Free State junior Chase Hoag battles for a rebound during the Firebirds' 71-64 win Thursday.

It’s been a few years since Free State boys coach Chuck Law and Lawrence High girls coach Kristin Mallory had the same feeling the day after the city showdown.

That feeling?

“As much as we try to downplay that game, it’s impossible to do,” Law said. “Not only from the kids’ perspective but also mine. It’s a grueling week. And it is a relief to have it over with and be able to kind of scale it back.”

For Mallory, the satisfaction came from getting the game behind her but also from ending LHS’s five-game losing streak to the Firebirds.

“There is some relief,” Mallory said. “It’s nice to get the monkey off your back. It was one of those hectic weeks and it’s nice to take a deep breath and be able to enjoy things. After a win, the sun always shines a little brighter and there’s a little hop in your step.”

Mallory’s Lions had just enough hop in their step Thursday to hold off a Free State team that controlled the tempo for two and a half quarters.

LHS enjoyed a three-minute stretch in the third quarter that pushed a one-point lead to 10 and proved to be the difference in the game. The 44-30 victory moved LHS to 5-0 on the season.

The Lions were off Friday but will return to the gym today for practice before taking the week off to rest and spend time with family.

When they return, they’ll begin preparation for a home contest against Olathe Northwest on Jan. 4.

“Everything should be pretty normal during the break except the practices will be in the morning instead of after school,” Mallory said. “We’ll give them some time off to recuperate a little bit, and they’ll get to spend some time with their families, and then we’ll get back to work.”

With the city showdown now behind him, Law said his team could focus on getting back to business during the two-week winter break.

With most of its offensive and defensive packages already installed, Law said his team would spend that time focusing on fundamentals.

“We work on getting better,” he said. “I know every coach is going to say that but the delicate balance for any coach is how much stuff to throw at guys early on versus working on fundamental things. I threw a lot of stuff at our guys early and I think what we do works for us. Now we need to focus on getting better at what we do.”

The Firebirds were in the gym less than 12 hours after knocking off the Lions, 71-64 Thursday night but Law said Friday’s practice was more about having fun.

Five Firebirds sat out of the practice, nursing bumps and bruises sustained in Thursday’s battle. None were expected to have any lingering effects. Their absence did nothing to erase the joy on the faces of those who did suit up.

“It was an enjoyable practice,” Law said. “Let’s put it that way. There were a lot of smiles and we had a lot of fun.”

The Firebirds will be off until Dec. 28, when they’ll get back in the gym and begin focusing on their Jan. 4 game against Topeka High.

“It’s a great time for them to relax, spend some time with their family and enjoy the start that we’ve had,” Law said. “To be 5-1 at this stage, if you’d have given us that when season began we’d have taken it and been very happy with it.”