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.

In its first game back from the holiday break, the winless Free State girls basketball team suffered yet another rough loss at home on Wednesday — 49-29 against Shawnee Mission North.

SM North (2-4) posed a big challenge for the Firebirds (0-5) because of senior standout Tamiah Washington, who finished the night with a game-high 20 points and was nearly perfect from the free-throw line (9 of 10). On the Free State side, freshman Anniston Clark led the way with 10 total points, and junior Chloe Clossen and freshman Peyton Moore had seven points apiece.

FSHS head coach Summer Frantz praised Clark’s performance and her competitive spirit in spite of the early-season woes.

“Anniston brings that competitive fire and physicality that we need,” Frantz said. “We honestly need to improve our physicality overall, as a team, being more physical, not shying from contact.”

photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Free State junior Chloe Clossen battles with Shawnee Mission North senior Rosjai Curtis during a game on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2024, at Free State High School.

After the tipoff, six turnovers held FSHS back, and the Bison raced to a 17-5 lead behind Washington’s nine first-quarter points. Moore’s five points, including an early three-pointer, were the only highlights of the Firebirds’ first quarter.

If Washington’s early groove wasn’t problematic enough, SM North entered the game with a full-court press – something Frantz and her players anticipated – and maintained it much of the way.

“We expect every team to press us,” Frantz said. “We’ve struggled with handling pressure so far. So going forward, we expect it 100% every game and we have to keep simulating it in practice as best we can.”

Clossen got her first points in the second quarter with a three-point basket of her own, which was followed by four more points by Clark. Clark also had a big block to deny SM North senior Haley Wieneke’s half-court try before halftime, but the Firebirds were still down 31-12 heading into the break.

photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Free State sophomore Addie Fulscher pushes past SM North sophomore Tamiah Washington during a game on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, at Free State High School.

Free State returned to the floor in the third quarter with a 6-0 run, but the momentum didn’t last. Fouls gave Washington three trips to the free throw line in the third quarter, and the Bison had a 43-18 lead heading into the fourth.

The large lead allowed SM North to play less conservatively in the last frame, and the Bison coughed up four turnovers and were outscored 11-6 through the final eight minutes of the game. That wasn’t enough for Free State to overcome the deficit, but the Firebirds didn’t let up even at the end — and one player, sophomore Cara Jeffries, delivered her first points of the game on a 3-pointer with under a minute left.

“I think we’re seeing progress,” Frantz said. “We’re certainly seeing glimpses of what we can be, and we know we’ve got a ways to go. We have a lot of progress to make toward being the team we want to be and, if we keep working hard every day, we can be a different team in a month from now.”

FSHS hosts Olathe North on Jan. 9. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE:

FSHS 5 7 6 11 – 29

SMN 17 14 12 6 – 49

Free State (29) Addie Fulscher 0-5 0-0 -; Hadley Lonnberg 1-4 0-0 2; Anniston Clark 4-10 2-5 10; Chloe Clossen 2-4 2-4 7; Peyton Moore 3-7 0-2 7. Totals: 11-32 4-11 29.

Shawnee Mission North (49) Haley Wieneke 2-6 3-4 8; Iliana Garcia 3-4 0-0 7; Tamiah Washington 5-9 9-10 20; Nicole Mendez 1-1 0-0 2; Rosjai Curtis 2-4 0-2 4. Totals: 16-31 14-18 49.

3-point goals: FSHS: 3-11 (); SMN: 3-9 (). Turnovers: FSHS 18, SMN 14. Fouled Out: None.