KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? The day, month and year all ended in a number that Baldwin High’s Joe Gipp liked — three.

“Coach told me that it was 03-03-03, and that I had the green light to shoot,” the senior guard said. “So I started pulling.”

Gipp hit five three-pointers and scored a season-high 23 points as the sixth-seeded Bulldogs (6-16) snagged a 68-61 Class 4A sub-state boys basketball victory Monday over third-seeded Kansas City Piper (10-11).

“We’ve had a lot of games this year where we haven’t really shot that well,” BHS coach Jeff Haas said. “I wasn’t too worried, though, because I knew we’d have to have a day where those shots finally went in.”

Monday was that day, and Gipp started the barrage with a three in the first quarter as Baldwin grabbed a 9-7 lead.

Then Gipp, who rolled his ankle early in the season and also missed time because of academic problems, was unstoppable in the second quarter, hitting all four of his three-point tries.

“I hadn’t shot very well all year,” Gipp said. “But I sure found my stroke tonight.”

Baldwin’s Andy Hannon and Ben Knoll also knocked down long balls, but it was solid play after a 27-18 second-quarter run that guaranteed the Bulldogs’ season wouldn’t end.

The Pirates’ defense bottled up Gipp early in the second half, but Baldwin, which will play second-seeded Eudora Thursday at Spring Hill, didn’t take long getting offense from other sources.

Hannon scored 12 points, Micah Mason added 12, and Brian Lauridsen tallied 11. Freshman Jeremy Wright and sophomore Ben Knoll combined for 10 more.

Baldwin’s hot shooting didn’t include free throws — especially in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs made only nine of 23 potential game-sealing free throws. So Piper, behind Josh Wille and Mike Simmons’ combined 35 points, played it close.

“We knew it was going to be tough to put them away on their home floor,” Haas said.

Finally, four free throws from Gipp and three from Wright ensured the Baldwin victory.

“We hadn’t really played up to our potential during parts of the season,” Gipp said. “But it’s better to start now than never.”

Baldwin 68, KC Piper 61

Baldwin (6-16) 9 27 11 21 — 68

KC Piper (10-11) 7 18 16 20 — 61

Baldwin — Joe Gipp 23, Jeremy Wright 3, Micah Mason 12, Andy Hannon 12, Brian Lauridsen 11, Ben Knoll 7.

KC Piper — Daniel Rezin 11, Marcus Carr 2, Damian Young 4, Matt Smith 3, Mike Simmons 14, Josh Wille 21, Matt Reitemeier 6.