Eudora too much for Louisburg boys

Louisburg junior Jayce Geiman tries to dribble around a Eudora defender Tuesday during the Wildcats’ Frontier League opener in Eudora. The Wildcats fell to Eudora 57-25 to move their record to 3-2 on the season.

EUDORA – In what was a joyous locker room a few days earlier, the mood for the Louisburg boys basketball team was the complete opposite following Tuesday’s league opening contest against Eudora.

The Wildcats traveled to Eudora on Tuesday to face off with the Cardinals just days after winning the Bulldog-Wildcat Classic. Louisburg seemed to have the momentum going in, but it was Eudora who had the upper-hand from start to finish.

Eudora scored 20 points in the first and second quarters and shut down the Wildcats’ offense in the 57-25 win over Louisburg. It marks just the second loss of the season for the Wildcats as they now take some time off for the holiday break.

It was hard for the Wildcats to get much going offensively as the longer, athletic Cardinals made it difficult. Eudora forced 10 first quarter turnovers, many of which turned into baskets on the other end.

The game was tied at 3-all after Louisburg junior Grant Harding completed a three-point play, but Eudora took off after that and went on a 17-1 run to take a 20-4 lead into the second quarter.

It also didn’t help the Wildcats that the Cardinals also caught fire from the field, including forward Brian Tolefree. The Eudora senior was 6-for-6 from the 3-point line in the first half and had 18 points at halftime.

The rest of the Cardinals were right behind him as they shot nearly 50 percent from the field for the game.

Harding led the Wildcats in scoring with eight points on the night and Ben Minster was next with four points.

The Wildcats will try and get back on the winning track on Jan. 5 when they host Ottawa. Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m.

LOUISBURG                4             6             4             11 – 25

EUDORA                      20           20           11           6 – 57

LOUISBURG (3-2): Grant Harding 3-8 2-6 8; Ben Minster 2-4 0-0 4; Alex Dunn 1-1 1-2 3; Jacob Welsh 0-1 3-4 3; Jayce Geiman 1-6 0-0 2; Korbin Hankinson 1-2 0-0 2; Dalton Ribordy 1-1 0-0 2; T.J. Dover 0-3 1-4 1. Totals: 9-29 7-18 25.