The SM East Lancers won the opening tipoff versus the Rockhurst Hawklets, getting the ball to senior Stephen Hlobik, then finding senior Paxton Ochs who scored the game’s opening basket, less than five seconds into the game. The Hawklets came from the opposite side of the court and missed their first shot, and on the Lancers’ next possession, found junior Brooks Dillion on the wing. Dillon scored his first three-point shot of the quarter, giving the Lancers a lead of 5-0. The game was played at Municipal Auditorium for the first time in the history of the State Line Showdown, marking the first time the matchup had been hosted at a venue other than Shawnee Mission East or Rockhurst High School, on Friday, Jan. 30.
The teams continued to trade baskets in the first quarter, with Dillion connecting on another three-pointer from the corner towards the end of the quarter.
Both teams slowed down in the second quarter, with the Hawklets outscoring the Lancers 8-5 despite the scoring dip. The Lancers saw the end of senior starter Vince Kopp’s return off the bench after missing the last three games due to an ankle injury. The Lancers trailed leading into halftime 25-22.
At halftime, the Lancer Dancers debuted their hip-hop performance routine, and the cheer team also performed, with senior Jack Reeves Shrine Bowl nomination being recognized at center court at the end of the half.
Hlobik led the Lancers in the third quarter, scoring seven of his 12 points in the game. Hlobik’s scoring helped SM East score 17 points in the quarter, matching Rockhurst as the teams remained within three points of each other heading into the fourth quarter. Rockhurst held a 42–39 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Between the third and fourth quarters, SM East was announced as the winner of the Chick-fil-A Coaches vs. Cancer Challenge. Both schools raised money in honor of Lindsay Zubeck, the mother of sophomore varsity basketball player Canon Zubeck.
The fourth quarter remained close between the two teams, with the lead changing multiple times. Senior and forward Quentin Ochs gave the Lancers the lead in the late fourth quarter, driving to the basket, finishing through contact to tie the game and earning an opportunity at the free throw line to put the Lancers up one point with 3:40 left on the clock, but missed the free throw. The Hawklets responded by taking the ball back to the other end and regaining the lead, which they kept for the rest of the game.
The Lancers fell to the Hawklets, 56-51.
The next boys’ varsity basketball game will take place at Gardner Edgerton at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
Check out this gallery on Harbie Photo to purchase pictures from this event by clicking the link below:
1.30.26 Varsity Basketball vs Rockhurst
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Junior Brooks Dillion celebrates after hitting his first three-pointer during the first quarter. Photo by Will Griffith
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Senior Paxton Ochs attempts to cut off the Rockhurst point guard, but the ball gets poked free and bounces off Ochs’ knee. Ochs recovered the ball. Photo by Will Griffith
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Senior Stephen Hlobik reaches up to attempt a layup in the second quarter after driving from the top of the three-point line. Photo by Will Griffith
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Senior Paxton Ochs attempts a layup in the third quarter while a Rockhurst defender attempts to take a charge. Photo by Will Griffith
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Senior Stephen Hlobik attempts to cut out a Rockhurst player’s pass and steals the ball, but the Rockhurst player keeps possession of the ball. Photo by Will Griffith
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Senior Quentin Ochs attempts a layup in the late fourth quarter and gets fouled. Ochs tied the game and had a chance at the free-throw line to give the Lancers a one-point lead. Photo by Will Griffith
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Senior Stephen Hlobik hypes up the crowd behind the Lancers bench in the fourth quarter before Ochs’ free-throw attempt which could give the Lancers the lead. Photo by Will Griffith
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Junior Brooks Dillion puts his shirt over his face after the Lancers are defeated by the Hawklets 56-51. Photo by Will Griffith
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Senior Quentin Ochs walks onto the court, following his teammates before the boys varsity game begins. Photo by Francesca Lorusso
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Senior Paxton Ochs attempts a fadeaway shot over Rockhurst defender Cohen Robinson during the second quarter. Photo by Francesca Lorusso
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Senior Quentin Ochs reaches for a rebound after senior Stephen Hlobik attempted a layup during the second quarter. Photo by Francesca Lorusso
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Senior Cannon Zubeck attempts a shot on goal over Rockhurst player Maxwell Moylan during the second quarter. Photo by Francesca Lorusso
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The varsity Lancer cheer team walks onto the court for their halftime gameday performance, following the Lancer Dancer’s debut hiphop performance. Photo by Francesca Lorusso
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Senior Pep Execs shout after a foul is called on senior Quentin Ochs with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the Lancers trailing 54-51. Photo by Francesca Lorusso
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The SM East Student Section engages in the “Do It” chant at the end of the first quarter. Photo by Paige Bean
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Senior Jack Reeves is presented with the East All-Star Selection for the 53rd Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl from the Abdallah Shriners. Photo by Paige Bean
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Seniors Paxton and Quentin Ochs reach for a rebound while simultaneously defending their Rockhurst opponent. Photo by Paige Bean
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Seniors and Pep Club Executives Grant Kimmel, Andrew Rhodes, Luke Taylor, Campbell Alldredge and Georgia Boyd cheer after junior Brooks Dillon scores at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Photo by Paige Bean
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Seniors and Pep Club Executives Andrew Rhodes, Luke Taylor and Campbell Alldredge look out onto the court during the end of the fourth quarter with under 1:30 on the clock and the score, 51-54. Photo by Paige Bean
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SM East parent Kamille Konold reacts to a layup from a Rockhurst player in the fourth quarter, giving the Hawklets a lead of 54-49. Photo by Paige Bean
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Junior Brooks Dillion preforms his player intro handshake with sophomore Flynn McGee. Photo by Will Griffith
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Senior Quentin Ochs runs with the ball, taking two steps before jumping to shoot a layup. The ball got deflected by a Rockhurst defender, and resulted in a turnover during the second quarter. Photo by Tyler Russell
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Senior Stephen Hlobik shoots a free throw after being fouled going up for a layup during the third quarter. Hlobik scored five free throws throughout the game, helping the Lancers stay no more than eight points behind Rockhurst the entire game. Photo by Tyler Russell
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Senior Quentin Ochs jumps up to score a layup after driving past the Rockhurst point guard from the three-point line. Ochs scored a total of 10 points throughout the game. Photo by Tyler Russell
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Senior Paxton Ochs attempts a spin move to drive past his opponent into the lane to score, but the Rockhurst defender ultimately steals the ball during the turn. The ball then went to the floor, where senior Stephen Hlobik dived and got a jump ball from the referees. Photo by Tyler Russell
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Senior pep executives Hudson Weaver, Grant Kimmel, Andrew Rhodes, Luke Taylor, Campbell Alldredge and Georgia Boyd cheer on the Lancers as they run down the court with a fast break during the last minute of the game. The score was 54-51 with 43 seconds left on the clock. Photo by Tyler Russell
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Senior Pearson Konold shoots a fade-away midrange shot over a Rockhurst defender. Photo by Will Griffith
