They weren’t feted with a parade up and down Massachusetts Street. Tania Jackson didn’t make the cover of Sports Illustrated. Lawrence High girls state basketball championship paraphernalia isn’t flying off merchants’ shelves.
Obviously, the Lions’ unexpected Class 6A state title didn’t have anywhere near the impact of the Kansas University men’s basketball championship.
And yet there were some curious similarities between the two title teams.
For instance, almost exactly a month before Mario Chalmers’ game-tying three-point goal became the signature shot of the Jayhawks’ title victory over Memphis, the Lions’ Jackson had done the same thing.
KU’s situation seemed hopeless on April 7 until Chalmers drilled the trey that sent the game into overtime. Coincidentally, the Lions’ were in virtually the same boat on March 8, trailing by three points with less than a minute remaining. Worse, Goddard had the ball.
However, a steal enabled the Lions to regain possession, and, with :31.8 on the clock, Jackson nailed a three-pointer from the left corner that brought the Lions into an improbable 52-52 deadlock.
In other words, both the Lions and the Jayhawks were in almost exactly the same desperate situation. The only difference was the time remaining.
Lawrence High had enough clock to win in regulation – Haley Parker’s baseline floater at :04.8 sealed the 54-52 deal – while the Jayhawks had to go into overtime for their 75-68 victory because Chalmers’ shot came with just two ticks left.
As you know, it was KU’s third NCAA men’s championship. Same for the Lions. It was their third 6A girls state title. The Memphis school colors are blue and white. And Goddard? The suburban Wichita school wears blue and white, too. And, since both were lower seeds, the Lions and Jayhawks wore road uniforms.
In a less subjective vein, the ’08 Jayhawks and the ’08 Lions were also comparable in makeup. Neither team relied on one player. Instead, each team boasted five quality starters and a productive bench. Kansas had no first-team All-Americans. Lawrence High had no first-team all-staters.
Lawrence High wouldn’t have won if Jasmyn Turner, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, hadn’t come off the bench to post career highs in points (15) and rebounds (9). KU didn’t have – or need – a comparable relief job, but the Jayhawks’ leading scorer and rebounder against Memphis was also a sophomore. Darrell Arthur had 20 points and 10 boards.
Neither the Lions nor the Jayhawks were senior-dominated. Lawrence High coach Kristin Mallory had only one senior starter in Danielle Bird. KU’s Bill Self had two in Russell Robinson and Darnell Jackson.
However, thanks to the dollar power of the NBA Draft, you may not be able to tell the players wearing a KU uniform next season without a program while the Lions will go into next season with a solid nucleus of returnees.
On paper, then, Lawrence High will be under the most pressure to repeat, while – if Chalmers opts to forsake his senior season for pro loot – the Jayhawks won’t even be favored to repeat as Big 12 Conference champions.
