Louisburg’s Ava Baker is looking forward to continuing her basketball career this upcoming season at Coffeyville Community College.

Playing basketball in college has always been on Ava Baker’s to do list, in fact, it is right up at the top.

Thanks to a lot of hard work and dedication, Baker can now check that off.

Back in early May, Baker signed her letter of intent to play basketball at Coffeyville Community College this upcoming season. It was just the opportunity she was hoping for.

“To be able to sign and play basketball at the next level was a dream come true,” Baker said. “I started playing basketball in the first grade, and playing in college has been my dream ever since.”

Baker, who spent her last two years at Louisburg High School after transferring from Gardner-Edgerton, wanted to find a new home that was similar to Louisburg.

After visiting Coffeyville, it was apparent early on that Baker knew this was the place for her.

“When I went down to Coffeyville, I got to watch in on a practice and a game,” Baker said. “The whole time I was there I just wanted to go out on the court with them, which was a feeling I hadn’t had at a lot of the other schools I visited. They were laughing and having fun the whole time, and in a way it reminded me of Louisburg. 

“Their playing style was also something that stood out to me. On offense they trust their players to take the right shot and on defense they play fast and in your face. It was all very similar to (Louisburg) coach (Adrianne) Lane’s style and I am excited to continue playing that way.”

Baker joins a Coffeyville team that finished with a 21-13 record a year ago and reached the Region VI championship game. 

The Red Ravens are led by Tony Turner, who is entering his fifth season as head coach and he believes Baker will be able to help his team on the wing. 

Baker is also excited about getting started on the academic side as well as she hopes to become an athletic trainer.

“Coach Turner and I have talked quite a bit about where he sees me playing, since I play the 2-5 positions it gets kind of confusing,” Baker said. “He said he sees me going back to a true shooting guard, which I was very excited about. 

“My goals for Coffeyville are to help contribute and build off the successful season they just came off of. They have some good players that graduated and I’m ready to be that role player and do whatever it takes. Outside of basketball I plan to start on my journey of becoming an athletic trainer. They are one of the few community colleges in Kansas that offer special athletic training classes with a hands on program, which I am excited about.”

Baker had a big senior season for Louisburg as she finished as an All-Frontier League honorable mention. She averaged almost eight points and had more than three rebounds a game. She also finished with 17 steals and 10 blocked shots.

It was a memorable two years for Baker at Louisburg, and one she will always treasure.

“I feel my two years at Louisburg have helped turned me into the player I am,” Baker said. “When I first came here I hated everything about defense, which is Lane’s favorite part of the game, and she helped me grow to love it. Towards the end of my senior season I found myself often smiling because I was so eager to try and get the ball back. 

“I also switched positions coming here, which I feel like has helped me grow a ton as a player and helped me get a better understanding of the game. Without coach Lane, coach (Nick) Chapman, coach (Joel) McGhee, and coach (Leanna) Willer, I don’t think I would be where I am today. They have helped me grow and gain a type of confidence within myself to turn into the player I’ve become.”

Louisburg’s Delanie Tally will join the Midland University basketball program this upcoming season after earning all-league honors with the Lady Cats.

Basketball has been a big part of Delanie Tally’s life ever since she was in elementary school.

Starting next school year, its going to be an even bigger part as Tally has seen her dream become a reality — her dream to play college basketball.

Tally signed her letter of intent to play basketball at Midland University, an NAIA program in Fremont, Neb.

“I have been playing club basketball since the fifth grade, so it is really cool that I get to continue playing at the college level,” Tally said. “Club ball during sophomore year is when I first started getting looked at by different schools, and that is when I decided to make it a goal of mine to play in college.”

She achieved that goal and Midland helped make that happen. Tally took visits to several other program, and as it turned out, she saved her best for last.

Once she took the visit, Tally was drawn, not only by the athletic side, but the academic programs as well.

“Midland was actually the last school I visited, after many other potential schools,” Tally said. “I was waiting for something to stand out from the rest of the schools, and while athletics is what brought me to Midland, I soon learned that this was a very academic focused school, which is very important to me. 

“What stood out the most to me was the staff. They were not only very friendly, but they really strive to make a connection with each of their students and make sure they make it far in life following college. One of the first people I ran into on the visit was the President of Midland. She took the time to stop and introduce and welcome me to campus.”

As far as the basketball side goes, Tally enjoyed getting to know the coaching staff and she is excited to see where they will be able to improver her game.

“I immediately felt a good connection to this school once meeting the coaching staff,” Tally said. “They were very easy to talk to and mentioned that they liked how much of a ‘pest’ I was on defense. Then went into further detail about how they were looking for someone who isn’t afraid to be competitive, play scrappy on defense, and do what’s best for the team. 

“Once being told this, I knew that I could fulfill this role. I was expecting to talk to them for maybe 30 minutes, but we chatted for much longer, so I knew almost immediately it was a good fit.”

Tally has been one of the Lady Cats’ top 3-point shooters and her ability to score from the outside earned her All-Frontier League honors.

She was an honorable mention selection last season. Tally was second on the team in scoring for Louisburg as she averaged nearly 10 points a contest and led the Lady Cats with 47 3-pointers on the season. She also led Louisburg with 47 steals.

Tally is grateful for all she learned with the Louisburg program as she prepares to take the next step in her basketball journey.

“During my time spent at Louisburg High School, I have learned just how important academics are; not only for college but for shaping one’s life,” Tally said. “I feel like because of the teachers and the classes I took here, they have set me up for success moving forward into college. 

“As far as athletics, I’ve learned so many things about myself that I didn’t realize prior to high school. The Lady Cat basketball players always pushed me to do my very best and became teammates and friends that I will truly never forget.”

After serving as the starting point guard for the last three seasons, Louisburg’s Brianne Kuhlman will join the college basketball ranks at Peru State for the 23-24 season.

Brianne Kuhlman has been a vital part of the Louisburg girls basketball team the last three seasons.

Kuhlman was the Lady Cats’ starting point guard since her sophomore season and helped Louisburg to a third-place state finish back in 2021. Basketball, needless to say, has been a big part of her life.

So much so, that Kuhlman wasn’t ready to leave the sport that she loves behind.

Late in the spring, Kuhlman signed her letter of intent to play at Peru State College, an NAIA program in Peru, Neb., this upcoming season. It took her a little bit of time to decide, but when the finality of her high school career hit, Kuhlman knew she wasn’t ready to be done.

“I had been going back and forth for along time to decide to play or not,” Kuhlman said. “I thought about focusing on my education and just attend K-State for the best path for becoming a veterinarian. But it was around senior night I realized I wasn’t ready to be done yet, and there’s so many ways for my education route, but to have a chance to play basketball is only a one chance thing.”

After deciding to keep playing, Kuhlman needed to decide on where her new home would be and Peru State checked a lot of boxes.

“Peru State was the right fit for me but when I went there, we actually had very low thoughts that it was gonna even be an option,” Kuhlman said. “Then on the visit, the way the teachers and everyone was so welcoming and close, I just knew it was right for me. I only went on a few more visits after that and decided not to go on others. I just knew I loved the environment of Peru State and their science program and pre-vet options.”

Kuhlman was the floor general the past three seasons for Louisburg and was one of the top players in the Frontier League in 2023. She earned second team all-league honors.

On the season, she averaged 5.4 points and 3.7 rebounds a game. Kuhlman also led the team with 45 assists and had 26 steals.

“The Louisburg program really helped me to be prepared for the college level with all the extra summer work,” Kuhlman said. ‘The coaching staff was so encouraging and able to give me confidence and push me to play on. The program instills in us the little things that are gonna help me, and also instills in us a strong drive to always give 100 percent. I’m very lucky to have been a part of this program and the lessons it gave me to play on. Coach (Adrianne) Lane made so much possible and cared so much.”

Like she has done the last three seasons, Peru State recruited Kuhlman to be one of the team’s point guards and she is excited for her new opportunity. 

“They see me as a fit to remain as a point guard and being a big control player with leading and doing the little things like I was in high school,” Kuhlman said. “For myself, I just want to fit in with everyone and try new things. It will be super nice to have access to the gym so close anytime I want and have people to do that with, which is super exciting.”

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross was voted by the head coaches as the 2023 Louisburg Sports Zone Female Athlete of the Year.

No matter what sport Adyson Ross competed in this season, she was one of — if not the best — athlete on the field or court.

Her postseason honors more than bare that out.

Ross was a first-team All-Frontier League selection in two of those and also earned all-state honors as well. No matter the sport, she made her team better.

Her success in all three sports — volleyball, basketball and soccer — were just some of the reasons Ross was named the 2023 Louisburg Sports Zone Female Athlete of the Year.

“Being named athlete of the year means so much,” Ross said. “There are so many outstanding athletes at LHS. To be selected for this award is a huge honor and I am so grateful.”

Ross’ memorable senior year started in the fall with the volleyball program. The Lady Cats upset No. 1 seed Baldwin in the sub-state championship and eventually had a fourth-place finish at the state tournament.

However, the season didn’t start out the best. Louisburg had trouble finding that team chemistry it was looking for, and it seemed like they were missing something. Louisburg coach Leanna Willer asked Ross, who is one of the team’s top hitters, to change positions and play the libero spot.

It was shortly after Ross made the move, that the team took off and started to play some of its best volleyball — including a run to the sub-state championship.

“There were so many special moments from this year, but I think one that stands out the most was during volleyball season.” Ross said. “We were playing Baldwin for the championship and it was game point. I was on the line to serve and I just remember thinking in that moment that everything I’d been working for had come down to that one serve. When we won the point it was just the most special and rewarding feeling. It is something that I will remember forever.”

That season led to second team All-Frontier League honors as a libero as she recorded 363 digs on the season to go along with 67 kills and 41 aces.

Then came basketball where Ross was a starting guard on a Lady Cat team that reached the sub-state championship game. She was the team’s leading scorer at 12.5 points per game and averaged nearly seven rebounds a contest, to go along with two assists and 1.6 steals.

With all that, Ross was named to the All-Frontier League first team and earned second team all-state honors. She was also named to the Missouri vs. Kansas all-star game. Two years ago, she was also a part of the best finish in school history when Louisburg finished third at the state tournament.

She reached the state final four with all three programs during her time at Louisburg.

“The experience was so amazing,” Ross said. “I might be biased, but Louisburg is really a one of a kind place. You just don’t really see the same amount of support for athletics in many other towns. To be able to play in the state final four for three different sports was so cool.”

On the pitch, Ross had one of her best seasons as the team’s starting midfielder. She helped Louisburg to a spot in the regional championship against Bishop Miege.

She also put together a strong final campaign as she finished the season with 16 goals and 21 assists to go along with 35 shots on goal. Ross later earned first team All-Frontier League honors and was also named second team all-state.

“Even though we didn’t win that last game, I remember looking up in the stands before the game and seeing the stadium filled with purple, and the amount of student support was crazy,” Ross said. “I just thought to myself, how special it is to be a part of something like that. For so many people to come out and support like they did was amazing, despite the team we were going up against.”

Playing three sports at a high level does take a toll at times, and there were moments Ross wasn’t sure if being a three-sport athlete was for her.

“Continuing all three sports through high school is definitely something I’m proud of,” Ross said. “There were a lot of times when I considered dropping a sport so I could spend time to focusing on another. As a freshman I didn’t see myself continuing all three through senior year, because I didn’t think it was possible to fully commit to each sport.

“My coaches were very supportive and flexible, and all of them were totally on board with it, even though it meant sometimes missing workouts and preseason stuff due to conflicts with another sport. I feel like playing three was more of an advantage to me as an athlete. It helped me to be versatile, and not having an off-season kept me in great shape.”

Even with all her successes, Ross is putting athletics in the rear view mirror, for now. She will be attending Kansas State University and is ready to focus more on the academic side of things. 

Still, Ross knows she will never forget all the memories she made during her time at Louisburg.

“Even though I’m choosing not to continue my athletic career past high school, I feel so blessed for all the memories and friendships sports have given me. They will for sure last a lifetime.”

Previous winners:

2018: Isabelle Holtzen

2019: Carson Buffington

2020: Reilly Ratliff-Becher

2021: Alyse Moore

2022: Delaney Wright

For the sixth 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. They will then vote for their top 3 male and female athletes and then I will tabulate the results and determine the winner. The winner will be announced in the coming days.

Below are the nominees for the Female Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name. Congrats to all those who were nominated and best of luck!

Emma Lohse – Senior – Basketball and Track and Field

Louisburg senior Emma Lohse was a big varsity contributor for the Lady Cat basketball team and blazed the track for the Louisburg girls as the team’s top sprinter.

On the track, Lohse recorded three state medals, including a pair of individual medals. She was the state runner-up in the 100-meter dash and later finished seventh in the 200 dash. Lohse was also a part of the 4×100-meter relay that medaled third and broke the school record in four straight meets. She also qualified for state in the 4×400-meter relay.

On the basketball court, Lohse was one of the Lady Cats’ top defenders as she played a big role on a team that reached the sub-state championship game.

Emma Prettyman – Senior – Volleyball, Basketball, Track and Field

Louisburg senior Emma Prettyman was a starter, or key contributor on three different Wildcat teams this past school year, including the volleyball, basketball and track and field programs.

On the volleyball court, Prettyman was one of the Lady Cats’ middle hitters as she helped Louisburg to a fourth place finish at the state tournament. She finished with a team-high 60 blocks and had 166 kills.

Prettyman was the starting center for Louisburg basketball as the Lady Cats earned a spot in the sub-state championship game. She was among the team leaders in rebounds with 6.5 a contest and had two assists a game. She was named to the All-Frontier League Defensive Team.

Prettyan was also the top thrower on the Lady Cat track and field team and earned a spot at the state meet in the discus. It was there where she earned her first state medal as she took sixth overall.

Adyson Ross – Senior – Volleyball, Basketball and Soccer

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross started for three different Wildcat programs this past season and it all started last fall in volleyball.

Ross, who started the season as an outside hitter, made the move to libero halfway through the year and thrived in her new role. She recorded 363 digs on the season to go along with 67 kills and 41 aces. She helped the Lady Cats to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament and earned second-team all-league honors.

On the basketball court, Ross was a starting wing for the Lady Cats as she helped them advance to the sub-state championship game. She was the team’s leading scorer at 12.5 points per game and averaged nearly seven rebounds a contest, to go along with two assists and 1.6 steals. Ross was selected first team all-league and earned a spot in the Missouri vs. Kansas all-star game. She also earned second team all-state honors.

On the pitch, Ross was one of the top goal scorers on a Wildcat team that reached the regional championship match. She finished the season with 16 goals and 21 assists to go along with 35 shots on goal. Ross later earned first team All-Frontier League honors and was also named second team all-state.

Rowan Yows – Sophomore – Soccer

Lady Cat sophomore Rowan Yows was a key part of the Louisburg girls soccer team this past season that saw the Lady Cats reach the sub-state championship game.

Yows, who played in the midfield, was the team’s leading scorer with 19 goals on the season and led the team with 50 shots on goal. She also tallied 11 assists on the season.

Louisburg boys basketball coach Ty Pfannenstiel will take over the school’s activities director role next school year. He also resigned his basketball position after coaching the Wildcats for the last six years.

Beginning next school year, Louisburg High School activities will have a little different look to it — especially at the top.

Ty Pfannenstiel will serve as the school’s new activities director and will take over for current AD, Michael Pickman, who will focus on his assistant principal duties and curriculum. 

Pfannenstiel, who has been the boys basketball coach for the last six years, resigned his post to take on the activities director position. He also stepped down as an assistant football coach.

Currently the weight room instructor, Pfannenstiel will spend half his day teaching and the other half in the AD role.

All of the moves were approved during Monday’s meeting of the USD 416 Board of Education.

“This is very exciting for me,” Pfannenstiel said. “It’s definitely going to be a change. I have been a teacher and a coach for 18 years. I still get to be a teacher half-time, and now I get to step into a new role as an administrator. It is going to be all sports and activities and I am looking forward to the new direction.”

As for Pickman, he gets the opportunity to focus more on the academic side as a full-time assistant principal. He was hired as an assistant principal/ activities director in April of 2020.

“I am very excited to commit more fully to the assistant principal role as education and curriculum have always been my true passion,” Pickman said. “Being able to support the teachers, students, and administrative staff by providing data, feedback, and assessing teaching and learning goals and initiatives in the building and district aligns with that passion and the opportunity arose to allow for that. I hope to enable and promote continued growth in the various curriculums and initiatives and structures that make Louisburg a fantastic district in a supportive community.

“Ty has experience and is passionate about athletics and activities. As it is where his passion is, I have every confidence he will do a fantastic job in his new role and look forward to witnessing where he takes our programs moving forward.”

Pickman took over LHS activities at a difficult time as the school was coming back from COVID-19 and the all challenges it presented. As tough as that situation was, he appreciated the relationships he built.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my role as activities director and was presented a fantastic growth opportunity and am grateful for being given it,” Pickman said. “I had a goal of being present for athletes and coaches and for the patrons, so I hope people saw that presence. I was blessed to have great leadership in place in our coaches and sponsors, and tried to support them best by advocating for their needs and supporting them to do their job of being great role models and passing on their passion and knowledge to students.

“Ultimately, I am most proud of our student athletes and activity participants and being part of their journey. I believe that sports are an extension of the classroom and I wanted to help ensure that character and sportsmanship were just as important and success, and I am overjoyed to have a wealth of memories where our fans, students, participants, and coaches and sponsors proved that to be true of LHS.”

While taking on the challenge of being a new administrator is one he is looking forward to, leaving his coaching roots behind was a difficult decision for Pfannenstiel.

In 2021, Pfannenstiel led the Wildcat boys basketball team to the Class 4A state championship game and finished as the state runner-up.

“That was definitely the biggest thing that was holding me back,” Pfannenstiel said. “I love basketball and the kids that I have worked with. There is a group coming up that I really enjoy coaching, and leaving that behind was one of the biggest challenges for me. Whoever takes over the program, I think it will be good transition for them because they will have a great group of kids to work with.

“Originally, I was going to be allowed to coach a sport and they didn’t want to take coaching away from me. The more I thought about it, if I want to do a good job at this, I need to focus on being the AD and that will be something that will benefit me and all the other activities.”

Pfannenstiel believes the move is a good one for the school in general as it will allow Pickman and principal Amy VanRheen to focus more on the academic side of things.

“This is something that is definitely needed,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our administrators are so busy with all the stuff they do during the school day, but they are also going to all the activities as well. Hopefully this will be a big help for Mrs. VanRheen and Mr. Pickman.”

Although he won’t official start his new position till next school year, Pfannenstiel is already starting to transition into his new role — one that is looking forward to.

“My job in the weight room and coaching has all been about sports,” he said. “That is what entices me about this job is that I am still going to be all about sports and activities. I just want to be a support for our coaches and our athletes and be advocate for our students.” 

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross was named to the All-Frontier League first team earlier this week. Ross led the team in scoring and rebounding.

After finishing with 15 wins on the year, and as one of the top teams in the Frontier League, postseason honors are starting to roll in for the Louisburg girls basketball team.

The Lady Cats earned four sports on the All-Frontier League team that was released earlier this week, and another on the newly formed All-Defensive Team that was put together by the coaches.

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross was named to the first team, while senior Brianne Kuhlman was a second team selection. Seniors Ava Baker and Delanie Tally were named honorable mentions.

Senior forward Emma Prettyman was the All-Defensive Team selection from Louisburg as each coach nominated a player from their respective team.

“Having four girls get votes for all-league shows how much of a team effort this season was,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We had girls step-up at different times throughout the season and it is so awesome to see so many of our girls get recognized.

“The Frontier League is very competitive and most league games are very intense and tough match-ups. Every game we had to battle till the end.”

Ross was a big part of the Lady Cats’ run to the sub-state championship game this season as she led her team in scoring and rebounding. 

The Louisburg senior averaged 12.7 points a game to go along with 6.7 rebounds per contest. She also averaged 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals a game.

“Adyson had a great year,” Lane said. “She did a great job getting offensive rebounds and easy put backs all season. Her first team selection was for sure earned. She was a hard matchup for most teams because she did such a great job rebounding in the lane.”

Kuhlman served as the Lady Cats’ starting point guard for the last three seasons and was also an important part to the team’s success. 

She averaged 5.4 points and 3.7 rebounds a game. Kuhlman also led the team with 45 assists and had 26 steals.

“Brianne has been such a constant and consistent player for the girls’ basketball program for three years,” Lane said. “I was very excited to see her get recognized this season. Having a point guard who is consistent and takes care of the ball like Brianne did, does not go unnoticed by coaches.”

Tally was second on the team in scoring for Louisburg as she averaged nearly 10 points a contest and led the Lady Cats with 47 3-pointers on the season. She also led Louisburg with 47 steals.

As for Baker, the Louisburg forward averaged almost eight points and had more than three rebounds a game. She also finished with 17 steals and 10 blocked shots.

“Delanie did a great job this season,” Lane said. “Not only is she a great shooter, but she always played hard on defense and always guarded a tough player on the opposing team. 

“Ava is a great shooter and she did a great job getting opportunities to score. She finished the season hard on the defensive side of the ball as well. I was very excited to see both of them get recognized.”

Prettyman, who was in the middle of the Lady Cat defense, was also recognized for her work on that end of the floor as the all-defensive team selection. She led the team in blocked shots with 13 and was second on the team with 6.5 rebounds a game.

“Having an all-defensive Frontier team is a great way to recognize more players in our league,” Lane said. “With our league being as tough as it is, I really liked the idea of recognizing more players and recognizing ones who play hard on defense. I think we could have had three or four girls on there.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE GIRLS BASKETBALL

FIRST TEAM

Mariyah Noel, Bonner Springs, senior

Jenna Weber, Spring Hill, senior

Brooklyn Hadl, Ottawa, senior

Karly Neufeld, Baldwin, senior

Adyson Ross, Louisburg, senior

SECOND TEAM

Sydney Buscher, Spring Hill, sophomore

Maggie Kauk, Paola, senior

Sawyer Schreiner, Eudora, senior

Brianne Kuhlman, Louisburg, senior

Foster Nichols, Ottawa, junior

HONORABLE MENTION

Pirsten Leslie, Bonner Springs, junior

Alyssa Reichard, Baldwin, junior

Ava Baker, Louisburg, senior

Wren VanCleave, Bonner Springs, senior

Delanie Tally, Louisburg, senior

Maddie Pitzer, Paola, senior

Makenzie Yoder, Eudora, junior

Emery Keebaugh, Ottawa, junior

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

Emma Prettyman, Louisburg, senior

Emery Keebaugh, Ottawa, junior

Bailey Smith, Baldwin, junior

Jayla Erpelding, Eudora, junior

Jenna Weber, Spring Hill, senior

Wren VanCleave, Bonner Springs, senior

Maddie Pitzer, Paola, senior

Alyssa Schoeneck, Tonganoxie, freshman

Louisburg seniors Delanie Tally (left) and Brianne Kuhlman tries to trap Parsons’ Iniya Hinman on Saturday during the Class 4A sub-state championship at Louisburg High School.

As the final buzzer sounded, reality quickly started to sink in for members of the Louisburg girls basketball team. 

The Lady Cats, who were just one win away from a state tournament appearance, saw their season come to a close in heartbreaking fashion.

Louisburg fell in a close contest to Parsons, 41-39, in the Class 4A sub-state championship game Saturday at Louisburg High School. The loss ended its season with a 15-7 record, while the Vikings made their first state tournament in 30 years.

It was also the final game for seven Lady Cats seniors as Adyson Ross, Delanie Tally, Emma Lohse, Emma Prettyman, Ava Baker, Brianne Kuhlman and Tehya Harvey said goodbye to the program.

“Losing is never fun, but this loss was super tough for the girls,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “This team truly loves basketball and spending time together. They will miss more than playing basketball, they will miss each other and the team chemistry.”

The basket was not Louisburg’s friend Saturday as the Lady Cats shot 26 percent from the floor, many of those misses rimming out and open looks not falling.

Still, the Lady Cats did the work on the defensive end as they forced 21 turnovers and also pulled down 13 offensive rebounds. These extra opportunities turned into 12 second chance points, which were big for Louisburg.

However, the Lady Cats were just a few points short in their goal of getting to the state tournament. 

“The shots not falling were very frustrating,” Lane said. “I felt like we had several shots go in and out. The girls were taking great shots out of the offense, but we had a hard time getting them to fall.”

Parsons jumped out to a quick start as the Vikings led 11-6 after the first quarter, but Louisburg flipped the script in the second quarter and was able to take an 18-16 halftime lead.

The game was tied heading into the fourth quarter, but Parsons’ Iniya Hinman took over as she scored nine of the team’s 13 points in the final period. Parsons eventually built a seven-point lead late in the contest and Hinman finished with a game-high 25 points.

“Parsons was a good team and (Hinman) is a great player,” Lane said. “She was super athletic and was a natural scorer. She did a great job finishing in the lane when she did get looks.”

The Lady Cats tried to rally back. Ross grabbed and offensive rebound and a putback to cut it to five.

Then after a Parsons turnovers, Tally made a runner in the lane to make it a 3-point game with under a minute left. The Vikings then beat the Lady Cat press for a layup on the other end to extend their lead.

Baker kept Louisburg in it with a long 3-pointer to make it a 41-39 game. Parsons would go on to miss free throws and give the Lady Cats a chance to tie or take the lead with 14 seconds left.

Louisburg missed a pair of shots and the Vikings escaped the win.

“The girls tried everything we asked them to,” Lane said. “They worked hard and battled even when shots were not falling. They fought back after a tough first quarter, and never gave in. I know this team will be remembered for battling and fighting.”

Baker led the Lady Cats in scoring with 11 points on the night and also had a team-best seven rebounds and four steals. Ross added nine points and six rebounds in the loss.

Prettyman tallied six points and seven rebounds, while Tally added seven points. Kuhlman chipped in four points and had five rebounds and a team-best three assists from the point guard spot.

“This team has been so fun to coach,” Lane said. “I have coached the upperclassmen for three years, and I can say that I am so proud of them and all of their hard work and effort they put into this program. Their attitudes and their hard work every day set the tone for our team.

LOU 6 12 10 11 — 39

PAR 11 5 12 13 — 41

LOUISBURG (15-7): Ava Baker 4-12 2-4 11; Adyson Ross 3-11 3-4 9; Delanie Tally 3-11 0-0 7; Emma Prettyman 3-8 0-2 6; Brianne Kuhlman 1-8 1-2 4; Ashley Branine 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 15-56 6-12 39. 3-point field goals: 3, (Tally, Baker, Kuhlman)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week 12 of the winter sports season, sponsored by Prime Accounting Solutions.

DELANIE TALLY, SENIOR, GIRLS BASKETBALL

Louisburg’s Delanie Tally had a strong senior campaign for the the Lady Cat basketball team as she helped the Lady Cats to a 15-7 record on the season and a spot in in the sub-state championship game. On the year, Tally was second on the team in scoring as she averaged nearly 10 points a game. She was also the top outside shooter with a team-best 47 made 3-pointers.

Tally also contributed on the defensive end for Louisburg. She finished the year with a team-high 2.1 steals a game as she was tasked with guarding one of the opponents’ top players.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners

Week 1: Adyson Ross

Week 2: Colin Brown

Week 3: Colyer Wingfield

Week 4: Kaven Bartlett

Week 5: Trace Eslinger

Week 6: Jay McCaskill

Week 7: Andrew Jamison

Week 8: Brianne Kuhlman

Week 9: Colton Prettyman

Week 10: Elijah Eslinger

Week 11: Emma Prettyman

Louisburg senior Brianne Kuhlman knocked down 7-of-8 free throws in the final two minutes to help the Lady Cats to a 51-39 win Tuesday over Chanute in the sub-state semifinals.

Any coach will say how important free throws are in a close game and that was no different Tuesday for Louisburg.

In what was a tight contest in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals against Chanute, the Lady Cats knocked down 10 of 12 from the free-throw line in the final two minutes to earn a 51-39 win over the Blue Comets.

“Free throws are huge and I tell them that all the time,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “It is the difference between winning and losing. We made 10 down the stretch and we won by 12. It is a huge difference there if we don’t make them.”

Louisburg stayed calm and collected at the line, especially senior Brianne Kuhlman. The 3-year starting point guard knocked down 7 of 8 free throws to help seal the win for the Lady Cats. Emma Prettyman also hit a pair of free throws and Emma Lohse made one late.

After a close first half where Louisburg led by just three at halftime, it was the Lady Cats’ defense that played a big role in the third quarter. Louisburg held Chanute to just four points in the frame and was able to build an 11-point lead early in the fourth.

The Blue Comets made one final run at it as they trimmed the Louisburg lead to 37-35 midway through the fourth, but senior Delanie Tally knocked in a 3-pointer to give the Lady Cats a little cushion.

Louisburg took care of the rest at the free-throw line as it earned a spot in the sub-state championship with the win.

“I was so proud of them to just stick with it and keep playing hard,” Lane said. “Obviously the free throws were huge. I think we made like 10 of them down the stretch. I think in that third quarter too we came out with more energy and got a lead.”

Chanute also employed things the Lady Cats hadn’t seen most of the season, including a zone trap near half-court. On offense, the Blue Comets ran a lot of motion and cuts that allowed them to get some easy baskets.

“Their defense was something we really haven’t seen yet this year,” Lane said. “I was a little worried about it going in because they play that zone defense really high. The second half we did a little better job of knowing when to attack it, versus just passing around it. We got better as the game went on.

“We hadn’t really seen what Chanute does on offense either with all the motion and different cuts they made. That is why we didn’t pressure all that much either. They did a lot of back cuts and that is not something we are used to guarding. I do think that Chanute is developing into a good team. That is the same team that played us here last year and they have gotten better.”

Kuhlman, who did a lot her damage at the free-throw line, led the Lady Cats in scoring with 14 points and also had four rebounds and three assists. Adyson Ross finished with 13 points and four rebounds.

Prettyman, who was also a factor on the inside, finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Tally added a pair of 3-pointers and three assists, while senior Ava Baker had a team-high three steals and five points. 

The Lady Cats (15-6) are now one game away from the state tournament as they host Parsons (15-6) at 6 p.m. tonight for the sub-state championship. Parsons rallied from 16 points down to defeat Holton, 63-54, in their semifinal contest.

Louisburg knows it will be another tough challenge as it tries for its second state tournament appearance in three years.

“The girls are really excited,” Lane said. “We want to get back to Salina. That is the ultimate goal. Some of them were there two years ago, didn’t get to play a lot, but they felt what it was like. They want a chance to get on that floor and show what they are capable of.”

LOU 10 13 11 17 — 51

CHA 9 11 4 15 — 39

LOUISBURG (15-6): Brianne Kuhlman 3-5 7-8 14; Adyson Ross 6-13 0-0 13; Emma Prettyman 3-6 2-2 8; Delanie Tally 2-10 0-0 6; Ava Baker 2-9 0-0 5; Emma Lohse 1-5 1-2 3; Ashley Branine 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 17-48 10-12 51. 3-point field goals: 5, (Tally 2, Kuhlman, Baker, Ross)