The Free State boys started hot Friday and found some late buckets after the score tightened up to come away with a 43-39 win over Gardner Edgerton.

The key was the defense, especially down the stretch, which coach Dwayne Paul said the team “hangs their hats on.”

“I think that Gardner is the hardest team in the league to prepare for, just because how hard they play and what they run offensively,” Paul said. “To hold a team to 39 points, that’s impressive.”

Free State had a hot start from everyone involved, making shots early and preventing good looks on the defensive end. Seniors Korbin Dowdell and Braden Wilmes each had six points in the early going, giving the Firebirds a 16-9 lead.

Despite a slow start offensively in the second quarter, the Firebirds were able to extend their lead. Senior AJ Eason scored the first points of the quarter for Free State nearly halfway through the period, then added a layup while Wilmes also converted in the paint, and Dowdell added two free throws to take a 24-15 lead into halftime.

Gardner Edgerton opened the second half with its own 10-0 run to take its first lead of the game. The Trailblazers continued to get easy buckets and slowed down the Free State offense, as Gardner Edgerton senior Malachi Parks hit a deep 3-pointer at the end of the quarter to give his team a 37-30 lead.

The final period of play opened with a 5-0 run for Free State benefiting on a layup from senior Everett Essman and a 3-pointer from Eason. Gardner-Edgerton pushed its lead back to four, then the Firebirds got baskets from sophomore Maddon Brittingham and Wilmes to tie the score at 39.

Down the stretch, it was freshman Brendan Barrett who came up with the go-ahead bucket, hitting a contested mid-range jumper to put the Firebirds back in the lead. Moments later, he found junior Bennett Nagel for a floater with under 10 seconds remaining to put the game away.

“One thing about Brendan Barrett is you never have to worry about confidence with him,” Paul said. “I would beg to find somebody in the Sunflower in the gym more than him. It’s just a glimpse to show of what could be if he continues to grow, continues to mature.”

Gardner Edgerton girls 64, Free State 19

The Free State girls suffered a slow start and couldn’t recover, falling to Gardner Edgerton, 64-19

The Trailblazers raced out to a 6-0 run to start and led 22-4 after the first quarter. The full-court press put stifled Free State, hardly giving up easy looks, and on the other end, Gardner Edgerton was able to find points in the fast break. Sophomore Sarai Preston and freshman Marlea Copeland each scored in the first quarter for the Firebirds.

Free State got a promising start to the second quarter when junior Addie Fulscher made a 3-pointer to open the scoring, but Gardner Edgerton continued to play stifling defense and ended the quarter on a 29-0 run, taking a 51-7 lead into halftime.

The third quarter strongly resembled the second as Fulscher nailed a 3-pointer out of the locker room, before the Trailblazers’ defense continued to be the X-factor. Fulscher and Peyton Moore could add one point apiece at the free throw line, but the Trailblazers led 62-12 going into the fourth quarter.

After the Trailblazers scored the first two points of the fourth quarter, the Firebirds finished on a 7-0 run, getting two field goals from sophomore Aedri Grooms, another from senior Kelsey Johnson and a free throw from Preston to close out the scoring.

Both Free State teams will be on the road on Tuesday, taking on Olathe North.