In the marquee game of 810 Varsity Showcase 27, Lee’s Summit looked to avenge a previous night’s loss to No. 1 Staley, against the next best thing: No. 2 Free State.

The Firebirds came into the contest undefeated (11-0) and atop the Kansas Class 6A state rankings, but had yet to face a huge test like the Tigers (18-2). Led by senior duo Jordan Brown and Mozae Downing, the Firebirds seemed to have the lineup to beat the Tigers. However, Free State’s sharpshooters went cold, Lee’s Summit clamped down while led by Alex Benassi and Caden Maguire for a 60-48 win.

Despite leading 16-11 after the first quarter, the Firebirds lost momentum in the third, mostly due to a barrage from behind the arc. Benassi, who led all scorers with 21, exited for a few minutes with a finger injury. Fellow senior guard McGuire stepped up, draining two parking-lot three’s with 6:12 to go to push a 40-39 lead to 46-39.

“I was having an off night up to then for sure,” Maguire said. “But knew we needed someone to step up with Alex out, had a couple nice looks and just felt it.”

This, along with a separate 7-0 run later, put the Firebirds away. Senior Brycen LaRue also broke double digits with 12 points.

Downing, who finished with a team-high 13 points tried to ignite a fire under the Firebirds, but to little result, as the comeback began too late. Fellow senior Cooper Jackson added 11. Despite nailing a first-half three-pointer for his 1,000th point, Brown didn’t hit another deep shot and finished with nine.

In the first half, the Firebirds played well, as the Tigers likely still felt a bit of fatigue from Friday night.

The Firebirds look to avenge their first loss, against Olathe West (9-7) on Tuesday.

The Tigers continue a tough conference schedule against Oak Park (14-6) and St. Joseph Central (3-17) on Tuesday and Friday.

Free State (48)

Brown 3 2-2 9, Downing 4 2-2 13, Thompson 3 0-0 6, Cleveland 4 0-0 9, Jackson 4 2-2 11. Totals 18 6-6 48.

Lee's Summit (60)

Benassi 7 4-5 21, Maguire 4 0-0 10, LaRue 6 0-0 12, Shepard 0 2-2 2, McDonald 2 2-2 6, Kemp 4 0-1 8. Totals 23 8-10 60.

Three-pointers:
Free State - Downing 3, Brown, Jackson, Cleveland
Lee's Summit - Benassi 3, Maguire 2

Score by quarters
Free State        16     7  16     9 - 48
Lee's Summit  11  16  13  20 - 60