By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Fans have grown accustomed to Highland Park's boys basketball team running up and down the court with numerous dunks and highlight-film plays.
Senior Mikey Williams scored a game-high 17 points Friday as Highland Park advanced to its third straight Topeka Invitational championship game with a 52-41 semifinal win over Lawrence. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Highland Park senior Ja'Corey Robinson scored 13 points Friday in the Scots' 52-41 semifinal win over Lawrence in the Topeka Invitational Tournament. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But Friday night was more about getting the job done at a slower, grind-it-out pace, with the 10-0 and top-ranked (Class 5A) Scots advancing to the Topeka Invitational Tournament championship game for the third straight season with a 52-41 semifinal win over Lawrence at Topeka High.
"When it comes down to it, we're going to see games like we've had over the last couple of nights,'' said Scots coach Mike Williams, whose team took a 12-point win over Shawnee Mission North in Thursday's opening round. "Over the last couple of years I can count on two fingers the single-digit games that we've gotten in the regular season.
"So we've found pockets to get a few more games that are kind of challenging us in a different way and we're seeing different things show up for our guys. Some things aren't as good at times, but it's OK. It's not the end of the world if we get out there and make a mistake or two. That allows us as coaches to do our job.''
Highland Park, which has won 19 Topeka Invitational titles, trailed just once, at 2-1, in the game, but the Lions (2-6) were able to stay within single-digits most of the night before the Scots closed out the 11-point victory to earn a berth in Saturday's 2:30 p.m. championship game against city rival Topeka West.
The Scots led 8-5 after a slow-paced opening quarter and led 22-12 at the half after senior Mikey Williams scored three straight points to end the second quarter.
Highland Park went up 13 points (29-16) with 5:42 left in the third quarter on a 3-pointer from senior Da'Mykel Hales but Lawrence got within six late in the third before Scot senior Ja'Corey Robinson hit a follow shot at the buzzer to put Hi Park up 33-25 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Lawrence got no closer, with Highland Park leading by as many as 14 points (43-29) midway through the final quarter.
Williams scored a game-high 17 points to lead three Scots in double figures, with Robinson adding 13 points and Hales 11 with three 3-pointers.
Lawrence got a team-high 11 points from freshman Joey Dooley while senior Aden Ramirez added nine points.
Scot coach Mike Williams wasn't surprised to get a test from Lawrence, which has advanced to the Topeka Invitational championship game nine times since 2010 with four titles and a championship-game loss to the Scots in 2023.
"They've got pride,'' Williams said of the Lions. "Highland Park and Lawrence is a traditional matchup in the TIT. They know that, the fans know that, their school knows that.
"The coaches have pride and they're going to get their kids out there and compete, and when you get in tournament play, records are out the window. I'm just happy our guys were able to get a challenge and overcome.''
HIGHLAND PARK 52, LAWRENCE 41
Lawrence 5 7 13 16 -- 41
Highland Park 8 14 11 19 -- 52
Lawrence (2-6) – Johnson 1-4 0-0 3, Ramirez 2-5 4-4 9, Foster 3-3 0-2 6, Roman Nose 3-8 1-2 7, Dooley 4-8 1-1 11, Becker 0-0 0-0 0, Simar 1-2 0-2 2, Doleman 1-2 0-0 3. Totals: 15-32 6-12 41.
Highland Park (10-0) – Wilson 2-5 0-0 5, Hales 4-7 0-0 11, Kelley 2-4 0-0 4, Williams 6-13 5-8 17, Robinson 4-7 4-6 13, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Kingcannon 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 19-38 9-14 52.
3-point goals – Lawrence 5 (Dooley 2, Johnson, Ramirez, Doleman), Highland Park 5 (Hales 3, Wilson, Robinson). Total fouls – Lawrence 13, Highland Park 14. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
Lansing pulls away late to top Topeka High
For the second straight night Topeka High put itself in a position to post its first win of the season.
But after Topeka High took a six-point lead at 55-49 with 4:10 left, Lansing scored the final 14 points of the night to take a 63-55 win on Friday on the Trojans' home court.
High fell to 0-10 on the season while Lansing improved to 2-8.
"I told the guys, this one's on me,'' Topeka High coach Geo Lyons said. "I knew we were playing at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, no band, no student section. It was like a middle school basketball game and I didn't have my team ready to go and that's what it came down to.
"And once a team already has it on and then you try to turn it on, it's hard to play catchup. We put so much energy into trying to get back into the basketball game and even taking the lead that we just didn't have it down the stretch and really that came down to we were mentally tired.''
Topeka High led 16-10 after one quarter but the Lions rallied to take a 31-29 advantage at the half.
The Trojans led 45-43 at the start of the final period and held a lead until Lansing went in front to stay with 2:14 remaining.
Junior Jalen Aldridge led Topeka High with 19 points while junior Octavian McFadded added 16 points.
Junior Jesse Wilson came off the bench to lead Lansing with a game-high 21 points.
LANSING 63, TOPEKA HIGH 55
Topeka High 16 15 14 10 -- 55
Lansing 10 19 14 20 -- 63
Topeka High (0-10) – Guest 3-9 0-0 9, McFadden 7-10 0-0 16, Aldridge 7-14 2-3 17, Campbell 1-2 0-0 2, McComas 3-6 3-6 9, Redmond 0-5 0-0 0, Wilkerson 0-3 0-0 0, Trotter 0-0 0-0 0, Carter 0-3 0-0 0, Dingle 0-1 0-0 0, Mallory 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 22-56 5-9 55.
Lansing (2-8) – Stephens 8-18 0-2 18, Heim 1-4 0-0 2, Zimmerman 0-7 1-2 1, Mattingly 2-6 4-5 8, Boden 5-8 0-0 13, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Wilson 6-9 9-14 21. Totals: 22-52 14-23 63.
3-point goals – Topeka High 6 (Guest 3, McFadden 2, Aldridge), Lansing 5 (Boden 3, Stephens 2). Total fouls – Topeka High 22, Lansing 8. Fouled out – McComas. Technical fouls – none.
TOPEKA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
RESULTS FRIDAY
Wichita SE 69, SM North 66
Lansing 63, Topeka High 55
Highland Park 52, Lawrence 41
Topeka West 71, Olathe East 59
GAMES SATURDAY
10 a.m. -- Topeka High vs. SM North (seventh place).
11:30 -- Wichita SE vs. Lansing (fifth place).
1 p.m. -- Lawrence vs. Olathe East (third place).
2:30 -- Highland Park vs. Topeka West (championship).
