Olathe ? Free State High’s girls basketball players wanted to keep Olathe East’s post players from scoring in the paint Friday.

The Firebirds successfully executed their game plan. They just weren’t expecting the Hawks to heat up from three-point range and show off basketball’s version of Murphy’s Law.

The Hawks drilled six triples in the third quarter — including four in a row — to beat the Firebirds, 58-51, in a battle of two highly ranked teams at Olathe East.

The sixth-ranked Firebirds (12-6, 5-4 in the Sunflower League) watched a nine-point lead disappear in a two-minute stretch when Olathe East sophomore Sydney Wilson drilled three triples, including a go-ahead score. Junior Caroline Hoppock also added a three in the 12-2 run.

A few minutes after the spree of threes, Olathe East sophomore Katie Gleason knocked down a three, and Hoppock converted on a four-point play on back-to-back possessions, helping the Hawks to a 26-point quarter.

“It was them hitting those open looks that we gave them,” said Free State junior Madison Piper, who hit two triples of her own in the third quarter. “If we leave a player open, they are going to make it. Even if they don’t usually, players will make open shots.”

Down seven points with four minutes remaining, the Firebirds nearly rallied with 10 points in a two-minute stretch. Piper, who became the school’s all-time leading scorer (1,057 career points), opened the scoring with a mid-range jumper. Sophomore Jaelyn Two Hearts added five straight points before senior Peyton Brown converted on a layup.

After the fifth-ranked Hawks (15-3, 8-1) made two free throws for a three-point lead with 1:25 left, the Firebirds had three possessions with a chance to tie, but they missed their final five shots.

“Our locker room is beat up right now mentally,” FSHS coach Bryan Duncan said. “It’s hard because they did everything we asked them to from a strategy standpoint. If anything, that’s really hard as a coach to see your players give you that kind of effort, follow the game plan, believe in each other, and work their tails off to win and have a bad result.”

The Firebirds had their own big run at the beginning of the second quarter. They scored on their first four possessions with a three from junior Jaycie Bishop and buckets from Piper and senior guard Caiti Schlesener.

At the end of the first half, Two Hearts drained a three-pointer, and sophomore point guard Cameryn Thomas finished a layup-and-the-foul bucket for a 10-point lead.

“We were pretty efficient on offense,” Duncan said. “I don’t think we turned it over much, and we didn’t take bad shots. Very few bad decisions were made.

“If we keep giving that kind of effort against these top teams, the results are going to come,” Duncan added. “I know we believe that.”

The Firebirds will play host to Shawnee Mission West at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

FREE STATE (51)

Cameryn Thomas 2 5-7 9, Caiti Schlesener 2 0-1 4, Madison Piper 9 0-0 18, Hannah Walter 1 0-0 2, Peyton Brown 2 0-2 4, Jaycie Bishop 1 0-0 3, Jaelyn Two Hearts 4 0-0 11. Totals 20 5-10 51.

OLATHE EAST (58)

Katie Gleason 3 3-4 11, Caroline Hoppock 5 4-5 16, Sydney Wilson 7 2-5 19, Regan Schumacher 3 3-4 9, Emily Jasnoski 0 0-2 0, Hope Owens 0 0-0 0, Cameron Kincaid 0 3-4 3. Totals 18 15-24 58.

Free State 8 17 15 11 — 51

O-East 9 8 26 15 — 58

Three-point goals: Free State 5 (Two Hearts 3, Piper 2); Olathe East 7 (Wilson 3, Gleason 2, Hoppock 2). Fouled out: Walter.