By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Highland Park and Lawrence ended the 2023 Topeka Invitational Tournament facing off against each other in the championship game and opened the 2024 version of 62nd annual event on Thursday in a first-round rematch.
And like it did in the '23 final, Highland Park got the best of its Class 6A foe, rolling to Friday's semifinals with a 75-44 romp past the Lions at the Bueltel Activity Center.
Junior Ja'Corey Robinson recorded game-high totals of 21 points and 13 rebounds in Highland Park's 75-44 Topeka Invitational win over Lawrence at Hayden. [File photo/TSN]
"I knew better than to overlook them, and it was also, too, just trying to sell the mindset to our kids that we can't overlook anybody,'' Highland Park coach Mike Williams said. "I think we're pretty good. I think we've got a chance to be really good, but we're not there yet and we've got to make sure that we approach the game the right way.
"So we're still scouting them, we're still going over stuff. We knew (Zaxton) King was a really, really good player and we knew they did a good job finding him and getting him the ball so he could get his shots up.''
Highland Park, which improved to 5-0, will play a 5:30 p.m. semifinal against Shawnee Mission North on Friday, with the Bison advancing with a 49-47 win over Topeka West.
Lawrence, which fell to 1-8, led three times in the early going, the last time at 12-10, and there were ties at 10 and 12, but No. 3-ranked (5A) Highland Park ended the opening quarter with an 8-2 run to take a 20-14 lead and the Scots hit the Lions with a 23-11 second quarter to take a commanding 43-25 lead at the break.
"We want to win but we've also got to find ourselves situations that are going to help us grow collectively as a team on both sides of the ball,'' Williams said. "We're just searching for those situations to prepare us for down the stretch of the season when everything is really on the line.''
Highland Park boosted its lead to 62-37 at the end of the third quarter and forced a running clock over the final 4:41 after building a 71-41 lead.
Senior Tamir Anderson scored 15 points with three 3-pointers in Thursday's 75-44 Topeka Invitational win over Lawrence. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Mikey Williams Jr. (5) scored 11 points in Thursday's 75-44 win over Lawrence, helping the Scots advance to Friday's Topeka Invitational semifinals. [File photo/TSN]
Highland Park 6-foot-5 junior Ja'Corey Robinson registered game-high totals of 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Scots while senior Tamir Anderson added 15 points, including three 3-pointers, and junior Mikey Williams Jr. finished with 11.
King, a senior, led Lawrence with 15 points, the lone Lion in double figures.
HIGHLAND PARK 75, LAWRENCE 44
Lawrence 14 11 12 7 -- 44
Highland Park 20 23 19 13 -- 75
Lawrence (1-8) -- Parks 2-4 0-0 5, King 5-14 4-4 16, Bowen 2-8 0-0 5, Fineday 1-6 0-0 2, Galbreth 0-3 0-0 0, Johnson 2-7 2-2 7, Anderson 0-1 0-0 0, Ramirez 2-7 2-2 8, Roman Nose 1-3 0-0 2, Wondrack 0-1 0-0 0, Foster 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-54 8-8 44.
Highland Park (5-0)-- Taylor 4-6 0-0 8, Wilson 1-3 0-0 2, Williams 5-10 0-0 11, Robinson 10-15 1-2 21, Anderson 6-10 0-0 15, Thrasher 2-6 0-0 5, Cameron 3-4 1-1 7, Kingcannon 1-2 0-0 2, Howell 0-0 0-0 0, Kelley 2-2 0-0 4, Thomas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-58 2-3 75.
3-point goals -- Lawrence 6 (Ramirez 2, Parks, King, Johnson, Bowen), Highland Park 5 (Anderson 3, Williams, Thrasher). Total fouls -- Lawrence 4, Highland Park 7. Fouled out -- none.
RESULTS THURSDAY
Highland Park 75, Lawrence 44
Shawnee Mission North 49, Topeka West 47
Wichita Northwest 60, Topeka High 34
Lansing 48, Hayden 45
GAMES FRIDAY
2 p.m. -- Lawrence vs. Topeka West.
3:45 -- Topeka High vs. Hayden.
5:30 -- Highland Park vs. Shawnee Mission North.
7:15 -- Wichita Northwest vs. Lansing
