Harding, Barnes lead Southeast boys into Class 6A title game (+video)

As the buzzer sounded on Southeast’s 74-61 win over Lawrence in Friday’s Class 6A semifinals at Koch Arena, it was tough to distinguish exactly how high the stakes have become for the Buffaloes.

Coach Melvin Herring clapped as the players walked to the bench, no different from a Tuesday night win in the City League. The players, stoic to a man, filtered into the postgame handshake line.

Don’t worry, though. The Buffaloes know what they’re playing for — even if they don’t necessarily act like it.

“Nothing changes, we still stick to our principles,” Herring said. “We relied on ourselves, on our character, and I think that’s what you saw at the end of the game.”

If Southeast was subdued off the court, it was anything but on the court, led by another electric performance from senior guard Jerrick Harding, who scored 39 points, and 27 points from Israel Barnes.

Southeast will face Blue Valley Northwest or Shawnee Mission North on Saturday for the state title at 6:15 p.m.

Harding is averaging 40.5 points in two state tournament games and is 35 points from tying the Kansas state record for all classes for most points in a single tournament, set by Quenemo’s Dennis Bolen with 116 points in 1960. Harding is 16 points from tying Dodge City’s Ernie Goolsby for most points in a single 6A tournament — Goolsby scored 97 points in 1979.

“I’ve just come out and tried to be aggressive,” Harding said. “I know I’ve got to be a leader out there and get my team going.”

Southeast (20-4) played from behind for most of the game on Friday. After taking a 17-15 lead on a pair of free throws by Barnes with 1:03 left in the first quarter, the Buffaloes would not lead again until a three-pointer by Harding put them up 53-52 with 5:57 left in the fourth quarter.

After Lawrence (21-3) tied the score 55-55 on a three-pointer by Jackson Mallory with 5:07 left, Southeast reeled off an 8-0 run with two baskets by Barnes and four free throws by Harding and never trailed again.

“(Harding and Barnes) can just flat out score it,” Lawrence coach Mike Lewis said. “Defensively, you gotta be almost perfect to stop them. I thought we were pretty good on a number of possessions, but we just weren’t perfect, and it was advantage to the offense tonight.”

Justin Roberts led Lawrence with 17 points on 5-of-19 shooting. Price Morgan added 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Harding capped the night with another highlight-reel play — a two-handed dunk off a long out pass from D’Andre Franklin.

And afterward, Barnes gave a small glimpse of what Saturday might be like for his team.

“It’s going to be crazy energy,” Barnes said. “We just want to do it for the fans, for everybody who believes in Southeast. We’re just grateful for the opportunity.”

This story was originally published March 11, 2016 at 9:45 PM with the headline "Harding, Barnes lead Southeast boys into Class 6A title game (+video)."