Olathe ? As Lauren Kimball received a pass behind the three-point line, there wasn’t an Olathe Northwest defender within at least five feet of her.

The Free State High senior point guard had her shooting stroke going Tuesday night. Why not pull the trigger on a long ball? Because, as she set up to shoot, she heard loud, echoing chatter from the Free State bench: “Pull it back, reset.”

Free State coach Bryan Duncan wanted to milk clock with the game already in hand. The Firebirds defeated Olathe Northwest, 48-34, Tuesday in the Ravens’ gym.

Kimball pulled her stroke back and glanced over at Duncan jokingly. She didn’t say a word, but her facial expression suggested she wanted to let loose on the shot.

“I was wide-open, but I knew it was the right call,” Kimball said of Duncan’s coaching decision. “There was a minute-and-a-half left, so there was no reason to force a shot.”

Kimball finished with 14 points. Senior guard Jenna Brantley led the Firebirds with 18, while senior forward Kelsey Harrison had 11.

“It’s no secret they’re our big three,” Duncan said. “When they’re successful and they’re all getting around 10-12 points, we have balanced scoring and everyone else plays better when that happens.”

Olathe Northwest (11-8) actually jumped out to a 7-0 lead. The Ravens led, 9-7, after the first quarter. Brantley had all seven points for Free State (13-6) in the opening frame.

“We didn’t freak out at all. We were really fired up for this game and wanted revenge since Friday night we had a loss,” Brantley said of a 38-36 defeat against Shawnee Mission West.

Instead, Free State went on a 13-0 run, which included Harrison hitting a difficult jump shot to end the half. A Raven defender guarded Harrison’s shooting hand, so she ducked under the defense to the left and drained a 15-footer as time expired. After the shot, Free State had its first lead at 20-18.

“Honestly, I think that may have been the best thing that ever happened to us,” Duncan said of the early 7-0 deficit. “I think the biggest thing is our kids kept their composure. We know we’re a good team and over four quarters, they’re going to have a stretch where the ball doesn’t bounce their way. Fortunately for us tonight, it was in the first three minutes – not the last three.”

Free State will play its final league game of the season Friday at Lawrence High before embarking on Class 6A sub-state play.

Olathe Northwest 49, Free State boys 48

The Ravens (6-13) didn’t hold a lead in the game until Gary Watts hit two free throws with 3:06 remaining.

Free State senior guard Kyle Schreiner hit a jumper with 1:45 left to give Free State back the lead at 48-47.

O-Northwest’s Alex Mueller, who scored a game-high 16 points, took what appeared to be the last shot for the Ravens. However, the home team pulled down an offensive rebound and dished to a cutting Mueller, who got fouled and hit two free throws.

With 7.5 seconds in the game, Free State senior center Christian Ballard found junior guard Kris Wilson, who was ahead of the Ravens’ defense and had a 2-on-1 opportunity to win the game. As Wilson tried to dish it off, though, Mueller knocked it out of bounds with four seconds left. Schreiner was eventually able to get off a shot, but it was highly contested and sailed behind the backboard.

Free State (9-10) has now lost eight games by a combined 19 points.

“I don’t know if it’s any tougher than any other game,” Free State coach Chuck Law said. “We just have to pull ourselves off the deck and get ready for Friday and then sub-state.”

Ballard and Weston Wiebe led Free State with 15 points apiece.

“I just have to figure out what I need to do to get this team on the right track,” Ballard said. “Tomorrow’s going to be the day that could change the season around (in practice). I’m going to make sure everyone’s going 100 percent every single play, every single second. Everybody’s focused, nobody’s pouting, nobody’s talking back.

“Hopefully, if we can do that tomorrow and keep the focus Thursday, we can pull this one out.”