Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Cami Nauholz, second from left, and Macyn Ramsey, third from left, celebrate on the bench as the Lions’ reserves close out the final minutes of a girls basketball game against Topeka West on Dec. 9 at Lawrence High School.
It didn’t much matter that the Lawrence Lions entered their season-opener with a new-look line-up Tuesday night. From the opening tip, the Lions looked as if they were in midseason form in a 77-46 trouncing of the visiting Topeka West Chargers.
Lawrence’s relentless full-court pressure and swarming defense in the half-court set led to the Chargers to commit a dozen first half turnovers.
“We came out pretty inspired to get after them defensively,” Dickson said. “We were flying all over the floor and trying to create chaos.”
Led by junior forward Cami Nauholz and sophomore point guard Macyn Ramasay, the Lions dazzled with a well-balanced offensive attack.
Lawrence opened the contest on a 12-1 spurt and extended its lead to 22-8 at the conclusion of the opening frame. The Lions continued to pour it on in the second quarter, as Ramsay’s Euro-step lay-in stretched the lead to 30-10.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Cami Nauholz shoots a fadeaway jump shot over a defender during a girls basketball game against Topeka West on Dec. 9 at Lawrence High School.
Nauholz proved to be unstoppable in the low-post, while also showing off a feathery touch from long-range. After the dust had settled, Nauholz and Ramsay combined for 34 first half points as the Lions swelled their cushion to 47-18 at the half.
The Chargers didn’t go quietly, opening the third quarter on a 13-0 run.
“We weren’t playing with the same level of energy as we did in the first half,” Dickson said. “We dominated so much early on that we got a little complacent, but we were able to settle down and get some good looks.”
After rediscovering their groove on both ends of the floor, the Lions coasted to the decisive 31-point triumph.
“We have tremendous potential,” Dickson said. “We were able to jettison a lot of things that were holding us back last year, and now I feel like the sky is the limit.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Macyn Ramsey dribbles up court during a girls basketball game against Topeka West on Dec. 9 at Lawrence High School.
Nauholz poured in 28 points while Ramsay finished with 27 in her varsity debut as point guard. Ramsay spent her freshman campaign at shooting guard before transitioning this season to the Lions’ floor general. As part of her new role, Ramsay said she’s making a concerted effort to apply pressure on the defense by driving the lane more frequently.
“Last year I was just kind of hanging out around the 3-point line and shooting,” Ramsay said. “Now as a point guard, I’m taking on that role of getting to the paint.”
Dickson said Ramsay has displayed a relentless work-ethic during the offseason and in practices, and that her dedication paid dividends Tuesday night.
“She’s put in more time in the gym than any kid I’ve ever seen,” he said. “And she played as well tonight as any point guard we’ve had here the past several years.”
Added Ramsay of the team’s convincing victory, “We made a statement today.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Zoey Barber dives for a loose ball during a girls basketball game against Topeka West on Dec. 9 at Lawrence High School.
As far as Nauholz’s spectacular performance on both ends of the floor, Dickson said he was probably most impressed by the strides she has made in the area of ball-handling.
“There were a few times that she allowed us to break the press because she was able to bring the ball up,” he said, as Nauholz was a First-Team All-Sunflower League selection as a sophomore a season ago. “I usually keep her in the paint because she is hard to stop down there — but as she has expanded her game, it’s just made her that much more difficult to guard.”
Dickson added that he was pleased with the contributions of several other rotational players who entered the contest with limited varsity experience — including Lucy Jane Juelsgaard, Marley Doleman, Zoey Barber and Violet Koehn.
Lawrence (1-0) returns to the court Friday for a home clash with Notre Dame de Sion (3-1). Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s players celebrate a made 3-pointer during a girls basketball game against Topeka West on Dec. 9 at Lawrence High School.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Lucy Jane Juelsgaard looks to pass the ball during a girls basketball game against Topeka West on Dec. 9 at Lawrence High School.
