Free State High’s girls basketball team will have a chance to do something tonight it hasn’t accomplished in three years — beat Lawrence High.

LHS coach Kristin Mallory lost her first game against the Firebirds, 44-41, on Dec. 20, 2001. The Lions haven’t lost to their rival since, winning seven straight games by an average margin of 17 points.

That doesn’t mean the 5:30 p.m. game today against the Firebirds (2-2) at LHS will be an easy victory for the Lions (2-1).

“They’re a lot deeper than they’ve been in the past,” Mallory said of the Firebirds, who are coming off a runner-up finish in the Bonner Springs Invitational.

“Their younger kids add a new dimension to them. Just because we’ve won the last few doesn’t mean we can walk out there and win. We’re taking them very seriously. They’re improved from last year.”

Both city schools had rough starts this season. LHS started with a 54-40 loss to top-ranked Overland Park Aquinas, while Free State suffered a 74-36 loss to second-ranked Washburn Rural.

LHS, which will make its home debut in its final game before winter break, bounced back with road wins at Kansas City Washington and K.C. Wyandotte.

The Firebirds, who won two of three at Bonner Springs, are led by senior post Jamie Stanclift, who averages 12 points a game. But FSHS also has gotten a lift from sophomore newcomers Lauren Kimball and Jenna Brantley.

“We’re definitely pleased with the progress we’ve made,” Free State coach Bryan Duncan said, “but we still have a long way to go to get to where we need to be.”

Duncan said the Firebirds weren’t worried about the Lions’ recent run of success in the rivalry game.

“We never get caught up in that,” he said. ‘We don’t focus on revenge. We believe in being realistic and knowing that this is the next game we play, and that is the one that is important to us right now.”

Senior Megan Klingler leads LHS with 14.3 points per game, but the post player has been slowed by illness this week.

Mallory expects her players to be ready tonight.

6Sports video: FSHS and LHS prepare for city showdown (12-16-04)

“You have to understand that there’s a little more emotion involved,” she said. “These teams know each other. They know what they’re capable of. These girls are friends. There’s no secrets.”