Every basketball game can be summed up with a lot of “what-ifs.”

This one takes the cake, though: What if the roof of Free State High’s gymnasium was a little bit higher?

With 2.3 seconds left Friday, the Firebirds up two points and inbounding the ball under the Junior Blue basket, FSHS senior Cole Douglas launched a full-court pass to a streaking Dain Dillingham. Had it worked, Dillingham surely would have scored, and, more importantly, 2.3 seconds would’ve ticked off with no problem.

But the ball instead struck the suspended volleyball nets hanging from the ceiling. Junior Blue ball. Rural, of course, scored on a nifty play, sent the game to overtime and eventually won, 64-59.

Wacky, huh?

“I’ve seen some strange endings, and that was probably as strange of an ending as we’ve had,” FSHS coach Jack Schreiner said, “but a ballgame never comes down to that last play.”

If it’s any consolation, the fact the Firebirds even were in the lead in the fourth quarter was unexpected.

Well into the final period, the Junior Blues had used a ridiculous size advantage to build an eight-point lead.

Washburn Rural’s biggest guy, 6-foot-8 Brady Sisk, was a half-foot taller than anyone on Free State.

Free State High's Dain Dillingham (32) pushes the ball past Washburn Rural's Jordan Plachecki during the first half. Dillingham scored a game-high 24 points, but the Firebirds lost to the Junior Blues, 64-59 in overtime, Friday night at Free State.

But height didn’t stop Dillingham.

The senior, seemingly running solely on adrenaline, was sensational in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 points, grabbing three rebounds and contributing two pretty assist that turned a 51-43 deficit into a 52-51 lead almost instantly.

Dillingham finished with a game-high 24 points, despite hitting no jump shots. He was six of nine from the free throw line, and had 18 more points on layups using his unguardable slashing abilities.

“The guy’s phenomenal. He’s a player,” Schreiner said. “As a coach, if I’m any good at all, I need to put him in a position so that he can do the things he does. Isn’t he fun to watch?”

Yeah, especially when he’s both poised and out of control, all at once. On one sequence, Dillingham missed a layup, grabbed the rebound, missed the putback, grabbed the rebound, spun around and dished a perfect pass to Douglas, who scored two points to give Free State the lead with 1:40 to play.

Still not impressed? With 16.3 seconds left and the game tied at 53, Dillingham was fouled, and calmly sank two free throws after Washburn Rural coach Craig Cox called a timeout in an attempt to freeze him.

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“It was the first game of the season, and I was pretty tired by the fourth quarter,” Dillingham said. “The fans, and trying to do it for the team, kept me going.”

For a team relying so much on shooting because of a lack of height, the Firebirds were, quite honestly, lucky to be hanging around Friday. FSHS (0-1) shot 2-of-19 from three-point range, with Tyler Blankenship the lone Firebird to connect from outside. Both of his treys were in the first quarter.

Still, the hustle and determination made up for the shortcomings.

“That was probably as hard as I’ve seen a Free State team play since I’ve been here,” Schreiner said. “The effort was just excellent.”

Following Dillingham’s late free throws, the Junior Blues went down court on the ensuing possession, but a three-point attempt boinked off the rim and over the backboard with 2.3 seconds to play. That’s when it got weird — all because of a dreaded ceiling.

In overtime, Douglas and Brady Morningstar scored in a back-and-forth spurt, but the Junior Blues eventually took control, thanks to a size advantage and effective free-throw shooting.

Thanks a lot, volleyball nets.

“I guess the guy guarding Cole was taller,” Schreiner said. “If you looked and saw it, Dain was wide open. He’s going to get the ball and probably score, or at least touch it.

“What a freak deal.”