Lawrence High senior Price Morgan went straight to the school’s training room after Friday’s 49-42 victory against Shawnee Mission South to get taped up — the result of a physical and grinding boys basketball game in the Jungle.

“I’ve felt worse,” Morgan said with a wide smile.

Winning always helps, and Morgan was the key for the Lions, who were playing their second straight game without senior point guard Justin Roberts. Morgan scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and marked his territory in the paint.

A 6-foot-4 linebacker headed to Air Force, Morgan enjoys the physicality. When he wasn’t trying to post up on offense, he was diving across the hardwood for loose balls or fighting for rebounds.

“Once you get a little momentum going, everybody just starts to feed off of it, even yourself,” said Morgan, who had a team-high 21 points and 11 rebounds.

The tide finally turned at the end of the third quarter when LHS junior forward Kobe Buffalomeat grabbed a rebound and passed it ahead to senior Anthony Harvey, who went to the rim for a buzzer-beating layup.

After Morgan took a charge on SM South’s first possession of the fourth quarter, Harvey drilled a triple — the team’s only three-pointer in 14 attempts. Harvey’s three gave the top-ranked team in Class 6A its first lead since early in the first quarter.

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