photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence freshman Joey Dooley passes at the top of the key during Lawrence's first game of the 64th Topeka Invitational Tournament at Topeka High School on Thursday, January 23, 2025.

Topeka — After holding a 17-point lead in the second quarter, the Lawrence boys basketball team fell to a 67-66 hole with two minutes and five seconds left in a game against Wichita Southeast in the 64th Topeka Invitational Tournament.

Coach Nick Wood’s message to the team during the Buffs’ comeback was simple: stick to what worked. The Lions had built a double-digit lead in the first half by controlling rebounds and attacking the Buffs’ gap defense.

The Lions finished hot, scoring six unanswered points to win 72-67 on Thursday evening. Senior Marko Simac scored, and senior Aden Ramirez hit a free throw to make it a two-point game. Senior Avery Johnson forced a turnover, and Simac hit another free throw. The Buffs had one final play and needed three points, but the Lions contested shots under the rim and at the arc. Ramirez put the bow on the victory with a game-sealing layup as time expired.

“We needed to have an identity, and we talked about it as a group,” Wood said. “Playing together is one. Competing like crazy is another. Bringing amazing positive energy… and that’s what they did from the beginning.”

The start of the game was about as good of an offensive half as the Lions have had all season. Ramirez scored the first bucket, and junior Eddie Roman Nose scored back-to-back fast-break baskets. Johnson hit the first of his four total 3-pointers, and freshman Joey Dooley finished through contact at the rim and scored an and-1 to take a 12-5 lead. Ramirez and Johnson traded 3s to give the Lions a 10-point lead.

Johnson scored six of the team’s final eight points, and the Lions took a 23-13 lead after the first quarter. Johnson said the team’s success came from moving the ball around and “just doing what we’re doing in practice.” As for his shooting, he had a lot of confidence going into the game.

“Coach gave me the green light (to shoot)… it felt good,” Johnson said.

The second quarter was more competitive, and the Buffs got a lot of help from Collin Laws, who shot well and scored in transition. Johnson scored eight more points, and the Lions extended their lead to 11 points, leading 39-28.

The third quarter was when the Buffs made their comeback. At first, the Lions kept adding to their lead and even made it a 17-point game before the Buffs could start to chip away at the lead. As rebounding slipped away from the Lions, the Buffs started gaining footing. Center Parker Hardgrave was a problem for the Lions, and he was difficult to stop in getting rebounds and scoring at the rim.

“(Hardgrave) is a load,” Wood said. “They made an emphasis to get it to him. Our guys were trying like crazy to get a stop. They were trying like crazy to get around him, in front of him, have really good help, get on his right shoulder to force him right. But he’s a really good basketball player and knows how to use his body well.”

Wichita Southeast went on a 15-4 run to end the third quarter. The Buffs kept it within one possession for most of the final quarter and even held a 67-66 lead before the Lions finished strong to win the game.

The win stopped a five-game skid for the Lions, who hadn’t won since the season opener against Harmon. In that time, the Lions played close games against good teams but couldn’t come away with a win.

“When things got tough, they didn’t finger-point,” Wood said, “they stuck together. That has to be the standard to build on for the rest of the way.”

Thursday’s win put the Lions on the winning side of the bracket, ensuring that, at worst, they will play for the third-place game on Saturday. The celebration in the locker room could be heard from the court.

“We’ve played really good teams, and we just haven’t played well,” Wood said. “We know that it’s in there. We know it’s in them. For them to get a win and feel a win, it’s really special. They put a lot of work in to do that.”

But the Lions have to move on from this win as quickly as they have moved on from losses. Their next game against Highland Park will be one of Lawrence’s toughest games this season. Johnson said the key will be to ensure that the Lions take care of themselves mentally and physically for the game, with a quick turnaround before their next game.

Lawrence will play Highland Park at 6:30 p.m. on Friday at Topeka High School.

“We know we’re going to play a really good team tomorrow,” Wood said. “This is why you come to a tournament like this. You want to play good teams. You want to be on this side of the bracket. What we can control on our end is to continue to play together, have amazing support for each other, and continue to play Lawrence High basketball.”