Free State junior Shawn Knighton attempts a layup during Free State’s game against Olathe East on Friday. The Free State boys fell to Olathe East, 66-61.

For Free State High boys basketball coach Chuck Law, leaving everything on the court only brings so much comfort.

After all, it’s the victory that matters, and the Firebirds — who fell to Olathe East, 66-61, on Friday night at FSHS — have fallen in too many close games over the past few years.

“We didn’t execute on about four or five possessions in the game on the defensive end, and that’s what beat us,” Law said. “But I thought we played a fantastic game against a tremendous team.”

Alec Heline scored 22 points, Georgi Funtarov scored 16 points and gathered seven rebounds off the bench, and Eric Watson chipped in 11 points and five rebounds for FSHS, which led 27-25 at the half on the strength of a sound defensive effort.

The Firebirds (4-3) showed no fear against the tall, lanky Hawks lineup that featured two 6-foot-7 players.

FSHS played a physical game on both ends, out-muscling Olathe East for rebounds and driving to the rim without hesitation.

“We’re not going to back down from anybody,” Law said.

Though all of the Firebirds displayed toughness against the Hawks — whose starting lineup’s average height was 6-foot-4 — it was Watson who put the exclamation point on that claim.

Toward the end of the first half, Watson gathered a miss and surged out on a fast break, before skying over 6-7 Blaine Miller for a crowd-rocking, two-handed dunk.

“That felt great,” Watson said. “I didn’t even see him coming, actually.”

As has become customary this season, the smothering Firebird defense bothered O-East into 19 turnovers and carried a 41-40 edge into the fourth quarter, which quickly unraveled.

O-East senior Tyler Kalinoski (28 points) was tough to handle all game but primarily caught fire in the fourth, scoring the Hawks’ first eight points and leading them to a 56-51 advantage.

“He’s the best player in the league, maybe short of A.J. Spencer (of Shawnee Mission Northwest, whom the Firebirds will face Tuesday),” Law said.

“That was the whole focus of the second half, to not let him touch the ball, and we had a couple of breakdowns and let him get some open shots.”

Facing a late deficit and nothing to do except foul and hope for an opportunity, FSHS could only watch as O-East clinched the game from the free-throw line, going 10-of-12 in the final minute.

“It’s just devastating to know that we played hard for the entire game and just slipped up for a couple of plays here and there and those cost us the game,” Watson said. “It’s a terrible feeling.”

Though Law loved the way his team competed and battled what he considers to be a top team in the Sunflower League and in the state, he emphasized that the Firebirds need to get over the setbacks they’ve suffered in recent years.

“We’ve got to beat somebody that we don’t believe we’re supposed to beat,” Law said. “I think once we do that, we can really do some things.

“We didn’t believe we were supposed to beat Olathe East, and as a result we didn’t.”