Free State High School senior Sarah Covers-Up drives past a Topeka High defender during the Firebirds' 61-44 victory over the Trojans Friday night.

When high school basketball coaches get move-in transfers, they never know what they are going to get or how they’ll transition to their team.

Free State High girls basketball coach Bryan Duncan met senior forward Sarah Coversup at the beginning of the school year as her school counselor and she said that she played basketball.

Duncan tried to look up her stats from Horton High online, and talked to a few people who had seen her play, including former FSHS basketball player Millie Shade, who played with her on a summer team.

But that didn’t prepare him for the impact Coversup has made for the Firebirds this season.

“People said some positive things, but boy, they didn’t tell me what we’ve seen so far,” Duncan said. “And as good as she’s been on the court, and she’s been good on both ends of the floor, honestly, she’s been even better off of the court.”

Coversup has averaged 14.8 points per game for the Firebirds (4-0) this season, which is just behind sophomore Madison Piper’s team-high 16 points per night.

Add in 5-foot-5 sophomore guard Jaycie Bishop, who transferred from Lawrence High, and the Firebirds have gained two quality transfers for their squad this season. They both will be factors when the Firebirds play host to the Lions in the City Showdown at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Bishop started a few games for the Lions last year, but missed several games at the end of the season with a concussion, so Duncan wasn’t familiar with her play. Bishop was known as a sharpshooter behind the three-point line for LHS, but she’s been asked to do more this season, especially as she’s struggled shooting the ball.

“That’s what we’ve tried to talk to her about, ‘We don’t want you or anybody to have the mentality to just be a shooter,'” Duncan said. “Defense, communication, ball movement, those are all critical things when you’re not making shots, and I think she’s been outstanding in all of those areas.”

Coversup and Bishop have earned spots in Free State’s starting lineup, but they both were unsure of what to expect when they joined their new team. Coversup, who transferred to FSHS when her mother accepted a new job, didn’t plan on becoming such a vocal leader.

“I’m kind of shy so I thought I would be quiet,” the 6-foot-1 Coversup said. “But as soon as we got to know each other, we started talking a lot and having good laughs.”

Bishop added: “We’ve had times in the games where it could have easily gone the other way, but we stuck together. Sarah being the new player, her energy is just so high and she’s always telling us, ‘Come on guys. Keep going. Keep going.’ She’s a big part of this 4-0 start.”

Meanwhile, Bishop was nervous for her move to FSHS because of the city rivalry but has found it to be a “great change.” Now she’s trying to prepare herself for playing for the Firebirds in the City Showdown for the first time.

“I’m excited for it,” said Bishop, who is averaging 7.3 points per game. “Very nervous. It’ll be an exciting game. I know I’ll see friends, so I’m excited. … I’m going to try to treat it like another game, but I know the noise level and just the whole dynamic of it will be big.”