It’s hard to know what to expect out of high school basketball teams in their first games back from winter break. For Lawrence High, 18 days between games is a long time and it can be tough to find a rhythm right away.


But Lawrence High’s boys basketball team made it look easy. The Lions scored 26 points in the first quarter and rolled to a 63-42 victory at Leavenworth.


The Lions scored on seven straight possessions in the final 2:10 of the quarter with good ball movement against a zone defense and knocking down open shots. LHS senior point guard Justin Roberts hit three triples during that stretch, finishing with 17 points in the first quarter.


“Everybody was hitting shots, getting boards, running well,” LHS senior Price Morgan said. “We got a little impatient when they went to the zone at first, but we figured it out. It was a pretty good quarter.”


Lawrence High’s girls basketball team had problems against Leavenworth’s full-court press and lost 53-32 to Leavenworth.


With a group of young guards, it’s tough to come back from winter break and face such a physical team. The Pioneers (ranked No. 2 in Class 5A) also had a chance to play in a game a few days earlier, so there was no rust from winter break.


It doesn’t get any easier for the Lions, who will face Olathe South (ranked No. 2 in Class 6A) on Friday. Their biggest challenge will be trying to play at their own speed and not letting quick teams speed them up.
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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. 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 girls basketball

1. Olivia Lemus, jr. — Playing off of the ball, Lemus hit some big shots, going 3-for-3 from behind the arc. She scored a team-high 10 points and provided good energy by chasing down loose balls and grabbing six rebounds.


2. Chisom Ajekwu, fr. — The 6-foot-3 freshman played well defensively, affecting plenty of shots in the paint. She grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds and blocked three shots. On offense, she had a tougher time, scoring seven points on 3-of-10 shooting.


3. Talima Harjo, soph. — In the starting lineup, Harjo played solid defense on the perimeter by jumping passing lanes and preventing easy drives to the rim. Harjo snagged three steals and scored five points in the second half.


4. Alexis Boyd, sr. — Boyd played a little sped up but helped the Lions in the paint with four points and five rebounds.


5. E’lease Stafford, soph. — The Pioneers focused on Stafford and didn’t let her make her usual impact on the court. Stafford had some problems with turnovers, but scored three points and had a team-high four assists.


6. Hannah Stewart, fr. — For a freshman, it’s never easy going against Leavenworth’s quick and physical full-court press. Stewart had a couple of turnovers, but was reliable with the ball and was aggressive on drives to the rim. She had three points and three rebounds.


7. Leslie Ostronic, fr. — She didn’t attempt any shots, but assisted on a three-pointer in the second quarter and grabbed a steal.


8. Emma Bentzinger, sr. — Bentzinger missed both of her shot attempts, but dished two assists by making good passes on inbounds plays.


• Next up: 5:30 p.m. Friday at Olathe South. Record: 4-3.

Lawrence High boys basketball

1. Justin Roberts, sr. — A few minutes into his first game back from winter break, Roberts drilled a three-pointer from the wing. Then another. And another. And another. And one more. The point guard scored a ridiculous 17 points in the first quarter, finishing with a game-high 23. He added four rebounds and two assists.


2. Price Morgan, sr. — Usually Morgan is matched up against the tallest players from opposing teams in the paint, but for at least one game, Morgan was the big man in the post. He had 15 points, five rebounds and three assists. In the second half, he blocked a shot into the stands, making full use of his size advantage.


3. Fred Brou, sr. — Brou was fired up from the opening jump ball and it showed when he scored on a layup on the team’s first possession. Brou, who was the tallest player on the court for most of the contest, had 11 points, 12 rebounds and two assists. The better he plays, the more dangerous the Lions become.


4. Jackson Mallory, jr. — Mallory made his first shot, grabbing a steal and scoring in the paint. He missed his final seven shots, but he still was strong in every other phase of the game. He played solid defense, grabbed seven rebounds and three steals.


5. Anthony Harvey, sr. — Despite a few open looks, Harvey couldn’t get his shot to drop from deep (1-for-6 for three). That didn’t stop him from playing well in other areas, scoring seven points with a few drives to the rim. He added a rebound and a steal.


6. Braden Solko, jr. — Solko missed on two shots from behind the three-point line, but was active on defense and grabbed two rebounds. On one play, Solko turned the ball over and sprinted back on defense to prevent an easy layup, forcing a turnover.


7. Kobe Buffalomeat, jr. — Buffalomeat knocked down a jumper in the second quarter off an inbounds pass. He added three rebounds.


8. Austin Miller, jr. — With extended playing time, Miller grabbed two steals and assisted on a layup-and-the-foul bucket by Morgan. He scored two points at the free throw line.


9. Tayvien Robinson, sr. — Robinson knocked down two free throws with 35 seconds left, and missed on a shot at the buzzer. He also had one rebound.


10. Dante’ Jackson, soph. — Jackson grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed three-pointer and missed on a shot from deep.


11. Noah Butler, fr. — Grabbed a defensive rebound in the final minute.


12. Trey Quartlebaum, fr. — Missed on his only shot attempt from behind the arc.


• Next up: 7 p.m. Friday at Olathe South. Record: 6-1.
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