Insider: Lawrence Central has come so far as a program. It took another big step Thursday

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INDIANAPOLIS — Lawrence Central does not win Thursday night's Marion County quarterfinal vs. Lawrence North last season. It lost similarly tight, competitive games against Ben Davis in the county championship and Warren Central in the sectional. In fact, it failed to convert in a similar situation in Kentucky less than a week ago (the team "dropped the bag," coach Jannon Lampley said).

But round one between the 3rd-ranked Bears and 4th-ranked Wildcats ultimately came to represent another mile marker for Lawrence Central, a measuring stick moment in the program's booming run to relevance over the past two-plus seasons.

"We are not the same as we were last year," said Laila Abdurraqib, who helped the Bears (8-1) secure 17 wins last season as a sophomore (their most since at least the turn of the century). "We have come so far as a team, as a program in general. Our mental, our physical — everything. I'm so proud of this team."

After leading by as many as nine early in the third quarter, LC trailed by seven with about two minutes left in regulation. It responded with an electrifying 9-0 run captained by its two most-experienced players — Abdurraqib and Jaylah Lampely, both juniors — and fueled by a relentless wave of defensive pressure.

The final result: A 57-55 victory in the first of potentially three meetings between the cross-township rivals.

"It was our mental conditioning, knowing that we're capable of winning any game," Jaylah Lampely said. "We just have to stick to Lawrence Central girls basketball."

"We're working hard every day in practice," sister Lola Lampley interjected. "We had to earn it and we earned it. We believed from the start and that's how we pulled it off."

Here are three observations from the night's proceedings.

Lola Lampley bounces back in a big way

Jannon said winning gold with Team USA at the FIBA Americas U16 championship over the summer helped Lola become more "accountable" as a basketball player, better enabling her to shoulder the responsibility of being the one her teammates look to.

Limited to six points over her past three games entering the week — including zero points on 0-of-9 shooting vs. Ryle (Kentucky) over the weekend — the nationally ranked sophomore stepped up for her team against Franklin Central and Lawrence North.

"I need you to put that cape on," Jannon recalled telling her daughter prior to Tuesday's tournament opener. "We need to see Lola."

Suffice it to say, we all saw Lola.

After helping her team to a decisive first-round win over the Flashes, she took off against Lawrence North, pouring in a 20 points. Her first nine points helped the Bears build an eight-point lead at halftime; among her next 11, three pushed the lead to nine early in the third, and another four — two spinning layups, the first off a nifty steal-and-pass from Aniyah McKenzie — to tie it at 34 a few minutes later.

Lola's being more assertive and attacking the defense, Jannon said, crediting No. 3 with connecting on some skip passes that forced the Wildcats to shift their defense.

"I knew I would have to rise to the challenge," Lola said. "But I had to stay within myself and play as a team with my teammates. We all play together. … If I could drive, I drove, but if not, I just ran the play."

Jaylah and Laila in the clutch

Lawrence Central needed its two most-experienced players to be its best players with the game on the line and that's precisely the role Jaylah and Abdurraqib filled.

Let's start with Abdurraqib.

After battling injuries through her first two seasons, the 5-10 junior guard is healthy — or getting there, at least — in 2023-24 and has played a critical role in the team's success, averaging 10 points over her first seven games.

Abdurraqib drilled a critical 3-pointer midway through the third, finished through contact and converted the and-one opportunity to cut the score to 55-53 with 50 seconds left, then converted off a second consecutive steal in the final 30 seconds to put the Bears ahead with 12 seconds remaining.

Ask Jaylah and Lola, and they'll tell you their success has been driven by Abdurraqib. "If it wasn't for her willing me back in and telling me to believe that we could finish this game, I wouldn't have had the confidence to do what I did towards the end," Jaylah said.

What Jaylah "did towards the end" was shake off a relatively quiet start to account for the majority of her 16 points down the stretch. She registered a bucket with 75 seconds left to set up Abdurraqib's 3-point play and the game-tying layup that came seconds before the eventual game-winner.

"She's had some big scoring nights, but this is one she should be most proud of because nothing came easy," Jannon said. "It was turning water into wine for her tonight. The entire team was focused on her, so the experience she's going to get from scoring in different ways. … She's on a mission."

It's the sort of performance most have come to expect from the nationally ranked junior, but more impressive was her work on the boards. She went to work inside and set the tone for her teammates early on, battling for an offensive rebound by herself for 10-15 seconds. It was ultimately an inconsequential sequence in terms of the final score, but her energy inside set the tone for her teammates, who controlled the offensive glass for a stretch in the first half.

Lawrence North 'finds its diamond'

I'll have more on the Wildcats in my weekly wrap. In the meantime, some quick hits

• Kamara Mills sparked LN's second-half rally, ripping off six straight points to get them rolling after a rugged first half. She was really good, finishing the game with a team-high 17 points.

"She was the product of the scoring, but they trusted each other and put each other in the right positions to be successful," coach Stephen Thomas said. "We rode the hot hand and got the ball to the right people in the right situations."

• Credit to LC for cleaning things up late, but Lawrence North's defensive pressure was a real problem for them through most of the game and helped kickstart the Wildcats' third-quarter rally.

"We met pressure with pressure," Thomas said of the third quarter. "Pressure makes diamonds and we found our diamond in that quarter. Now we go back to the drawing board and continue some of that stuff."

Thomas said some of "that stuff" was new and installed on the fly. "I challenged them and they accepted it," he continued. "And hey, in the postseason, you need that. … A lot of great conversation, a lot of heads up in that locker room. We're going to be just fine."

• But LC's pressure caused problems for LN, too, causing 20 turnovers including a flurry over the final couple minutes as the Bears mounted their charge.

• Naja Winston was excellent once again, causing problems on defense and knocking down a few critical shots on the other end. She was on the bench being tended to by trainers during the final few minutes of regulation.

"She exhausted herself for her sisters and teammates," Thomas said. "She put her guts out on the floor. I'm very proud of her, very proud of these ladies tonight."

Up next

Lawrence Central will face Pike in the county semifinals on Saturday. The Red Devils bested Ben Davis, 45-34. Komari Booker logged 14 points and 13 rebounds in the win.

Brebeuf Jesuit and North Central advanced from the other quarterfinals. The Braves took down Perry Meridian, 41-15, and the Panthers beat Beech Grove, 55-24.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball: Lampley sisters, Abdurraqib key wild win