Lawrence High’s boys basketball players weren’t going to let much get in their way of a state quarterfinal victory on Wednesday.


The Lions shot well, defended tightly, won the battle on the boards and limited turnovers in a 64-46 victory against Wichita South at Wichita State’s Koch Arena.


In terms of their five-game tournament at the beginning of the postseason: Three down, two to go.


“We came out and shot it well,” LHS coach Mike Lewis said after his team shot 49 percent (21-for-43). “You never know in an arena like this where you don’t practice in this environment how the guys are going to score. I was watching during warmups and the guys seemed to have a pretty good vibe. So I’m glad it carried over to the game.”


LHS senior John Barbee said the team was hyped up all day, from sitting in classes and then on the three-hour bus ride to Wichita, that once they hit the court, they were just ready to play.


Next up for the the Lions is a rematch against Shawnee Mission North and their star brothers, juniors Marcus and Michael Weathers. LHS won the lone regular season on the road, 70-66, on Feb. 17. The Indians beat #3 Derby in the quarterfinals, 65-51. Olathe East also advanced to the semis on the other side of the bracket, giving the Sunflower League three of the final four teams in 6A.


In case you missed it, we’re copying one of the popular features of KUsports.com, “Keegan’s Ratings,” where Sports Editor Tom Keegan ranks KU football and men’s basketball players after every game he attends and I’m bringing back the high school ratings for this basketball season. These individual rankings are just one person’s opinion, but it’s a good way to look at how each person impacted each game.

Lawrence High boys basketball

1. Justin Roberts, jr. — The Lions’ 5-foot-9 point guard missed his first shot from the field, but didn’t miss much afterward. Against Wichita South’s 2-3 zone, Roberts scored 15 points in the first half and he finished with a game-high 24. He finished through contact at the rim, drilled threes and dropped in a floater over Wichita South’s big men. He also had two assists, two rebounds and a steal.


“I just focused more on my shot, especially my follow-through,” Roberts said. “I just tried to set my feet. That’s pretty much what helped me get my shots off.”


2. Anthony Bonner, sr. — In his first game back following a mild concussion, the Colorado State signee showed off his offensive arsenal by scoring just about everywhere on the floor. He drilled a three. He dribbled past defenders and knocked down pull-up jumpers. He dunked. The only place he didn’t score from was the parking lot. He scored 19 points and had a team-high three assists.


“Just feeding off my teammates’ energy, feeding off my own energy,” Bonner said. “They were getting me the ball where I needed it. Justin was hitting shots, everyone was hitting. So we were just feeding off each other and that’s what we do.”


3. John Barbee, sr. — Barbee couldn’t get his shots to drop in the first half, starting 0-for-6 in the field. He admitted he was a little disappointed with how he was playing, but he took out his frustration with a left-handed jam at the end of the third quarter and was dominant for the final nine minutes. He had a game-high 12 rebounds, seven points, three assists and a steal.


4. Price Morgan, jr. — Morgan was matched up against one of the strongest players he’s faced this season, Wichita South big man Darren Lewis, and the Lions’ forward and linebacker had to fight for every inch defensively. But he pounded the glass for eight rebounds and he nearly had a double-double with eight points. He also had two blocks.


5. Ben Rajewski, sr. — The 5-foot-11 guard gave LHS its lead that it would never give up with a layup, racing past the defense for a transition bucket. He added a three-pointer near the end of the first half. But I thought he was solid defensively, denying drives and helping out in the low post. He had five points, a rebound and an assist.


6. Logan Applegate, sr. — Applegate picked up some quick fouls and wasn’t able to play the same style of game that he had in the sub-state championship against Shawnee Mission East. He scored one point in the fourth quarter and had two rebounds. He also had a nice steal when he first entered the game, intercepting an inbounds lob.


7. Fred Brou, jr. — Brou didn’t attempt a shot but he did a nice job on offense of setting screens and helping the Lions move around their defenders against the 2-3 zone. He grabbed two rebounds in eight minutes.


8. Anthony Harvey, jr. — Harvey missed his only shot, a three-point attempt, but he was flying around everywhere on defense. He had two rebounds and a steal that led to a dunk by Barbee.


9. Tae Shorter, sr. — Shorter had some nice crossover dribbles in his two minutes of playing time.


10. Kyle Hoffman, sr. — Hoffman played two minutes but didn’t attempt a shot or record any stats.


11. Jackson Mallory (so.) and Kobe Buffalomeat (so.) — Both of them entered in the final minute when the Lions were running out the clock.


• Next up: 8:15 p.m. Friday vs. SM North in the state semifinals. Record: 22-1.
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