photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Free State sophomore Jayden Williams shoots a 3-pointer while the Free State bench cheers at Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.

PRAIRIE VILLAGE — The Free State girls basketball team lost a competitive game on Tuesday night at Shawnee Mission East, 53-37, while the boys came away with a much-needed win, cruising to a final score of 53-40.

It was the first game the Free State girls basketball team has played without star senior guard Addie Fulscher, who was injured on Friday against Shawnee Mission South and will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

“It’s been a hard week for us,” Free State coach Summer Frantz said. “We had two tough games, and then obviously losing Addie … but I think we’ve rallied around her. We just want to be the best support system for her, knowing that this week’s going to be a little tough for her with the last home game and the LHS game. Our biggest thing has just been playing hard for her and rallying around her.”

The Firebirds started the game fast by building a 4-0 lead after a pair of free throws by freshman Morgan McClorey and a layup by freshman Quinlynn Vail. The Lancers took their first lead after scoring six straight points, but a bucket by McClorey tied the game at six.

That was the last field goal of the quarter for Free State, which scored three more points, all at the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Shawnee Mission East hit a pair of 3-pointers and had success at the free-throw line, taking a 17-9 lead into the second quarter.

A 3-pointer by the Lancers to start the second quarter quickly made it an 11-point game, and that lead only grew the remainder of the period. The Firebirds cut it to 10 points on two occasions, lastly on a layup by McClorey to make it 22-12, but the Lancers continued to stretch their lead by getting easy buckets and limiting the Firebirds to just three more points, all from free throws, to take a 32-15 halftime advantage.

McClorey scored the first seven points of the third quarter, four of those at the free-throw line, while also stepping out on the perimeter for a 3-pointer. After four points from Vail, including a free throw of her own, Free State found itself trailing by just 11 points, 37-26.

The Firebirds played solid defense the entirety of the third quarter, keeping the Lancers off the arc and getting immediate defensive rebounds, something the team struggled to do in the first half.

“We just talked about at halftime how (the score) doesn’t mean we’re out of the game, and it wasn’t going to happen at once, so we just need to come out and chip away,” Frantz said. ”

Following a bucket by the Lancers, a three-point play by freshman Taylor Hulcher helped make the score 39-29 after the third period.

Junior Sarai Preston began the fourth quarter by making a pair of 3-pointers to help cut the deficit to six-points, hoping to give the Firebirds a new sense of urgency.

Although Preston isn’t known for her ability to shoot, Frantz said that she has the range, despite her unorthodox delivery, in which she does not jump.

“She really is a good shooter in practice,” Frantz said. “That helps us stretch the floor a lot.”

However, Shawnee Mission East immediately responded with a quick 5-0 run that ultimately turned into a 12-0 run that ultimately put the game away, and Vail ended the scoring with a layup with 14 seconds remaining.

BOYS SNAP 10-GAME SKID

The Firebird boys broke back into the win column, using a balanced performance from start to finish to come away with a win and improve to 6-14 on the season.

“We came out and played a full 32 (minutes),” Free State boys coach Dwayne Paul said. “It feels good; I’m happy for our guys.”

Paul said he didn’t feel like the team was “far off” in some of the games during the losing streak; it was just about being able to finish games and flip the result.

Sophomore Brendan Barrett led the Firebirds in scoring with 17 points but said he felt it was one of his better games this season because of his effort.

“I think this might have been the game I played the hardest, which is why I think it was one of my better games,” Barrett said.

The Lancers used their speed early to get downhill and create easy chances from in the paint, getting out to a 6-0 lead while not letting the Firebirds get comfortable on their own end.

Senior Ethan Prescott took the lid off the goal for Free State with four points to cut the deficit to two before Shawnee Mission East responded with a 3-pointer. Free State cut the score to 9-8 after the first quarter, thanks to buckets by Barrett and senior Bennett Nagel to end the quarter.

The second quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with the Firebirds taking their first lead on a layup by sophomore Jayden Williams before four straight points by the Lancers allowed them to regain the upper hand.

Williams responded once again with a 3-pointer, followed by a bucket by Barrett, and the two teams traded scores the rest of the way. Free State led by as many as seven after a 3-pointer by senior Jadon Clock and a midrange bucket by Nagel, but that lead got trimmed to five at halftime after Shawnee Mission East scored the final points of the period.

The Firebirds began the second half with a pair of 3-pointers by sophomore Brayden DeBruin and Prescott to force a Lancer timeout. The teams traded buckets before a 5-0 run by the Lancers once again made it a five-point game.

Barrett drilled a 3-pointer to push the lead back to eight, and each team scored two more points the rest of the quarter as Free State held a 39-31 lead.

The Lancers cut the margin to four to begin the fourth quarter, using their press to turn the Firebirds over and convert easy buckets.

Free State found an answer to the press and limited turnovers, leading to five straight points to push its lead back to nine, putting the game on ice. In the bonus, the Firebirds drew fouls and converted at the free-throw line to come away with the win.

“I think this win showed what we should be, what we can be,” Barrett said. “When everyone plays their roles and whenever we’re shooting like we should be shooting, (we’re a) pretty good team.”

Both Free State teams will return to action on Friday, hosting Lawrence for the City Showdown. The girls game will begin at 5:30 p.m., with the boys game to follow.

“We just got to know that records don’t matter; nothing matters when it’s a rivalry game,” Barrett said. “Everyone’s going to be playing their best basketball.”