Free State and Lawrence High boys and girls hoops sweep into sub-state finals

For the first time since 2007, Free State and Lawrence High are sending both of its boys and girls basketball teams into the sub-state championship games.


It’s a credit to all of the teams for having such strong seasons — all four teams will finish the year with winning records.


Free State’s boys basketball team (15-6) had the closest first-round game among city teams, winning 54-52 against Junction City on a putback by senior forward Chrision Wilburn at the buzzer.


For Free State’s girls, the Firebirds cruised to a 50-17 victory over Wichita East by holding the Aces to just six points in the first half. Looking for their first trip to state since 2010, it’s the seventh straight year the Firebirds (14-7) have advanced to the sub-state finals.


It’s hard to tell, but Lawrence High’s boys basketball team (19-2) had to fight for its 80-62 rout over KC Wyandotte, finally pulling away in the fourth quarter. Once the Lions were ranked No. 1 team in the state, they’ve had a target on their back and they know they’ll get the best from every opponent they play.


Lawrence’s girls basketball team (12-9) earned a 60-48 victory against Shawnee Mission East, using a 12-2 run in the fourth quarter to create some breathing room. Credit the Lions, who are playing without leading scorer E’lease Stafford (12 points per game), for finding a way to win without her.


Now for a look ahead to all of the sub-state championship games:


Free State girls basketball at Washburn Rural (16-5) at 7 p.m. Friday — The Firebirds handed the Junior Blues one of their five losses during the third-place game of the Firebird Winter Classic at the end of January, winning 53-36. The Junior Blues, who won a share of the Centennial League title, are led by Carly Bachelor (14.4 points per game, six vs. Free State in January) and Lauren Biggs (10.0 points per game, 10 vs. Free State). After facing Free State once, Washburn Rural has its eyes set on slowing down FSHS junior Madison Piper, who scored 23 points in the first meeting.


“They’ve got one of the best players around in Madison Piper,” Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick told the Topeka Capital Journal. “She’s a player who can kind of do whatever she wants and score the ball, and she’s also a tough defender. So obviously she’s a big concern. But they’ve also got really nice, fast, good-shooting guards. They’ve got a lot of good role players. They’re just a tough team.”


Shawnee Mission West (11-10) at Lawrence High girls basketball at 7 p.m. Friday — During Sunflower League play, the Vikings won in overtime at LHS, 58-56, on Jan. 12. It was early in the season, and both teams are much improved for the rematch. SM West is led by star center Kenzie Loe, who led the league with 20 points per game and was second in the league with 9.5 rebounds, only trailing LHS freshman Chisom Ajekwu (9.6 rebounds per game). Loe was in foul trouble for the first meeting, but still found a way to score a game-high 27 points.


Free State boys basketball at Wichita Southeast (17-4) at 6 p.m. Saturday — In the final game in Southeast’s historic gym (a new one opens next year), the Firebirds will try to slow down one of the best backcourts in the state. Southeast senior guard Jerrick Harding led the City League in scoring for the third straight year (26.5 points) and sophomore Israel Barnes, a transfer from Sunrise Christian prep, averages another 18.5 points. Wichita Heights coach Joe Auer told the Wichita Eagle that Harding “is every bit as terrific of a scorer as Conner Frankamp and Perry Ellis.” The last time the Firebirds traveled to Southeast, they lost by 15 points in the sub-state finals in 2014, though none of the current FSHS players were in that game.


Shawnee Mission Northwest (9-12) at Lawrence High boys basketball at 6 p.m. Saturday — The Cougars are playing some of their best basketball of the season, winning three of their past four games. LHS won the first meeting less than a month ago, 59-54, on Feb. 9. It was LHS senior point guard Justin Roberts’ first game back from his shoulder injury. With a strong group of seniors, Dylan Dirks, Ferninand Hardy and Jalen LyDay, the Cougars have confidence they can pull off an upset. “I’m hungry. I want to get them,” LyDay told the Shawnee Dispatch of playing Lawrence. “Last game was so close. I feel like if we play the way we did (Thursday), I think we can go get them.”
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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.

Free State girls basketball

1. Madison Piper, jr. — Piper scored eight of her game-high 17 points in the third quarter, taking advantage of Wichita East’s switch to a man-to-man defense. When she was double-teamed, she made the smart passes, dishing four assists. She also had two steals and two rebounds.


2. Peyton Brown, sr. — In the first half, the Firebirds looked a little tight on offense — nerves that come from playing in the first playoff game against a team they haven’t played. But Brown just used the opportunity to assert herself on offense. She scored 10 points and added five rebounds, making strong cuts without the ball to the rim.


3. Caiti Schlesener, sr. — Sometimes a streaky shooter, Schlesener found her rhythm on Wednesday. She shot 3-of-6 from deep and had no problem driving to the rim when Wichita East tried to guard the three-point line on her way to 15 points.


4. Cameryn Thomas, soph. — Thomas only scored two points but made such a big impact in every other phase of the game. She crashed the glass and frustrated ball handlers with her full-court pressure, ending up with seven rebounds, four steals and a block. As point guard, she had three assists.


5. Hannah Walter, sr. — When the Firebirds face a zone defense, Walter essentially becomes the team’s point guard. Get the ball to Walter, and let her make the smart play. She had four points, three assists and seven rebounds.


6. Jaycie Bishop, jr. — Sporting a new hair color, Bishop used her strong defensive instincts to grab two steals. She missed two shots, including a potential buzzer-beater in the first quarter, but she had a nice assist in the second quarter, setting up Brown for a layup.


7. Erin Cushing, soph. — Always bring a nice boost of energy to the court when she’s on the court. She missed all three of her shot attempts, but had two rebounds and assisted on a three-pointer by Schlesener.


8. Sophia Jadlow, jr. — Grabbed two tough rebounds in the final minutes and made two free throws.


9. Calli Bowen, jr. — Made a nice pass to Jadlow in the final minute, earning Jadlow a trip to the free throw line.


10. Molly Murray, soph. — Murray was called for a foul while playing some tough defense in the post, making the mistake of putting both hands on the ball-handler.


11. Sara Pavlyak, fr. — She didn’t record any stats with the running clock, but provided some nice stability while dribbling in the back court.


• Next up: 7 p.m. Friday at Washburn Rural. Record: 14-7.

Lawrence High boys basketball

1. Price Morgan, sr. — It’s hard to find a player who is on a better run in the past few weeks than Morgan. He’s just playing in a rhythm and so difficult to slow down. He scored 11 points in the first quarter, including seven straight at one point. He finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a steal.


2. Justin Roberts, sr. — High school basketball’s version of Mariano Rivera, Roberts knows how to close games out for the Lions. He scored 12 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter, drilling shots and making smart passes on drives into the paint. He’s also been strong at the free throw line, shooting 23-of-25 in the past three games.


3. Jackson Mallory, jr. — The more you watch Mallory, the greater appreciation you have for his skills. He’s one of those players that just does a little of everything to help his team. He finished just shy of a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds, adding five assists.


4. Fred Brou, sr. — Brou was ready to play in the first quarter and it showed right away. He scored seven of his 12 points in the first eight minutes, converting on two and-ones including a tip-slam while being fouled. He added five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one more dunk in the fourth quarter.


5. Anthony Harvey, sr. — Credit to Harvey, when his shot wasn’t dropping, to turn his attention to the defensive end. He played solid defense and grabbed eight rebounds. On offense, Harvey scored a buzzer-beating layup at the end of the first quarter, then opened the second quarter with a no-hesistation three-pointer from the wing.


6. Kobe Buffalomeat, jr. — Wyandotte essentially played five guards on the court, and Buffalomeat used his size to take full advantage. He scored eight points, waiting for his teammates to deliver him passes in the paint. Buffalomeat added three rebounds and dished a nice assist to Morgan for a layup.


7. Braden Solko, jr. — Solko provided a huge boost off of the bench, grabbing two rebounds and making two free throws. He showed off some nice handles when dribbling in transition and played his usual hard-nosed defense.


8. Noah Butler, fr. — In the final minutes, Butler tried to bring the house down by driving baseline and dunking over his defender. Instead, he drew the foul and sunk both free throws. He added a blocked shot and played good defense on the perimeter. His only problem was he played a little sped up on offense when he came off of the bench in the second quarter.


9. Austin Miller (jr.), Trey Quartlebaum (fr.), Brett Chapple (fr.), Jake Rajewski (soph.) — All of them entered in the final minutes when the Lions pushed their lead to 20 points. Miller deflected a shot on defense, but none of them attempted any shots.


• Next up: 6 p.m. Saturday vs. SM Northwest. Record: 19-2.
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It’s always cool to see how Lawrence natives are performing at the collegiate level. I wrote up an alumni watch at the beginning of December, and will have another update in the next few weeks.


But one play from Free State and Bishop Seabury alum Khadre Lane, now a freshman at Campbell University, caught my eye on Twitter and I had to share below. No doubt, it’s the same athleticism that made him such a force at the high school level on the basketball court and football field.


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As always, feel free to comment, email me, or find me on Twitter @nightengalejr.