Free State High’s boys basketball team hadn’t trailed since the opening minutes Friday night against Shawnee Mission Northwest. But when Cougars senior guard Ferdinand Handy guided his team to a late-game surge, the Firebirds had to fall back on their crunch-time experience.

After Handy’s third three-pointer of the fourth quarter tied the game at 50 with more than a minute left in regulation, some hustle plays and free throws gave FSHS just enough to prevail, 59-58, in overtime at FSHS.

The Firebirds took the lead for good in the final minute of the extra period, when senior forward Chrision Wilburn chased down a loose ball and made two free throws with 46 seconds left.

And although SMNW senior guard Dylan Dirks drilled a three-pointer in the closing seconds of OT, it wasn’t enough to extend the game, because Free State senior Kristian Rawls (1-for-2 at the free-throw line in overtime) and junior Jay Dineen (2-for-2) had padded the lead in the final 30 seconds.

“Jay hit some big free throws down the stretch to (extend) the lead,” FSHS coach Sam Stroh said of Dineen’s successful trip with 11.2 seconds remaining, putting the home team up four, “and we got a couple stops and just got out with a win. We’ve got to get better.”

Four third-quarter turnovers and five more in the fourth contributed to the Cougars’ comeback, and Stroh characterized Free State’s decision-making as “interesting” at times in the second half. But the Firebirds (11-2) have reached a point where they know how to win these types of games. This marked their third overtime victory of the season, and they’ve defeated three other opponents by five or fewer points.

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