Free State girls basketball tops Sumner for first win

photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Free State head girls basketball coach Summer Frantz encourages her team during a game against Shawnee Mission North on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, at Free State High School.

The Free State girls basketball team won its first game of the season Thursday night, taking down Sumner Academy 56-50 at Free State High School.

Led by freshman Anniston Clark’s 23 points, the Firebirds (1-9) made several key scores and stops down the stretch to overtake the Sabres (5-6), leading to Free State’s first victory of the 2023-24 campaign.

After falling behind by one with roughly three minutes remaining, head coach Summer Frantz’s team finished the game and secured the victory, resulting in lots of smiles and jubilation from the home sideline.

“We’ve been working hard everyday to see it finally pay off on the scoreboard,” Frantz said. “Huge kudos to Sumner because they played really hard and it was a physical game. We told the players it means more to us than to win by 10 points because we had to battle to the last possession.”

To start out the night, Sumner Academy took an early advantage thanks to two 3s from Rey’Auna Haywood, but the Firebirds responded quickly courtesy of immediate offense from the freshman Clark.

From there, Chloe Clossen knocked down two 3s of her own and Cydnee Price added another to give Free State its first lead of the game, as it held a 18-13 advantage through the first quarter.

Peyton Moore also chipped in with five points off the bench in the opening eight minutes, as the Firebirds continued to gain momentum.

Two more 3s from Clossen along with four points from Clark rounded out the Firebirds offense in the second quarter, but a 6-0 run by Sumner Academy helped the visitors take a late lead in the first half against a tough-minded Firebirds squad.

“I’m very impressed with how she (Clark) responded,” Frantz said. “I thought she got kind of beat up tonight but it didn’t stop her from being aggressive.”

Several late baskets from Micaela Patrick put the Sabres up heading into halftime, but the Firebirds remained determined to come out strong on their floor beginning in the second half.

Clark began to take over early in the third quarter by using her athleticism and scored six early third quarter points as a result.

However, the Sabres roared back and cut the deficit to one, but after another bucket from Clark and a three-point-play from Moore, the Firebirds took a six-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Ariana George started strong in the fourth for Sumner Academy, scoring five early points to make it a one-point game again midway through the period.

Then, an Ariana Rivera and-1 gave the lead back to the visitors with a little over three minutes remaining, but the Firebirds remained composed and determined to finish the job.

For the last couple minutes of the contest, it came down to two more baskets from Clark and free throws from Price and Addie Fulscher. Fulscher calmly sank four of them in a row to put the game out of reach.

“I know we can finish games, but we haven’t had the chance to show it yet,” Frantz said. “I’m very happy for Addie and then for Cydnee Price to come in and make huge free throws in the end.”

Free State will next take part in the Emporia Classic beginning next Thursday on the road, with the team’s first-round matchup to be announced.

“I’m so proud of them,” Frantz said. “Some of them have been at it a while and for them to stick through it and want to get better every day, I’m just so proud of them.”

Sumner Academy (50) Ariana George 4-8 4-10 13; Rey’Auna Haywood 5-17 0-0 13; Micaela Patrick 5-6 0-0 10; Jaydn Brown 1-2 0-0 2; Ariana Rivera 3-7 5-9 12. Totals: 18-40 9-19 50.

Free State (56) Addie Fulscher 0-4 4-4 4; Hadley Lonnberg 0-1 0-0 -; Anniston Clark 11-24 1-1 23; Chloe Clossen 4-13 0-0 12; Cydnee Price 1-6 1-2 4; Peyton Moore 4-6 3-5 11; Aly Richardson 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 21-55 9-12 56.

Score by quarters

Sumner Academy 13 16 9 12 — 50

Free State 18 10 16 12 — 56

3-point goals: SMA: 5-14 Rey’Auna Haywood (3), Ariana Rivera (1), Ariana George (1), FSHS: 5-21 Chloe Clossen (4), Cydnee Price (1); Turnovers: FSHS 23, SMA 18. Fouled Out: None.