LMS eighth-grade season up and down

Louisburg eighth-grader Noah Hill goes up for a basket during the Wildcats’s game with Spring Hill on Feb. 9. The Wildcats are 5-7 so far this season.

It has been an up and down season so far for the Louisburg Middle School eighth-grade boys basketball team.

The Wildcats have stayed around the .500 mark with a 5-7 record so far this season and the last three games they have played could have gone either way. Louisburg fell to Ottawa 40-26 on Thursday after coming off a close 35-34 victory Tuesday over Eudora.

Louisburg lost another close contest, this time with Spring Hill on Feb. 9 when it fell 35-31.

Against Ottawa, the Wildcats ran up against a strong Cyclone team, who did a good job with their inside and outside game that had Louisburg playing from behind.

Noah Hill had a strong game for Louisburg as he was the lone player in double figures with 12 points. Dylan DeShazer and Kohl Vogel finished with four points each. Dillon Keegan and Noah Larson added two points each in the loss.

“Ottawa is a very talented team,” Louisburg coach John Ozier said. “They can attack you with their 3-point shooting or post players in the paint. We got off numerous good shots, but were not able to convert.”

Louisburg was able to hold on against Eudora and put together a complete game as it was able to get key shots and get stops down. The Wildcats also had three players in double figures.

Hill led all scorers with 14 points. DeShazer and Brayden Gage each had 10 points to pace the Wildcats. Vogel finished with four points and Austin Moore added two.

“We played one of best games of the season on both ends of the floor,” Ozier said. “We really cut down on turnovers and rebounded well.”

Brayden Gage goes up for a layup during the WIldcats’ Feb. 9 home game against Spring Hill.

Free throws hurt the Wildcats against Spring Hill in their four-point loss. Louisburg was 10-for-30 from the free-throw line.

Hill once again led all scorers with 14 points, while Gage and Vogel finished with five and four points, respectively.

Louisburg opened its season in the middle of January with losses to Pioneer Ridge and Spring Hill, but rebounded to win three straight games against Paola, Trailridge and Wheatridge Middle Schools.

The Wildcats then lost to Ottawa on Jan. 29 and then again to an undefeated Pioneer Ridge team in overtime. Trailridge got revenge on Louisburg with a win on Feb. 2, but the Wildcats rebounded to beat Paola for the second straight time.

Louisburg returns home on Monday when it hosts Wheatridge. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.