By james art 
photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World
Sophomore Kenyon Doleman goes to the paint in a 52-41 loss to Highland Park on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. at Topeka High School.
Topeka — The most important thing for the Lawrence boys basketball coach to see at the 64th Topeka Invitational was identity. That was on display in Thursday’s win over Wichita Southeast and again Friday despite a 52-41 loss to Highland Park.
“We continue to grow as a basketball team,” Lawrence coach Nick Wood said. “We’re becoming a basketball team that competes like crazy, has positive energy and supports each other. We are beginning to understand it.
Early in the game, the Lions used a zone defense to get the Scots out of rhythm, and it worked. Highland Park didn’t score until late in the first quarter, and for most of the game the Lions’ defense kept it close.
“No complaints from me about our effort,” Wood said. “I thought our effort was really good and kept us in the basketball game.”
The Scots started to rally around the two-minute mark and scored seven points, but a 3-pointer by Lawrence freshman Joey Dooley kept the Scots within one possession. Dooley’s layup was one of just two baskets Lawrence made in the fourth, but the Lions made up for their offensive struggles with poor defense.
Dooley was one of the team’s bright spots. The freshman could use his size to finish at the rim and showed some shooting range. He finished with 11 points, which often came at the start of a Lawrence streak.
photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World
Freshman Joey Dooley shoots a 3-pointer against Highland Park on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. at Topeka High School.
The two teams traded baskets early in the second quarter before the Scots went on another 7-0 run. The Lions closed the gap with several buckets, including a 3-pointer by senior Aden Ramirez, but the Scots were able to take a 22-12 halftime lead.
The defensive half was about as good as the Lions have been all season, but a couple of turnovers saw the Scots take a 10-point lead. Wood said the defensive output came from the Lions sticking to their game plan.
Again, the two teams went toe-to-toe in the first few minutes of the second half. A 3-pointer gave the Scots a 13-point lead before Dooley scored five quick points, followed by two free throws from Ramirez. The Lions finished the quarter outscoring the Scots 13-11 and reduced the deficit to 8 points.
Wood applauded the team’s response throughout the evening, but the team’s ability to show its best performance in the third when the deficit reached double digits at halftime was the prime example. Lawrence didn’t hold the momentum for long in the fourth quarter. The Scots scored five quick points and continued to hit crucial 3-pointers as the Lions began to chip away at the lead. It was still a 10-point game with three minutes on the clock, and eventually the Lions had to turn to foul play. The Scots held on to their lead and the Lions couldn’t handle the upset.
Still, Wood said it was “the kind of game Lawrence High wants to play,” regardless of the outcome. The Lions want to be in the mix against top teams on the winning side of the bracket.
The Lions will wrap up the tournament in a third-place game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Topeka High School.