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Lawrence High’s Joey Dooley goes up for a layup attempt during a boys basketball game against St. Mary’s Academy on Jan. 28 at Lawrence High School.
Much to the delight of head coach Nick Wood, the identity of the Lawrence High boys basketball team is taking shape.
Fresh off a pair of victories at the Rupp Invitational last week, the Lions returned to the court Wednesday night, dispatching the visiting St. Mary’s Academy Crusaders 53-39 in a non-league tilt.
“I was proud of how the guys played tonight, even if it wasn’t always pretty,” Wood said. “We’re doing a phenomenal job of bringing really good energy to the court, supporting one another, and competing like crazy. That’s our identity.”
Lawrence (5-8 overall) fell behind 6-0 out of the shoot, but closed the opening frame on an 8-2 spurt after receiving scoring contributions from Simon Simien, Truth Pope, Kenyon Doleman and Joey Dooley.
After its sluggish start to the contest, Lawrence opened the second quarter on a 12-2 blitz, capped off by Dooley’s slashing bucket at the rim.
On the following possession, Dooley drove from the perimeter and distributed a skip-pass to Doleman in the left corner for the knockdown 3-pointer. Pope followed with a fastbreak bucket as the Lions led 25-12.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Simon Simien passes the ball during a boys basketball game against St. Mary’s Academy on Jan. 28 at Lawrence High School.
Lawrence tightened the screws defensively for most of the second quarter, but did allow St. Mary’s to close the half on a 5-0 run to trim the deficit to 25-17.
The Lions kicked it into high gear with an electrifying offensive sequence midway through the third quarter. Doleman keyed the mini-blitz with a triple from the left corner, and then followed up with a crowd-pleasing breakaway dunk. Dooley then parlayed a blocked shot into points at the other end for a 38-24 lead. Lawrence increased its advantage to 16 through three quarters of play en route to the comfortable victory.
Wood said that despite a solid scouting report on St. Mary’s various zone looks, it took too long for them to adjust in the half-court set, lamenting what he perceived as sloppy play.
“We definitely need to clean some things up,” he said, adding that the offense was mostly bailed out by its ability to “get downhill” and finish in transition.
The Lions put forth a top-notch defensive effort, racking up double-digit turnovers that frequently led to high-percentage scoring opportunities at the other end. St. Mary’s also faced a heavy dose of Devin Foster in the low post. While he only finished with two points, the physical center made his presence felt with lockdown defense while manhandling the visitors in the paint.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Truth Pope dribbles the ball between two defenders during a boys basketball game against St. Mary’s Academy on Jan. 28 at Lawrence High School.
Wood lauded St. Mary’s for what he described as an ultra-competitive effort, adding that Wednesday’s outcome should provide his squad with a valuable lesson.
“We were the more skilled team, but their effort kept them in the game and made things competitive,” he said. “We can learn from that, because there are going to be nights when we aren’t the team with the most skill on the court, but what we can control is our energy and effort.”
Dooley wrapped the contest with a game-high 20 points, to go along with three steals and a block. On his birthday, Doleman dropped in 15 points while Pope added 14 in the winning effort.
Pope’s speed in transition was a difference maker for the Lions, according to Wood. Defense has been Pope’s calling card throughout his career, but he’s also flourishing offensively as of late.
“Truth has shown the ability to handle the ball for us, get downhill to the basket, and he is also expanding his range,” Wood said, as Pope has produced double-figure scoring totals in consecutive games.
“Truth continues to get better and better, and has put himself in a situation where we’ve got to play him because he makes so many positive things happen for us. So it’s been really cool witnessing his development.”
The Lions return to the court Friday for a non-league clash with KC Washington (8-6), with tip-off slated for 7 pm. A year ago, the Lions earned a thrilling 59-56 road victory over Washington.
“They’ll be coming here with a mindset to get some revenge and get after us a little bit, so it will be a great challenge for us,” Wood said. “It’s like, ‘we’ve come a long way, but now let’s see where we really are as a team.’”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Devin Foster dribbles toward the basket during a boys basketball game against St. Mary’s Academy on Jan. 28 at Lawrence High School.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High head coach Nick Wood talks with his players during a timeout in a boys basketball game against St. Mary’s Academy on Jan. 28 at Lawrence High School.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Kenyon Doleman attempts a 3-point shot during a boys basketball game against St. Mary’s Academy on Jan. 28 at Lawrence High School.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High players lock arms for a postgame ceremony following a boys basketball game against St. Mary’s Academy on Jan. 28 at Lawrence High School.
