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

The Lawrence High bench is all smiles at the City Showdown against Free State on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

The Lawrence girls basketball team started the year with one goal: Make it to state.

After a year in which the Lions missed the state tournament, this goal is significant for the senior class, which includes four players. It is important for the seniors not only to end their careers on a high note but also to ensure they set the standard for the next class of Lions.

Seniors D’ema Barnes, Ajala Glover, Brynnae Johnson and Nyasia Ramos have played a lot of basketball together. When they aren’t playing for the Lions, they train together outside of school. They played basketball together many years before their Lawrence High careers.

“It’s sad — I feel like we could’ve done more to win some more games,” Barnes said. “I still think we’re doing a good job. I’m proud of us.”

Barnes said the team has built a sisterly bond with their extensive time playing together. It shows how the team plays on the court. On any night, whether the game ends in a win or a loss, the Lions will play their style of basketball. They will play fast, put pressure on defense and spread the ball around. The amount of time that the seniors have spent with each other on the court since they were little has helped their chemistry develop.

“Some people don’t have that, and I’m grateful that we do have that and we’ve played together since we were young,” Barnes said. “We know how everyone plays, so we know our strengths and weaknesses and can work around those.”

The Lions have one regular-season game left before the postseason begins with sub-state. Two wins in the sub-state bracket will give the Lions a spot in the state tournament.

Ramos said the team is feeling some pressure with the postseason approaching. Ramos hopes that a Friday win can create the necessary momentum for the team heading into sub-state.

The team is on a two-game winning streak after losing six of the previous seven games. Assistant coach Olivia Lemus said the most important thing for the team to keep up is the energy on and off the court.

“I think we’ve started spreading out the scoring — people are stepping up,” Lemus said. “On defense, who is going to step up and take that charge? Who is going to hype up the team? Those are the things that we need to get in the next game, and we’re showing signs of it.”

Alongside several seniors in the starting lineup have been freshman Jayla Colter and sophomore Cami Nauholz. Those two represent the next class of Lawrence girls basketball players to lead the team. They and other freshmen have exhibited the same effort and energy that the seniors play with. It’s a testament to the seniors setting the standard for how the team performs, and to who the young players are.

Lemus said the group has high-energy self-starters who can give the team an in-game boost.

“It’s been really good for them and for us,” Ramos said of incorporating the young players into the team culture. “In the next few years, they’ll be really good.”

The seniors have a lot on their plates in the next two weeks. A win over Gardner Edgerton would bring their record to 10-10 and give them the team’s longest win streak as the playoffs start. They want to win their sub-state to return to the state tournament, which they believe to be the standard for the program.

Maybe the most important thing for the seniors is to enjoy their time together. From team dinners the night before games to practices to school, the seniors are nearing the end of their Lawrence careers, and they know it. Time has gone by quickly this year, and taking it all in and enjoying the moments together are at the forefront of their minds.

“I’m just cherishing every moment because it came by so fast,” Barnes said.

The Lions finish the season at Gardner Edgerton on Friday.