Shawnee ? Chuck Law handed a newspaper article on Tennessee men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl to every Free State High basketball player on the bus ride to Shawnee on Wednesday afternoon.

The article mentioned that the Volunteers’ victory against No. 5 Florida on Tuesday wouldn’t have been possible without team trust.

The Firebirds apparently responded to the article.

Free State defeated Shawnee Mission Northwest, 60-51, Wednesday night in the first round of Class 6A sub-state play at the Cougars’ gym.

“That’s what we talked about in the locker room right before we hit the floor,” Law said. “It was to trust each other.”

Free State trust was evident, particularly in the situation of sophomore guard Marcus Spates, who hadn’t started a game in his entire Free State career.

History didn’t matter, though, Wednesday night.

“Coach told me to bring the energy,” Spates said of his first start. “At first, I was a little nervous, but then I got into it. I really like lock-down defense.”

Watching Spates play defense is like watching a young dog get out of the house. You can practically hear Spates exhale with defensive intensity from the stands. If an opposing player picks his dribble up, Spates is all over him, yelling, “Ball! Ball! Ball!”

Spates started in place of junior guard Kris Wilson.

“He has an exceedingly tremendous passion for the game of basketball,” Law said. “Sometimes, he’s a tad-bit overzealous. But he does energize our team. We had him in the game for defense the whole fourth quarter.”

Law told Spates he would start after his performance in the last six minutes of Friday’s game at Lawrence High. Spates scored only four points Wednesday, but was primarily used for defense and his unselfish passing on offense.

Wilson played well off the bench, scoring eight points, including a critical layup plus the foul with 2:23 remaining. With a minute left, the Firebirds built their lead to 10. Law had Spates and Wilson on the floor in the closing minutes.

Senior guard Kyle Schreiner and junior forward Weston Wiebe led Free State with 17 points each. Schreiner, not known for shooting three-pointers, had two Wednesday.

“Over this past week, I’ve been researching some three-point shooters,” Schreiner said. “A kid named Rotnei Clarke (a ballyhooed Oklahoma prep) averages 35 (points) a game. The University of Arkansas coach asked him to shoot 100 threes and he made 94. I’ve been watching film on him saying, “If he can do it, so can I.'”

SM Northwest (13-8) jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first quarter. Free State trailed by five at the half.

The Firebirds went on a 9-0 tear to open the second half. Wiebe hit two jump shots, then the FSHS defense forced a five-second call on the Cougars’ ensuing inbound play. Schreiner drained a three-pointer, and senior center Christian Ballard converted a layup from the left side to cap the run.

“I think the whole key to the game was that three- to four-minute stretch to start the second half,” Law said. “I think that really got us energized and really allowed our kids to believe we could win the game.”

Free State (10-11) led by three with one minute left in the third quarter and didn’t trail the rest of the game.

After the victory, Schreiner and Ballard ran by the Firebirds’ student section, high-fiving everyone in jubilation.

“They deserved that,” Schreiner said. “They come and follow us. I just wanted to make them feel special. That’s a real help to us when they come on the road.”

Free State had lost five of its last six games.

“Regardless of everything we’ve been through, to win a game at this level against a very good basketball team shows what kind of team we can be when we maintain our focus,” Law said.

Free State will face Olathe South (15-6) in the second round of sub-state at Olathe Northwest on Friday. Tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m. The winner will advance to next week’s 6A state tournament in Emporia.