The Junction City High girls basketball team’s defense didn’t require tearing every page out of the playbook in an attempt to figure out its effectiveness. It wasn’t that complex.

But from Friday’s opening tip, Free State High witnessed in-your-face, full-court, man-to-man defense. Junction City didn’t stop pressing the entire game. The Blue Jays constantly had fresh legs, rotating 10 players in and out of their lineup.

As a result of the defensive pressure, Free State couldn’t overcome 22 turnovers and lost, 57-40, in the semifinals of the Firebird Winter Classic.

“They didn’t do anything real fancy,” Free State coach Bryan Duncan said. “They just defended us very well. We got the ball in the right people’s hands. We were never able to beat the press with the pass, which was what our goal was.”

The Firebirds had trouble getting in an offensive rhythm early. Junction City (11-0), ranked second in the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Assn. Class 6A poll, jumped out to an 11-0 lead, generating most of its points from eight first-quarter turnovers.

“They had good pressure the whole time,” Free State senior guard Lauren Kimball said. “They played good defense the whole time to where we couldn’t get open. They were faceguarding us, so as far as the picks went, it didn’t really work. It’s hard to do that for four quarters, so I give them credit for being able to do that the whole time.”

Free State didn’t score until Duncan mixed up the rotation, with junior forward Sarah Craft and sophomore forward Taylor Manning entering the game. Craft scored Free State’s first points on a layup with more than four minutes left in the first quarter. It seemed to calm the Firebirds, who only trailed by eight, 30-22, at halftime.

“That’s one thing Taylor and I have focused on, is giving our team a lift,” Craft said. “I think our presence in the post roused them a bit. Taylor and I have really long wingspans and we’re both athletic, so we both run the floor really well.”

Craft’s ability to handle the ball enabled her to score off the dribble. She finished the game with a team-high 12 points.

Junction City’s dynamic duo of Alex and Dani Hoover proved too much for eighth-ranked Free State (7-5) in the second half. The guards, who didn’t appear fatigued at any point, constantly pressed and generated the majority of the Blue Jays’ offense. Alex Hoover led all scores with 13, while Dani Hoover contributed nine.

“They work so well together – they’re sisters,” Craft said. “They’re tough because they both can take it to the hole and they both can shoot. But they’re not undefendable. When we got hands in their faces, they weren’t doing too much.”

Friday marked the fourth meeting in two years between Free State and Junction City. The Blue Jays have won both meetings this season, while the teams split last season.

Free State will face Hutchinson today in the tournament’s third-place game. Tipoff is scheduled for noon.