Emporia ? You can’t beat a good bargain, and Free State High’s boys basketball squad found a freebie Thursday.

The Firebirds (2-0) used effective — and abundant — free-throw shooting to blow past Tulsa Science and Tech, 76-43, in the first round of the KVOE Tip Off Classic in Emporia.

Tulsa fouled the Firebirds 27 times and Free State capitalized, hitting 33 of 46 shots from the stripe.

That’s 33 free points in a 33-point Firebird victory.

“They were a lot shorter than us,” FSHS senior Keith Wooden said. “They had to foul us.”

The 6-foot-9 Wooden towered four inches above the tallest Tulsa player, causing a mismatch and a whole lot of hacking.

Wooden made Tulsa pay, hitting 13 of 18 free throws and three more shots from the field for a game-high 19 points.

“We had a tremendous size advantage,” Firebirds coach Jack Schreiner said. “They collapsed down on (Wooden) and slapped at the ball every time.”

Free State High's Keith Wooden rebounds a missed shot against Tulsa Science and Tech during Thursday's game in Emporia.

Not just Wooden, but nearly everybody. Dain Dillingham, nursing a sore back, was 8-for-11 from the line, and Bijai Jones was 4-for-4 from the stripe en route to 18 points.

Jones shot 7-of-14 from the field and often scored uncontested baskets on open looks.

“I though this was one of the best games I’ve seen him play,” Schreiner said. “Not so much offensively as help defense. In the first half, he saved us a lot of buckets by stepping over and helping out.”

Otherwise, the first half was nothing for Free State to celebrate. The Firebirds turned the ball over nine times, letting an inferior Tulsa team hang close. Free State led 31-22 at the half despite allowing the Titans just six second-quarter points.

“We turned the ball over a lot in the first quarter,” Wooden said. “It’s something we have to work on. If we cut down a lot of the turnovers in the first quarter, maybe we can put away some teams earlier.”

Free State faces Topeka Washburn Rural — which beat Garden City, 35-30, on Thursday — at 6 p.m. today. Wooden scored 22 points as the Firebirds defeated the Junior Blues, 63-56, last Friday in Topeka.

The winner will play for the championship at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday.