Defense keys Lady Cats in road victory over Anderson County

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross pulls up for a shot Friday against Anderson County. Ross finished with 12 points on the night.

GARNETT — It shot under 30 percent and Anderson County outscored Louisburg in two of the four quarters during Friday’s contest in Garnett.

Despite those things, the Lady Cats found a way to win thanks to their defense. Louisburg forced 15 turnovers and held Anderson County to just 29 percent shooting as the Lady Cats left with a 38-31 victory.

“Our defense was big on Friday,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “With the height on the other team, our girls had to fight and be physical the entire game. Their fight and hard work paid off.”

It certainly did. 

The Lady Cats (3-0) turned those 15 turnovers into 14 points and it was one of the biggest differences in the game.

Seniors Adyson Ross and Delanie Tally gave the Lady Cats the spark they needed offensively at the start of each half. Ross scored seven points in the first quarter to help Louisburg to a 12-4 lead.

After Anderson County outscored Louisburg in the second quarter, and cut the Lady Cat lead to just two at halftime, it was Tally’s turn to shine.

Tally scored nine points in the third quarter, including three 3-pointers. She finished with a team-high 15 points, four 3-pointers and four steals.

As for Ross, she added 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

“Adyson and Delanie did a great job getting us going on offense,” Lane said. “Adyson hit a couple shots early to get the scoring going and Delanie did the same in the third quarter. Delanie had three huge 3’s in the third quarter that gave us the edge over Anderson County.”

Another senior came up big late for the Lady Cats. Louisburg led just 32-29 with 2:20 left in the game when Brianne Kuhlman knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Lady Cats some breathing room.

Louisburg senior Emma Prettyman also did some work on the boards as she finished with a team-high eight rebounds, while junior Ashley Branine had five.

The Lady Cats had to deal with a pair of Anderson County post players that kept the Bulldogs in the game. Caitlyn Foltz led Anderson County with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Kylie Disbrow added 12 points and 10 boards.

It was a team effort for the Lady Cats as they got good production from their bench on the defensive end. Sophomores Shylar Whiting, Mackenzie Rooney, Sami Lane and Jillian Asher all gave their team crucial minutes as the Lady Cats were down two players to injury and another was out sick.

“The bench did a great job on Friday, they came in and fulfilled their roles,” Lane said. “They rebounded, pressured the ball and played great help in the lane. The sophomores getting experience is only going to make our program stronger in the future. 

“Friday night’s game was for sure a hard team win, but I was so happy that we pulled together as a team and got the victory.”

Louisburg will try and stay undefeated Tuesday when it hosts Baldwin in a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. 

LOU 12 4 14 8 — 38

AC 4 10 5 12 — 31

LOUISBURG (3-0): Delanie Tally 5-15 1-2 15; Adyson Ross 5-13 1-2 12; Brianne Kuhlman 1-5 2-3 5; Ashley Branine 1-5 0-0 2; Shylar Whiting 0-0 2-2 2; Emma Prettyman 1-7 0-2 2. Totals: 13-46 6-11 38. 3-point field goals: 6, (Tally 4, Ross, Kuhlman)

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