Free State's Lynn Robinson dribbles past Shawnee Mission East's Molly Rappold on Friday, February 4, 2011 at FSHS.

Something was a bit off with the Free State High girls basketball team on Friday.

Neither coach Bryan Duncan nor the Firebirds could quite place it, but the typical bounce in their step wasn’t there.

The Firebirds (7-7) picked a bad night to come out flat, because Shawnee Mission East was ready to play.

The Lancers ran out to an early lead and the Firebirds never really came close in a setback at FSHS.

“I’m still a little shell-shocked,” Duncan said. “We just didn’t look like we wanted to be out here tonight and I’m not sure why.”

Behind a flurry of layups and put backs, the Lancers jumped ahead, 20-3, after the first quarter.

Junior Lynn Robinson had the only three points for the Firebirds in the period, where they were 1-for-16 shooting.

“They were making everything and (we didn’t) make anything,” Robinson said. “It’s frustrating and didn’t help us. We weren’t able to get up after that.”

FSHS trailed, 30-15, at the half after shooting only 20 percent from the field.

Still, even as the Firebirds — led by Kennedy Kirkpatrick’s 14 points and six rebounds and 11 points from Robinson — went on an 8-2 run to begin the third quarter, they couldn’t get any closer than nine points.

“We have enough shooters where 15 points isn’t insurmountable,” Duncan said. “I just didn’t see that edge that I thought I’d see coming out after halftime.”