Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Olathe South’s Jaxon Chai drives into the heart of the Lawrence High defense and launches the ball to the corner during a boys basketball game on Dec. 16 at Lawrence High School.
Identifying silver linings in the aftermath of a 46-point home loss is no easy task, but Lawrence Lions boys basketball coach Nick Wood did just that after his squad was flattened 76-30 by the Olathe South Falcons Tuesday night.
For Wood, absorbing a blowout loss early in the season could help expedite the gelling and continuity process for his relatively new-look varsity rotation.
“The silver lining is that it’s only Dec. 16,” Wood said. “We have a lot of guys playing varsity basketball for the first time, and this group of guys has only been together since mid-November. We are still figuring out how we can be successful as a group.”
The Lions were able to keep it close early on in the first quarter, as a Simon Simien driving layup capped a 6-0 spurt.
From there, Jacob Corrales and Jaxon Chai took over. The Falcons’ formidable backcourt duo entered the contest accounting for more than 31 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from 3-point land.
“Those two guys make them go,” Wood said.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Olathe South’s Jacob Corrales drives to the basket against Lawrence High during a boys basketball game on Dec. 16 at Lawrence High School.
Corrales proved too physical for Lawrence’s guards — penetrating the lane at-will and finishing at the rim, while Chai’s quickness and slick ball-handling skills led to numerous open looks for teammates. Chai’s breakaway lay-in, followed by a five-point outburst from Corrales stretched the Falcons’ lead to 34-12 midway through the second quarter.
Corrales concluded the first half with 15 points as the Falcons held a commanding 49-15 advantage. While the second half was a lower-scoring affair, Olathe South still managed to outscore the Lions 27-15.
“What we learned is that we’re not connected, we’re not locked in and we’re not communicating very well,” Wood said, adding that the Lions were stagnant offensively — specifically noting that his club was unable to swing the ball side-to-side, coupled with a lack of paint touches.
“We just can’t be successful doing those things and Olathe South was more than happy to show us that tonight,” Wood said.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Axl Bland drives to the basket during a boys basketball game against Olathe South on Dec. 16 at Lawrence High School.
For the Lions, freshman Axl Bland finished with a team-high 13 points, and was the only player to reach double-figure scoring totals. Corrales concluded with a game-high 22 points, while Chai added 11.
“It was a very humbling experience and a tough lesson to be given, but at the same time that’s the reality of what it is,” Wood said. “We played a really good basketball team; one of the best in the state.”
Lawrence (2-1) returns to the hardwood today for a non-conference clash with visiting Turner High School out of Kansas City, Kansas.
“Turner is coming here tomorrow and they are not going to care about what just happened to us, so we can’t feel sorry for ourselves,” Wood said. “We talked to the guys about doing some self-reflection individually and as a team, and we need to just quickly move on from this game.
“Tomorrow is a new day and our goal is to go 1-0.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Simon Simien drives past Olathe South’s Reece Johnson during a boys basketball game on Dec. 16 at Lawrence High School.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Kenyon Doleman shoots a 3-pointer during a boys basketball game against Olathe South on Dec. 16 at Lawrence High School.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High head coach Nick Wood watches the action during a boys basketball game against Olathe South on Dec. 16 at Lawrence High School.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Joey Dooley awaits a break in the action before taking the court during a boys basketball game against Olathe South on Dec. 16 at Lawrence High School.
