It was easy to see the frustration on the faces of Free State High girls basketball players on Tuesday.


The Firebirds played one of their most complete games on both sides of the ball against Leavenworth, and they fell a play or two short in a 42-40 loss at FSHS.


“They were real tough. I think that’s one of the best games we’ve played as well,” senior Caiti Schlesener said.


But even in a loss, there were plenty of bright spots. FSHS star junior guard Madison Piper was held scoreless in the second half and the Firebirds still had an opportunity to win in the fourth quarter against one of the top teams in the state. If Free State can compete at an elite level without its top scorer, the Firebirds become only that more dangerous.


Free State’s boys basketball team played strong defense and cruised to a 48-34 win over Leavenworth. With the win, the Firebirds improved to 3-0 in the Sunflower League.


“We’re feeling pretty good,” senior Hunter Gudde said of the undefeated league record. “We didn’t expect anything less. We’re just going to keep preparing for games and keep fighting like we have been.”


The biggest thing for the Firebirds will be finding consistent options outside of Gudde, who is averaging 21.7 points since winter break. Seniors Kristian Rawls and Chrision Wilburn have stepped up with big games, but the Firebirds are hoping to find a little more consistency from their entire team.


“We’re seeing individuals get better but we need five, six, seven at the same time and same night get better,” FSHS coach Sam Stroh said. “That’ll be kind of the goal. We’ll take it one game at a time.”
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In case you missed it, we’re copying one of the popular features of KUsports.com, “Keegan’s Ratings,” where Sports Editor Tom Keegan ranks KU football and men’s basketball players after every game he attends. These individual rankings are just one person’s opinion, but it’s a good way to look at how each person impacted each game.

Free State girls basketball

1. Caiti Schlesener, sr. — When the Firebirds needed somebody to step up on offense in the second half, Schlesener responded play after play. She scored a game-high 12 points (all in the second half) with drives to the rim and finishing through contact. She added two assists and a steal.


2. Madison Piper, jr. — Piper was dominant in the first half, scoring 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field. In the second half, Leavenworth refused to let her take any open shots and Piper was held scoreless. Despite being kept away from the ball, Piper nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds.


3. Hannah Walter, sr. — Walter just knows how to be in the right places at the right time. On two inbounds passes, she snuck backdoor for open layups. Defensively, she led the Firebirds with two steals. Walter was close to a double-double with eight points and seven rebounds.


4. Peyton Brown, sr. — In the fourth quarter, Brown scored four points at the free throw line. She finished with six points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal.


5. Cameryn Thomas, soph. — Thomas had to deal with a lot of traps and double-teams around mid-court. She scored one point, had two rebounds, an assist and a steal.


6. Jaelyn Two Hearts, soph. — Two Hearts was active on both sides of the court. She only scored two points, but had two assists and provided good ball handling. She added three rebounds and a block in the paint.


7. Jaycie Bishop, jr. — As usual, Bishop played solid defense on the perimeter, preventing drives and passes. She had one steal, one assist and didn’t attempt any shots.


• Next up: 5:30 p.m. Friday at Olathe Northwest. Record: 5-2.

Free State boys basketball

1. Hunter Gudde, sr. — After being shutout in the first half, missing both of his shots, Gudde created some offense for the Firebirds in the last two quarters. He scored a game-high 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, finding ways to the rim for layups. He added three rebounds, two steals and a block.


2. Chrision Wilburn, sr. — Wilburn helped the Firebirds to their quick start, scoring six of his eight points in the first four minutes. He did a good job of finding space in the paint, and his teammates were smart to feed him the ball. He also had three rebounds.


3. Jacob Pavylak, jr. — Pavlyak played strong defense, grabbing a steal and going coast-to-coast for a layup in the second quarter. He does a great job of providing ball pressure and denying passes. He finished with five points and two rebounds.


4. Kristian Rawls, sr. — Rawls had some key moments, scoring five points with two rebounds, two assists and two steals. He had to sit with a little bit of foul trouble, but when he was on the court, he did a good job of slashing into the paint.


5. Shannon Cordes, jr. — In the third quarter, Cordes scored five straight points. He knocked down a triple, then grabbed a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup. He finished with seven points and two steals.


6. Cameron Clark, jr. — In his varsity debut, Clark picked up some big minutes. He scored four points, including a layup in the fourth quarter. He added two rebounds.


7. Sloan Thomsen, jr. — Thomsen had some open looks, but couldn’t get his shot to drop. Instead, he was big for the Firebirds on the glass, grabbing a team-high six rebounds.


8. Reece White-Downing, soph. — He scored two points in the second quarter, following up on his own missed shot.


9. Darian Lewis, sr. — Lewis knocked down two free throws and played solid defense.


10. Drew Tochtrop, sr. — Tochtrop was active and brought good energy, but he missed both of his shot attempts.


11. Simon McCaffrey, soph. — McCaffrey crossed a defender over with nice ball handling, but missed the three-pointer to complete the highlight.


12. Garrett Lunistra, soph. — Entered in the final minute, but didn’t record any stats.


• Next up: 7 p.m. Friday at Olathe Northwest. Record: 5-1.
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