3) attempts to make a play Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Gordon Fineday (11) shoots a runner over Shawnee Mission West’s Miles White (35) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Zaxton King (2) goes up for a layup Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Sean Wondrack (24) passes the ball to a teammate Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Avery Johnson (3) shoots a 3-pointer Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Zaxton King (2) crosses over Shawnee Mission West’s Caleb Hardin (4) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Aden Ramirez (10) shoots a corner 3-pointer over Shawnee Mission West’s Elijah Johnson (0) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

LHS girls evade late stand from SM West

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Nyasia Ramos (22) shoots a 3 in the first quarter Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

The Lawrence High girls basketball team gave their chances at a home substate bid a bump on Friday night after pulling away from Shawnee Mission West 47-42 late in the game.

Down 7-3 in the first quarter, LHS burned a timeout to regroup after coughing up five turnovers to begin the contest. The 30-second break seemed to do the trick, as junior Nyasia Ramos closed the quarter with a 3-point bucket to send LHS up 12-10 on the Vikings.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Destiny Savannah (4) brings the ball up court on Shawnee Mission West’s Izzy Joyce (3) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

Senior Delilah Barnes, leading the Lions with nine points in the first half, buried her third 3-pointer of the night to begin the second quarter. SM West, becoming especially quiet hitting just 3 of 10 second-quarter attempts from the field, trailed LHS 22-18 at halftime with Izzy Joyce closing out the half with a 3-point banger.

Lawrence’s Cami Nauholz doubled her first-half production in the third quarter, guiding the Lions to a seven-point advantage partially aided by the Vikings’ six third-quarter turnovers.

Joyce opened the fourth quarter with another 3-point basket, as the Vikings scraped all the way back to within a basket of the Lions with a little under two minutes remaining. Joyce, seeking to tie the ballgame at 42-all with under a minute left, saw her breakaway layup blocked by Nauholz.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Camille Nauholz (14) sets up to make a play on Shawnee Mission West’s Aliyah Jones (25) and Jordan Garcia (4) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

The block proved fatal, with SM West trying and failing to pull off a 3-point basket after LHS senior Azura Clark split a pair of free-throws down the stretch.

LHS travels to Shawnee Mission South on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE:

LHS 15 7 13 12 – 47

SM West 10 8 10 14 – 42

Lawrence High (47) Emma Roman Nose 1-3 4-4 6; Destiny Savannah 0-3 0-0 -; Delilah Barnes 4-6 0-0 11; Cami Nauholz 8-11 3-4 19; Cyrenity Hardy 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 16-33 11-15 47.

Shawnee Mission West (42) Izzy Joyce 7-9 1-2 17; Jordan Lippold 5-8 0-0 11; Kate Van Deventer 2-2 0-0 4; Macie Loe 0-2 0-0 -; Aliyah Jones 1-4 0-0 3. Totals: 17-35 3-6 42.

3-point goals: LHS: 4-16 (); SM West: 5-16 (). Turnovers: LHS 18, SM West 15. Fouled Out: None.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Cyrenity Hardy (20) looks for teammates around the strong defense of Shawnee Mission West’s Izzy Joyce (3) Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence coach Jeff Dickson screams out a play to teammates Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High bench players celebrate their teammates Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Lawrence High School.