Topeka — Thanks in large part to junior Keith Wooden, Free State High's freefall is finished.
Wooden scored a season-high 26 points and hauled in 16 rebounds to boost Free State to a 63-60 victory over Topeka Highland Park in the losers' bracket of the Topeka Invitational Friday at Topeka West.
"Keith played like a man," said Firebird coach Jack Schreiner, whose squad snapped a five-game losing streak and posted its first win since Dec. 8. "He was incredible."
The Firebirds (3-7) will meet host Topeka West (5-5) at 1:45 p.m. today in the fifth-place contest.
Against Highland Park (7-5), Free State took the lead early in the first quarter and didn't trail again until 1:05 remained in the fourth quarter when Scots senior Robbie Townsend converted a three-point play to give Highland Park a 57-56 advantage.
The Scots' lead was brief as FSHS junior guard Neil Dougherty hit two free throws with one minute left to ignite a 7-0 run.
"It feels good," Dougherty said of the victory. "It's better than losing. They made a run at us and we kept our composure. We put a whole game together. That's something we hadn't done for a while."
Schreiner had grown weary of the losing streak, which covered nearly six weeks.
"You question everything that you're doing," Schreiner said. "We had a big talk before the game. I told them, 'Guys, I haven't given up on me. Don't give up on me or your teammates.'"
Wooden, a 6-foot-8 forward, made sure Schreiner had no more questions. He dominated early and had 17 points in the first half. He shot 58.9 percent from the field (10-for-17) and made 6-of-9 free throws against the Scots, who had just one player taller than 6-4.
"I hadn't had many good games as of late," Wooden said. "I came out and established myself early.
"There was a mismatch on the inside, I was boxing out and rebounds came to me. This is something we've been waiting for. This is the turnaround point for us."
Free State led 37-32 at halftime after shooting 63.6 percent from the field (14-for-22). The Firebirds were fueled by an intentional foul against Wooden early in the second period. Wooden hit both free throws following the foul and then scored on a stick-back on the ensuing possession.
"We had 14 field goals at halftime and we attributed 11 of those to assists," Schreiner said. "That was the key. They're getting points while looking for teammates.
"We handled their pressure. That's a tough environment to play in. They're running all over the place."
FSHS junior forward Bijai Jones complemented Wooden inside, scoring 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and snagging five rebounds.
"We've been working hard all week," the 6-3 Jones said. "Keith gave it his all. We went inside first, then outside and looked for the second shot instead of the first."
Senior Damian Harden was Free State's main threat outside, scoring nine points on three three-point goals.
Highland Park was led by junior Troy Hoefer, who had 19 points. The Scots shot 42.6 percent from the field (26-for-61).
Free State, known for its strong finishes the past two years, has reached the midway point of its season.
"We have a whole half of the season to play," Schreiner said. "Maybe we can make some strides the second half and do something."
Topeka West, coached by former Eudora coach Chad Eshbaugh, advanced to the fifth-place game with a 58-53 victory over Wichita West.
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