Facing the two-time defending Class 5A state champions, Free State High girls basketball players matched Leavenworth play after play until the final minute.

With the score tied and under 30 seconds remaining, Leavenworth freshman Alyche Brown drilled a go-ahead three-pointer, and the Firebirds couldn’t recover in a 42-40 loss Tuesday night at FSHS.

In a game with 11 lead changes, and countless momentum swings, it was just a matter of making a big play at the end.

The Firebirds took a 38-36 lead with 1:44 remaining after senior guard Caiti Schlesener drove from the right wing for a layup. Leavenworth senior guard Alicia Brown quickly responded with a layup of her own, tying the score with 1:27 left.

After two Free State turnovers, which included an offensive foul on Schlesener on a would-be bucket, Alyche Brown swished her three from the left corner.

The Firebirds drew up an inbounds play for junior Madison Piper, who went around two screens for an open look behind the arc, but her shot bounced off of the rim. After the Pioneers made a free throw for a four-point lead, the Firebirds added a layup from sophomore Jaelyn Two Hearts as the clock expired.

“We played our guts out tonight,” FSHS coach Bryan Duncan said. “I don’t know that we really lost the game tonight as much as Leavenworth won the game. I think we both made a winning play at the end. A call didn’t go our way on what we thought was a winning play, and they hit a big three.”

Piper scored 11 points in the first half on 5-of-5 shooting, but was held scoreless over the final two quarters with aggressive face-guarding defense.

With their leading scorer kept away from the ball, the Firebirds (5-2, ranked No. 7 in Class 6A) turned to Schlesener, senior guard Hannah Walter and senior forward Peyton Brown. Walter scored four points in the third quarter, and Brown knocked down four free throws in the fourth quarter.

Schlesener scored five straight points in the third quarter, knocking down a three and scoring on a layup while being fouled, giving the Firebirds their biggest lead of the game, 25-19.

The Pioneers (7-1, No. 3 in 5A) responded with a 13-2 run over the next four minutes, including eight points by Alicia Brown. The Firebirds turned the ball over four times during the stretch, facing full-court pressure and traps in the half-court.

“We were kind of expecting it,” Schlesener said of Leavenworth’s defensive pressure. “We had watched some game film. It’s definitely a lot different than watching (film). … It’s just keeping your composure. It was tough.”

Schlesener scored all of her team-high 12 points in the second half. Trailing by three points with under four minutes left, the 5-foot-4 Schlesener drove baseline and converted on a layup-and-the-foul bucket.

Every time the Pioneers made a play, the Firebirds responded until the clock ran out on them.

“She’s not scared at all,” Duncan said of Schlesener. “She made some plays. They guarded Madison well tonight and made it real hard on her. She wasn’t able to get a lot of breaks during the game. We knew some other kids were going to have make plays, and frankly, they did.”

LEAVENWORTH (42)

Remi Wilkerson 0-0 0-0 0, Zoie Hayward 4-8 1-2 10, Alicia Brown 6-11 4-7 16, Aarika Lister 0-5 2-2 2, Destinee Robinson 1-2 0-0 3, Skylar Young 0-0 0-0 0, Maya Cooper 0-0 0-0 0, Jordan Counts 0-0 0-0 0, Alyche Brown 2-4 1-2 7, Cierra Robinson 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 15-33 8-13 42.

FREE STATE (40)

Cameryn Thomas 0-2 1-3 1, Caiti Schlesener 5-10 1-2 12, Madison Piper 5-10 0-0 11, Hannah Walter 3-4 2-4 8, Jaelyn Two Hearts 1-4 0-0 2, Peyton Brown 1-3 4-5 6, Jaycie Bishop 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-33 8-14 40.

Leavenworth 10 9 13 10 — 42

Free State 11 7 11 11 — 40

Three-point goals: Leavenworth 4-11 (Brown 2, Hayward, Robinson); Free State 2-13 (Schlesener, Piper). Turnovers: Leavenworth 14, Free State 19.