Press Release from the Kansas High School Activities Association

TOPEKA, Kan. – The KSHSAA State Basketball Tournament format and sites have been selected for the next two seasons. In 2026, the 1A Division I semifinals and finals will be played at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City. The 2A and 1A Division II semifinals and finals will be played at White Auditorium in Emporia while 3A and 4A semifinals and finals will be played at The Hutchinson Sports Arena at Hutchinson Community College.

In the largest school classifications, 5A and 6A semifinals and finals will be played at Koch Arena at Wichita State University. This will mark the first time since 1953 when state championship games of multiple classes were played at the same place. 

In 2027, both Divisions of 1A semifinals and finals will be played at Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina. Class 2A and Class 4A semifinals and finals will be played at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. The 3A semifinals and finals will be played at The Sports Arena at Hutchinson Community College. The 5A and 6A semifinals will be played at White Auditorium in Emporia.   

“The KSHSAA is an association of member schools, and the school leaders have asked for class consolidation of championships.” said KSHSAA Executive Director Bill Faflick. “This new format will achieve that result and provide a greater focus on the student athletes competing at the highest level with four state title games being played consecutively on championship Saturday. This modification allows basketball to follow the recently implemented format for championship soccer and football championship games.  With more titles being determined at one location, the atmosphere in the championship arenas will be at an all-time high.”   

The state tournament begins with the quarterfinal round which will be hosted at seven venues in five cities. To advance to the semifinals and finals sites, teams will need to win the state quarterfinal round games which will be played at United Wireless Arena, Tony’s Pizza Events  Center in Salina, Mabee Arena at Kansas Wesleyan University, Koch Arena, Garvey Center at Friends University, White Auditorium, and the Kansas City Kansas Community College Fieldhouse in Kansas City.  

2026 State Basketball Tournament Quarterfinal Schedule: 

6A, 4A, 2A Girls, 5A, 3A, 1A Boys Quarterfinals – March 10 (United Wireless Arena, Koch Arena, Friends University, Tony’s Pizza Events Center, Kansas Wesleyan University, White Auditorium, KCKCC Fieldhouse) 

5A, 3A, 1A Girls, 6A, 4A, 2A Boys Quarterfinals – March 11 (United Wireless Arena, Koch Arena, Friends University, Tony’s Pizza Events Center, Kansas Wesleyan University, White Auditorium, KCKCC Fieldhouse) 

The quarterfinal round games are determined by proximity to the higher seed, not class. The highest four seeds of the state tournament will be placed as close to home as possible in the 28 quarterfinal round games across the state.  If the distance from the lower seed is greater than 250 miles from where the game would be played near the higher seed, that game will be played at one of the quarterfinal sites centrally located. State brackets will not be reseeded after the state quarterfinals. 

“With the top four seeds earning the right to play close to home, the quarterfinal rounds will provide a better environment and experience allowing more friends and family to attend the quarterfinal round,” said KSHSAA Assistant Executive Director and Basketball Administrator Kyle Doperalski.  “This new format is a win for teams and school communities with an incredible atmosphere of four state championship games in the same venue on the same day.  Fans and media along with non-advancing teams and coaches will have less decisions to make about what site to go to and watch the teams and players they want to see at the state tournament.”   

The dates of the quarterfinal games are March 10-11, 2026 and March 9-10, 2027.  The dates of the semifinals and finals are March 12-14, 2026 and March 11-13, 2027.  

Two years ago, the membership expressed desire through the October Regional Administrator Meetings to combine classes at the state basketball tournament. Each class individually supported this concept. Working with the host sites to ensure top level tournament management, it was determined that the best course of action is the final four in each class advance to the site of the semifinals and finals with state quarterfinal games being played in proximity to the higher seed at neutral/college sites. 

As her basketball season was nearing an end, Ally Brown thought her Louisburg playing career was as well.

Brown, a senior, was a starter on the volleyball and basketball teams and was preparing for her life after sports. However, something happened that changed all of that.

At the time, Louisburg soccer coach Jordan Roquemore asked Brown if she would consider trying out for the soccer team — more specifically — goalie. It left her a little taken aback.

“I laughed at first and told him I’d think about it, fully intending on saying no,” Brown said. “Then the other soccer seniors kept talking to me about it and my parents said I should take the chance and do it. So I did and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

That decision turned into a fourth-place state medal as she helped the Louisburg program to a state final four appearance. It was a memorable ending for Brown in her Wildcat career. She was the lone senior athlete to play three sports, which led her to earn the 2025 Louisburg Sports Zone Female Athlete of the Year award.

The award was given based on a vote by Louisburg High School coaches as Brown was recognized for her achievements on the volleyball and basketball courts, along with her time with the soccer program.

“Being honored with Female Athlete of the Year means so much to me,” Brown said. “I truly see it as an honor because there are so many amazing female athletes around me. It fills me with a sense of pride knowing that four years of hard work got me to this moment. The support of my family and friends through my athletic journey allowed me to succeed so this award is not only for me, but all of the people who helped me along the way.”

On the volleyball court, Brown was a first-year varsity player this year and was one of the top defensive players — not only on the team, but in the Frontier League. 

As a team captain, Brown was an honorable mention all-league defensive specialist and was second on the team with 228 digs and was also second in aces with 47. She also led the team in serve attempts and points scored while serving. 

“Ally was largely the heart and soul of the volleyball team as a really strong leader, and I have no doubt that she helped lead her teammates in other sports the same way,” former Louisburg volleyball coach Leanna Willer said. “She is the girl who always shows up for her teammates. She is reliable, dedicated, and she truly understands the balance of encouraging/motivating her teammates and holding them accountable. She works her butt off and made some incredible plays in each season. Her dig numbers were right up there close to a lot of the Liberos while only being on the court half the time, and that speaks volumes about what she was able to do for our team.

“She is the voice of reason that we all turn to in times of trouble, and she is also the one who hypes up every single one of her teammates. Ally took on her roles in each sport this year with pride and made the most of every opportunity. Each of our three teams were undoubtedly better because she was a part of them.”

As a member of the basketball team, Brown did a little bit of everything. She was a starter for the Wildcats and averaged four points a game. She also led the team in assists (35) and steals (24).

“Ally is a very hard worker, she always has a positive attitude, and she is a great role model to the younger players,” Louisburg basketball coach Adrianne Lane said. “This season I felt that Ally stepped up her game. She had a streak in the middle of the season where it seemed like she didn’t miss a shot. I know whatever Ally chooses to do in life she will be great at.”

Then came the soccer program, where she started in goal for the Wildcats. In her first year playing high school soccer, Brown thrived as she helped Louisburg to a No. 1 seed in the state playoffs and a fourth-place state finish.

As the team’s starting goalie, she made a big impact in the back of the Wildcat defense. She finished with 12 clean sheets and had 91 saves on the year. For that effort, she was named to the All-Frontier League second team. 

“For a first time goalkeeper, that save rating is exceptional,” Roquemore said. “She faced far fewer shots than the average keeper because of our team defense, but when she does get them, she does a great job.

“Ally has always been a humble leader, a voice of reason, a positive influence, and has a determined work ethic. She balances a good sense of humor with a focused and sincere way of approaching athletics. She’s hard on herself but never gives up and is constantly willing to take feedback and apply it. I can’t imagine this season without her.”

Although it was a successful experience for her, it was about more than just wins and losses for Brown. 

“Yes I got a fourth place state medal out of it, but I got so much more than that,” Brown said. “I gained girls who will be sisters for life and a sense of girlhood that is unmatched. I will never forget my one year in the LHS girls soccer program and will be forever grateful that I chose to take a chance.”

In her four years at Louisburg High School, Brown was a 3-sport athlete in two of them. Playing multiple sports in high school is something she believes was an important and rewarding experience for her.

“Playing sports in Louisburg is such an exciting experience,’” Brown said. “The feeling of the Louisburg community rallying behind you while you’re on the court or field is indescribable. You are playing next to the same girls that you grew up with. Even you are doing the horrible weights and conditioning, it’s ok because the girl next to you is making you laugh. Playing competitive high school sports isn’t easy, but at Louisburg when you have people rallying around you every step of the way, succeeding is that much easier.”

Previous winners:

2018: Isabelle Holtzen

2019: Carson Buffington

2020: Reilly Ratliff-Becher

2021: Alyse Moore

2022: Delaney Wright

2023: Adyson Ross

2024: Hailey Sword

For the eighth consecutive year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”

Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. Then I sent the nominations back to the coaches and they voted for their top 3 male and female athletes. The recipient will be announced in the coming days.

(Editor’s Note: Normally, the coaches send me their votes and I tabulate the winner. However, due to a conflict of interest, I handed those duties to LHS AD Ty Pfannenstiel this year and he graciously gathered all the votes from the coaches and I was not a part of the process.)

Below are the three finalists for the Female Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name.

Ally Brown – Senior – Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer

Ally was a 3-time letterwinner this past season in volleyball, basketball and soccer. In volleyball, Brown earned honorable mention all-league honors for her work as a defensive specialist as she helped the Wildcats to the sub-state championship game. She finished with 228 digs, which was second on the team and was also second in aces with 47. She led Louisburg in serve attempts and points scored while she was serving.

On the basketball court, Brown was a starter for the Wildcat basketball team and averaged four points a game. She also led the team in assists (35) and steals (24).

Brown joined the Wildcat soccer team for the first time in the spring and made the most of her opportunity. She started in goal and finished with 12 shutouts on the season as she helped the Wildcats to a fourth-place finish at the Class 4-1A state tournament and finished with a 16-5 record. Brown was also named second team All-Frontier League goalie as she had more than 80 saves on the year and had an 87 percent save percentage.

Sabra Brueggen – Senior – Basketball, Swim

Sabra was a letterwinner for the Louisburg basketball and swim team this year. On the basketball court, Brueggen was a starter for the Lady Cats as she was third on the team with 85 rebounds on the year and averaged five points a contest.

Brueggen really made her mark in the pool as she earned two medals at the Class 5-1A state swim meet this spring. She medaled sixth in both the 200-yard individual medley and 100 backstroke. Throughout the season, Brueggen earned state qualifying times in all of the individual events and she also qualified in three relays.

She swam in two of those relays at the state meet as she helped the 200 freestyle relay to victory in the consolation finals and finished ninth overall. Brueggen also swam the 400 free relay as they took 13^th. Overall, Brueggen earned at least one state medal in each of her four years with the program.

Addy Stohs – Senior – Basketball, Softball

Addy was a letterwinner for the Louisburg basketball and softball teams. It was in softball where Stohs made her biggest mark. The Louisburg senior was named to the All-Frontier League first team after strong season as the team’s first baseman.

Stohs had a big year at the plate for Louisburg as she had a .435 average, which included 27 hits, four doubles and a home run, to go along with 13 RBIs. Stohs also had a .950 fielding percentage and only had 3 errors on the year.

On the basketball court, Stohs was a forward for the Wildcats as she had 23 rebounds on the year to go along with 10 blocked shots.

It was a tough season at times for the Louisburg basketball teams, but one Wildcat did get recognized by the Frontier League coaches.

All-Frontier League lists were released Sunday following the conclusion of the state tournament and senior Ashlyn Kuhlman earned a spot among the league’s best.

Kuhlman was an all-league honorable mention selection for the second year in a row as she led the Wildcats in three different statistical categories. 

The Louisburg senior averaged 10.3 points per game to lead the Wildcats and recorded a team-high five rebounds a contest. Kuhlman, who played mainly the guard spot, also tallied a team-best 41 blocks.

Baldwin led the way with five all-league spots. Spring Hill, who finished second in the Frontier League and fourth overall at the Class 5A state tournament, had four selections. Frontier League champion Eudora had three all-league honorees.

Spring Hill senior Sydney Buscher and junior Isla Herman, Eudora sophomore Brynn Deterding and freshman Avah Dye, along with Tonganoxie’s Alyssa Schoeneck were all named to the all-league first team.

As for the boys, Louisburg did not have a player selected to the 18-member all-league team. 

Ottawa, who took third at the Class 4A state tournament and was the Frontier League champion, led the way with four all-league selections.

Baldwin juniors Cooper Carr and Leo Schoenberger, Ottawa junior Aiden McCullough and sophomore Caleb Hepner, Bonner Springs junior Kelan Bruver and Spring Hill sophomore Jackson Bruce were all named to the first team. 

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE GIRLS BASKETBALL

FIRST TEAM

Isla Herman, Spring Hill, junior

Brynn Deterding, Eudora, sophomore

Avah Dye, Eudora, freshman

Alyssa Schoeneck, Tonganoxie, junior

Sydney Buscher, Spring Hill, senior

SECOND TEAM

Leah Askins-Dieterich, Ottawa, sophomore

Brylynn Wicker, Paola, senior

Izzy Brunkow, Eudora, sophomore

Chloe Neufeld, Baldwin, junior

Nya Anderson, Bonner Springs, junior

HONORABLE MENTION

Addy Thompson, Bonner Springs, junior

Chasitee Sambol, Bonner Springs, junior

Emmerson Nigh, Baldwin, sophomore

Lauren Berg, Baldwin, senior

Natalie Price, Ottawa, sophomore

Peyton Wright, Baldwin, sophomore

Addie Bond, Spring Hill, senior

Amaya Burris, Bonner Springs, junior

Aubrey Meder, Spring Hill, junior

Ashlyn Kuhlman, Louisburg, senior

Audrey Searl, Baldwin, sophomore

Addy Schooler, Tonganoxie, sophomore

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE BOYS BASKETBALL

FIRST TEAM

Cooper Carr, Baldwin, junior

Leo Schoenberger, Baldwin, junior

Kelan Gruver, Bonner Springs, junior

Aiden McCullough, Ottawa, junior

Caleb Hepner, Ottawa, sophomore

Jackson Bruce, Spring Hill, sophomore

SECOND TEAM

Jason Jones, Bonner Springs, junior

Carter Hepner, Ottawa, senior

Caden Cohee, Paola, senior

Ryan Osburn, Eudora, sophomore

Cash Schneider, Eudora, freshman

Lachlan McRae, Tonganoxie, junior

HONORABLE MENTION

Colton Collum, Baldwin, junior

Jaiden Jones, Bonner Springs, freshman

Errol Siemon, Eudora, senior

Jayce Mourning, Ottawa, sophomore

Micah Sanders, Paola, senior

Talon Langford, Tonganoxie, senior

EUDORA — The task was never going to be an easy one for the Louisburg girls basketball team.

The Wildcats, the No. 15 seed, had to travel to Frontier League champion, Eudora, for the first round of sub-state action. Louisburg held strong in the first half, but a difficult third quarter ended the Wildcats’ season in a 56-26 loss to the Cardinals. 

Eudora went on to defeat Wamego for the sub-state championship Saturday and advanced to the state tournament.

“Eudora is a great team and I wish them the best of luck at the state tournament,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I felt like we played hard against them and we never gave up.”

Louisburg battled in the first half, despite getting down 11 after the first quarter. The Wildcats were outscored just 12-9 in the second period and trailed 27-13 at halftime.

“We face-guarded two of their players and I thought the girls who face-guarded played their roles well,” Lane said. “The other 3 girls who were not face-guarding did a great job helping and playing man to man on the remaining players. Overall the girls did a great job playing a different defense and played together.”

Eudora found a way past that defense in the third quarter as it outscored Louisburg 20-4 to all but seal the win. The Cardinals helped get that lead thanks to their defense.

Eudora forced 20 Wildcat turnovers and turned those mistakes into 22 points. The Cardinals also shot 47 percent from the floor compared to just 25 for Louisburg.

Louisburg senior Ashlyn Kuhlman led the Wildcats in scoring with nine points to go along with eight rebounds. Junior Morgan Latham finished with six points.

It was also marked the end for seven Wildcats seniors as Jillian Asher, Ally Brown, Sabra Brueggen, Ashlyn Kuhlman, Sami Lane, Addy Stohs and Shylar Whiting all played their final game in a Louisburg uniform.

“This season was a fun season for the girls and our program,” coach Lane said. “I thought we played hard and battled in every game. Losing 7 seniors will be tough moving forward, but I know the seniors will all work hard to in their futures and I am excited to see where they go in life.

“The underclassmen I know will put in the work this summer and next fall to be ready to battle next year. I am excited to see what next year brings and excited for the younger girls to show their skills.”

LOU 4 9 4 9 — 26

EUD 15 12 20 9 — 56

LOUISBURG (5-16): Ashlyn Kuhlman 3-8 0-0 9; Morgan Latham 2-5 2-2 6; Sabra Brueggen 2-6 0-0 4; Ally Brown 1-7 0-0 3; McKenna Lohse 1-4 0-0 2; Sami Lane 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 10-39 2-2 26. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kuhlman 3, Brown)

After a pair of rough losses earlier in the week, the Louisburg girls basketball team wanted to end its regular season the right way on Friday.

The Wildcats hosted rival Paola on Senior Night as they had a chance to honor their seven seniors. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it wasn’t the way they wanted to send their seniors out.

Paola rallied past Louisburg with a late fourth quarter run and handed the Wildcats a 52-49 loss in their regular season finale. 

“Friday was a tough loss for our team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We played hard and played well, but just came up short. Losing on Senior Night was not ideal, but I do feel like we played well and had a good game.”

Jillian Asher, Ally Brown, Sabra Brueggen, Ashlyn Kuhlman, Sami Lane, Addy Stohs and Shylar Whiting all played their final game on their home floor as many of those players have seen varsity time the last three seasons.

“This senior group has really been a huge part of this program the past four years,” coach Lane said. “They played varsity since they were sophomores and they have contributed and worked hard for the past three years. As sophomores they all worked hard to make the older girls better and they continued to work hard as juniors and seniors. It has been a lot of fun coaching them and I wish them all the best of luck in their futures.”

The Wildcats jumped out on the Panthers early as they opened the game on a 10-1 run and took a 15-11 lead going into the second. Louisburg led by just one going into halftime.

It was a one-possession game for much of the third quarter, but the Wildcats started to separate themselves again in the fourth quarter as they built a six-point lead with under four minutes left. 

Paola put one more run together as it outscored Louisburg 13-4 down the stretch. The Wildcats did have one last chance to tie the game with under 10 seconds left, but were unable to get a shot off.

The Wildcats had tough time containing Paola’s inside attack and it started with senior Brylynn Wicker. She led all scorers with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

“Wicker is a very active and physical player,” coach Lane said. “She does a great job scoring in the lane. I thought we did a good job guarding her in the second half. We tried to not let her catch the ball, and I thought Sabra did a good job guarding her.”

Kuhlman had a strong showing for the Wildcats in her final home game as the Louisburg guard was able to score on the inside. She finished with 18 points and also had nine rebounds to go along with four assists and three blocks.

Brueggen also had success in the paint for Louisburg as she tallied 13 points with five rebounds. Asher was third on the team in scoring with seven.

Brown led the Wildcat offense with five assists to go along with four rebounds and also had two steals and two blocked shots.

As much success as the Wildcats had on the inside, they struggled from the outside as they were just 1-for-12 from behind the 3-point line. They were also 10-for-23 from the free-throw line.

Louisburg begins postseason play Wednesday as it travels to No. 2 Eudora for the first round of sub-state. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

“Eudora is a great team,” coach Lane said. “They are fast and have several great players in their program.”

LOU 15 9 11 14 — 49

PAO 11 12 13 16 — 52

LOUISBURG (5-15): Ashlyn Kuhlman 5-16 8-10 18; Sabra Brueggen 6-10 1-5 13; Jillian Asher 3-7 0-0 7; McKenna Lohse 2-2 0-4 4; Ally Brown 1-6 1-2 3; Shylar Whiting 1-1 0-0 2; Sami Lane 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 19-51 10-23 49. 3-point field goals: 1, (Asher)

Wildcats fall to Eudora, Blue Valley Southwest

It wasn’t the best start for the Louisburg girls in what was a busy week for the Wildcats. 

They played three games in four days and it started on Feb. 25 when the Wildcats traveled to Blue Valley Southwest. The Class 5A program used a big second quarter to pull away from Louisburg for a 72-33 win.

The Timberwolves outscored the Wildcats 25-4 in the second quarter to pull away for the victory.

Ashlyn Kuhlman led Louisburg in scoring with 13 points, while Morgan Latham and Sami Lane scored six and five points, respectively.

Then, on Feb. 26, the Wildcats hosted No. 3-ranked Eudora in a make-up game and the Cardinals showed why they are one of the top teams in the state. Eudora held Louisburg scoreless in the first half and handed the Wildcats a 42-10 loss.

Sabra Brueggen led Louisburg in scoring with four points.

LOU 0 0 5 5 — 10

EUD 12 10 14 6 — 42

LOUISBURG: Sabra Brueggen 1-6 2-4 4; Ellia Gibbons 1-1 0-0 3; McKenna Lohse 1-4 0-0 2; Jillian Asher 0-4 1-2 1. Totals: 3-38 3-8 10. 3-point field goals: 1, (Gibbons)

LOU 14 4 8 7 — 33

BVSW 22 25 15 10 — 72

LOUISBURG: Ashlyn Kuhlman 4-12 3-4 13; Morgan Latham 2-7 2-2 6; Sami Lane 2-5 0-0 5; McKenna Lohse 2-3 0-0 4; Kinley Scott 1-1 1-1 3; Sabra Brueggen 1-3 0-2 2. Totals: 12-43 6-9 33. 3-point field goals: 3, (Kuhlman 2, Lane)

SPRING HILL — The Louisburg girls basketball team put together one of their better offensive showings of the season on Feb. 14

The Wildcats shot better than 43 percent from the floor and knocked down 10 3-pointers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite good enough against one of the Frontier League’s top teams. 

Louisburg ventured to Spring Hill, and while the Wildcats shot well, they couldn’t keep up with a bigger Bronco team in a 72-60 loss.

“I thought overall we played Spring Hill tougher than the first time we played them,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I felt like we gave them a great game.”

The Wildcats (5-12) played right with Spring Hill (14-2) for much of the first half and trailed just 31-26 at halftime. 

Louisburg couldn’t keep Spring Hill off the glass as the Broncos pulled down 24 offensive rebounds, which led to 21 second chance points.

A bulk of those points and rebounds came from Spring Hill senior Sydney Buscher, who scored a game-high 27 points and had 11 rebounds. Buscher also scored her 1,000th career point in the second half.

“Spring Hill is a great rebounding team,” Lane said. “They are tough and they outsize us at every position, so rebounding is always hard when we play them. Sydney is a great all-around player and she is very hard to keep off the glass and she does a great job reading the rebounds.”

Despite all that, the Wildcats still tried to keep pace with the Broncos from behind the 3-point arch and Louisburg senior Ashlyn Kuhlman was a big part of that.

Kulhman scored a team-high 19 points, which included five 3-pointers, and also had a team-high five rebounds. 

Junior McKenna Lohse was second on the team with nine points, while junior Morgan Latham finished with eight. Senior Ally Brown also had eight points and a team-high two steals.

Seniors Sabra Brueggen and Sami Lane had seven and six points, respectively, while senior Jillian Asher led the team with four assists.

Louisburg will have a busy final week with three games and that begins Tuesday with an out-of-league game against Blue Valley Southwest. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

LOU 12 14 18 16 — 60

SH 19 12 22 19 — 72

LOUISBURG (5-12): Ashlyn Kuhlman 7-19 0-0 19; McKenna Lohse 3-5 3-4 9; Morgan Latham 4-8 0-1 8; Ally Brown 3-5 0-0 8; Sabra Brueggen 2-6 3-4 7; Sami Lane 2-5 0-0 6; Jillian Asher 1-3 0-0 3. Totals: 22-51 6-9 60. 3-point field goals: 10, (Kuhlman 5, Lane 2, Brown 2, Asher)

TONGANOXIE — For three quarters, the Louisburg girls basketball team was well on its way to a fourth straight victory. 

Louisburg took an 8-point lead — its biggest of the game — going into the fourth quarter and had a chance to avenge a loss from earlier in the season.

Tonganoxie had other ideas as the Chieftains went on a big run in the final period and handed the Wildcats a 42-39 loss. The Chieftains went on an 18-3 run to begin the fourth quarter and took a 7-point lead midway through the fourth.

The Wildcats did battle back and cut the deficit to one with under 30 seconds left, but couldn’t get over the hump.

“Losing to Tongie was tough,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We had a very hard time guarding their quick guards and rebounding versus their tall players. This loss was hard because we had a pretty good lead going into the fourth quarter and I felt like we should have gotten that win.”

Louisburg had a tough time slowing down Tonganoxie guard Alyssa Schoeneck, who was a big reason for the Chieftains’ comeback.

Schoeneck scored 16 of her game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter and the Wildcats didn’t have much of an answer. She also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.

“She is a great player,” Lane said of Schoeneck. “She is super quick, she does a great job finishing in the lane, and she is a great shooter. She was also very active on the boards in the fourth quarter. She is hard to guard. Her first step is super quick and she finished well in the lane even with pressure on her.”

For the first half, the Wildcat defense held strong as it held the Chieftains to just 13 first half points and just 20 points through three quarters.

Offensively, the Wildcats couldn’t take advantage and build a big lead as they were up just 17-13 at halftime, but did eventually take an 8-point lead late in the third. Louisburg shot 20 percent from the field.

The Wildcats had success getting the ball inside, especially in the first half. Junior McKenna Lohse provided Louisburg with a nice scoring punch inside as she scored 11 points and had six rebounds.

Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points and had five rebounds, while senior Sami Lane was next with five points. 

Senior Sabra Brueggen led Louisburg with nine rebounds on the night and senior Ally Brown had a team-high three steals. Seniors Jillian Asher and Shylar Whiting had six and five rebounds, respectively.

“I felt like we did a good job taking care of the basketball when we were pressured throughout the game,” coach Lane said. “We also did a good job running the floor and scoring some transition points early in the game.”

Louisburg will try and bounce back tonight when it travels to Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 7 10 11 11 — 39

TON 6 7 7 22 — 42

LOUISBURG (5-11): Ashlyn Kuhlman 3-12 4-6 12; McKenna Lohse 4-7 3-4 11; Sami Lane 2-4 0-0 5; Sabra Brueggen 0-9 4-8 4; Jillian Asher 1-5 0-0 3; Morgan Latham 0-4 2-2 2; Shylar Whiting 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 11-54 13-20 39. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kuhlman 2, Asher, Lane)

If you were to look at the stat sheet, the Louisburg girls had one of their tougher shooting performances of the season.

The Wildcats shot just 22 percent for the game and trailed Ottawa for much of the night Friday during Louisburg’s homecoming contest. Not exactly the recipe for success.

They needed a spark.

Louisburg got it from many different players as the Wildcats pulled away in the fourth quarter to get a 46-40 win over the Cyclones and avenged a loss from earlier in the season. 

Whether it was a 3-point shot, a big rebound, a steal or making key free throws, the Wildcats got production from several different players.

It was also the third straight victory for the Wildcats (5-10) and they have also won four of their last five games.

“I think this win was the biggest of the season so far,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I feel like this will help the girls see what they are capable of as a team and this will also help their confidence moving forward.”

Ottawa held the lead for the entire first half, but the Wildcats were able to jump in front late in the third quarter. Senior Jillian Asher knocked down a 3-pointer with just over a minute left in the third to give Louisburg its first lead at 32-29.

The Cyclones didn’t back down as sophomore Leah Askins-Dietrich put her team on her back and led them on a 9-2 run into the fourth quarter that gave them the lead back at 38-34.

Louisburg senior Ally Brown hit a 3-pointer with 5 minutes left to cut the Ottawa lead to one and start a Wildcat run. Asher then nailed a 3 of her own with 4:32 left to put Louisburg up 40-38 and the Wildcats wouldn’t relinquish the lead.

Brown and Asher scored eight and seven points, respectively in the game, and all came in the second half. 

“The shooting was great in the second half and we hit the shots that we needed to,” Lane said. “Ally and Jill’s confidence really showed when they were finishing their shots down the stretch.”

The Wildcat defense held strong as they allowed just two points in the final four minutes. 

“We did have a rough start, but I felt like our defense kept us in the game and we came out the second half running a different play and having girls play in different positions, and the girls capitalized on this,” Lane said. “We did a great job rebounding offensively second half and keeping the ball alive, and our second effort was fantastic.”

Ottawa was forced to foul down 41-38, and was called for an intentional foul, which gave Louisburg free throws and the ball. 

Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman stepped to the foul line and made of 5 of 6 attempts in the final 40 seconds to help give the Wildcats the victory. Kuhlman also scored in double figures for the game with 12 points, including 8-for-9 from the line.

“Free-throws win games and we had some big ones to go ahead in the fourth quarter,” Lane said. “Kenna (Lohse) hit two big ones to tie us up in the third. Jill hit one big one to put us up by 3 and Ashlyn finished the game by making several at the end. Great effort by all of them.”

Another senior, Sabra Brueggen was an important piece on the inside for Louisburg as she scored a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds. She was also 6-for-9 from the free-throw line.

Senior Sami Lane was all over the floor for the Wildcats as she led the way with a team-high nine rebounds and also paced Louisburg with three assists.

“Sabra and Sami both had a great game for us as well,” coach Lane said. “These two kept the ball alive on several different occasions and gave us second chances to score.”

The Wildcats also put together a strong effort on defense as they held Ottawa to just 29 percent shooting. Senior Shylar Whiting had a team-high four steals on the night and Brown had two.

Louisburg will try to make it four in a row Tuesday as the Wildcats travel to Tonganoxie. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 4 12 16 14 — 46

OTT 12 8 11 9 — 40

LOUISBURG (5-10): Sabra Brueggen 4-11 6-9 14; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-15 8-9 12; Ally Brown 3-7 0-0 8; Jillian Asher 2-7 1-2 7; Sami Lane 1-3 0-0 3; McKenna Lohse 0-3 2-2 2. Totals: 12-53 17-24 46.  3-point field goals: 5, (Asher 2, Brown 2, Lane)

PAOLA — The Louisburg girls basketball team had hopes of starting a winning streak for the first time this season on Tuesday in Paola.

The Wildcats took full advantage of the opportunity against their rival.

Louisburg used a big fourth quarter to pull away for a 65-42 victory at Paola High School as the Wildcats won their second consecutive game. 

“It was a great feeling to get a win on the road as the girls battled and played to win,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The fourth quarter was big for the girls. They got into a great streak and I felt like we finally wore Paola down. It was very nice to see the girls not get down on themselves and play through Paola’s run.”

The Wildcats used a 23-7 run in the fourth quarter to end the game after Paola chipped away at the Louisburg lead in the third. The Panthers cut the Wildcat advantage to five late in the third quarter.

Louisburg opened the fourth on a 12-2 run and never let the lead get back under single digits.

Balanced scoring was also big for the Wildcats as they had four players score in double figures.

Senior Jillian Asher led Louisburg with 15 points and two steals, while senior Ashlyn Kuhlman had 14 points to go along with a team-high seven rebounds and two steals of her own.

Senior Ally Brown had 10 points and four rebounds as she was 4-for-5 from the field. Junior Morgan Latham also had 10 points to go along with five rebounds.

Latham was joined by junior McKenna Lohse on the inside as she tallied seven points, six rebounds and two steals. Senior forward Sabra Brueggen had six points and senior Sami Lane had a team-high four assists.

“Having multiple girls score was great to see,” Lane said. “If we have multiple scorers we are harder to guard and it makes the offense execution easier.”

The game was tied at 14-all after the first quarter, but the Wildcats went on a run to start the second. Louisburg outscored Paola, 19-7, in the period and took a 33-21 lead at halftime. 

Paola got back into the game with its play on the inside and was led by senior Brylynn Wicker, who scored a game-high 25 points and pulled down 18 rebounds for the Panthers.

The Wildcats were able to slow down Wicker late in the third quarter and Louisburg went on another run on offense to pull away. 

“I think we finally figured out the correct defense to run against Paola at the end of the third quarter and throughout the fourth,” coach Lane said. “We focused in on their forwards and we doubled them to try and prevent them from catching and finishing in the lane.”

Louisburg will try for three straight wins Friday as the Wildcats host Ottawa for homecoming. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 14 19 9 23 — 65

PAO 14 7 14 7 — 42

LOUISBURG (4-10): Jillian Asher 5-10 4-6 15; Ashlyn Kuhlman 4-11 4-5 14; Morgan Latham 5-11 0-0 10; Ally Brown 4-5 0-0 10; McKenna Lohse 2-5 3-3 7; Sabra Brueggen 3-8 0-2 6; Shylar Whiting 0-4 2-2 2; Kinley Scott 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 23-56 14-20 65. 3-point field goals: 5, (Kuhlman 2, Brown 2, Asher)