Free State senior Jay Dineen (21) makes a free-throw in the second overtime of the Firebirds 68-63 win against Olathe Northwest Tuesday, Jan. 31. Several FSHS players hit free throws in OT to maintain a lead.

After the final horn Tuesday, Free State High boys basketball players lined up alongside their cheerleaders to sing the school’s fight song in front of their student section.

For a moment, they were all smiles.

Down 14 points in the first half against the fourth-ranked team in the state, the Firebirds fought back for a double-overtime, 68-63 victory over Olathe Northwest at FSHS.

That included playing without junior guard Garrett Luinstra (25 points) in the second overtime after he fouled out.

But the celebration was short lived after reflecting on their win in the locker room. Free State coach Sam Stroh was disappointed by his team’s defense prior to the comeback and some execution in the overtimes.

“I told them this is not time to celebrate,” Stroh said. “This a tough league any night, anyone can win, and we’ve got our work cut out for us down the stretch. It’s time to refocus tomorrow at practice.”

The seventh-ranked Firebirds (8-4, 4-0 in Sunflower League) held the Ravens to one point in the fourth quarter by forcing three turnovers and six missed shots.

Down by six with under four minutes left, Free State scored on three straight possessions, including a game-tying layup from senior Shannon Cordes with 2:04 left on a backdoor cut, assisted by senior Jay Dineen (10 points, eight assists).

Free State had the ball with the score tied and under a minute left after Dineen took a charge on defense. But the Firebirds turned the ball over and collectively held their breath until Northwest junior Luke Waters’ spinning jump shot bounced off the front of the rim at the buzzer.

In the first half, holding the Ravens to one-point in a quarter seemed as likely as Steph Curry missing 50 consecutive shots. The Ravens (10-2, 3-1) made 10 of their first 11 attempts, running out to a double-digit lead in the second quarter.

“Last year they started the same way,” Stroh said. “They shot the ball well and we didn’t really have any urgency on the defensive end for more than, maybe, two or three passes. Once they passed it five or six times, we relaxed a little bit.”

The Firebirds never trailed in either overtime, but they certainly caught some breaks in their favor. Similar to the end of regulation, the Firebirds turned the ball over in the final seconds of the first OT and watched the Ravens miss a potential game-winner at the buzzer.

In the second OT, Free State used free throws from four players to stay ahead: Dineen, Cordes, Cameron Clark and Simon McCaffrey. The only the shot they made — or attempted — in the second OT was a layup from senior Sloan Thomsen, assisted by Clark.

“I think that was a reality check for three-fourths of that game,” Stroh said. “I told them I was proud of the way they found a way to win, but we are by far from a finished product and we have a long way to go.”

OLATHE NORTHWEST (63)

Jackson Nicodemus 1-7 2-2 5, Charlie Holmgren 3-6 1-1 9, Matt Vanderslice 2-5 2-2 6, Luke Waters 6-14 7-9 20, Dominic Messina 3-8 4-6 10, Jack Parks 3-4 0-0 8, Daniel Oppenheim 1-4 0-0 3, Jace Kline 1-3 0-0 2, Kyle Shiever 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-51 16-20 63.

FREE STATE (68)

Garrett Luinstra 9-12 3-4 25, Simon McCaffrey 0-4 5-6 5, Jay Dineen 3-7 4-6 10, Shannon Cordes 3-5 3-3 9, Cameron Clark 5-8 3-5 13, Sloan Thomsen 2-5 0-2 4, Jalan Robinson 0-2 0-0 0, Avant Edwards 0-0 1-4 1, Jared Hicks 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 22-43 20-32 68.

Northwest 24 15 11 1 6 6 — 63

Free State 17 12 14 8 6 11 — 68

Three-point goals: Olathe NW 7-22 (Holmgren 2, Parks 2, Nicodemus, Waters, Oppenheim); Free State 4-15 (Luinstra 4). Fouled out: Vanderslice, Parks, Luinstra. Turnovers: Olathe NW 11, Free State 10.