Lady Cats hope experience, mixed with a little youth, is recipe for success

Louisburg’s Emma Prettyman is one of seven seniors returning to lead the Lady Cats basketball team this season.

Last season, following their season ending loss to Bishop Miege — the eventual state champion — the seven Louisburg juniors didn’t waste much time getting to work.

Those seven players spent part of their spring, and a lot of their summer getting better, as they wanted to make one final run with the Lady Cat basketball program.

That run begins Friday when the Lady Cats travel to Tonganoxie to begin the 22-23 campaign. The senior class of Emma Lohse, Delanie Tally, Adyson Ross, Ava Baker, Emma Prettyman, Brianne Kuhlman and Tehya Harvey will be looked upon to provide big contributions throughout the season.

“This senior group is amazing,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. This is my third year coaching them as well, so I feel that they know what I expect and want out of the team and them individually, which in return makes practices and getting ready for games so much easier.

“Practice has been going great. We have a great group of girls and they push each other every day. I can definitely say that we are all super excited for the season to get started and we are excited for our first game.”

Louisburg will have a good amount of experience returning with that senior class as it brings back several varsity starters from a season ago.

Ross was an all-league honorable mention player during the 21-22 season and will be looked at to score from the guard spot as she averaged almost nine points a game last year. She is also the team’s leading returning scorer.

Tally, who also had big games scoring at times last year, will be a factor in the offense for Louisburg. She led the team last season with 24 made 3-pointers and also had a team-high 36 steals.

Kuhlman provides a lot of experience as the team’s point guard and is in her third year as a varsity starter. Baker will also spend time on the wing as a stretch-4 and give the Lady Cats a good scoring option inside and on the perimeter.

Lohse is one of the team’s top defenders on the wing, while Prettyman will play pivotal role for Louisburg this season on the inside as the team’s lone true center.

The one thing the Lady Cats lack this season is height and Lane knows Prettyman will have impacts on both ends of the floor.

“Emma P will play a huge role this year on our team,” Lane said. “She led our team last year with rebounds, averaging almost nine rebounds a game. We are definitely going to be looking to her to rebound and get some easy put backs. Emma P is also a great defender and does a great job protecting the lane.”

The Lady Cats also got some difficult news prior to the start of practice as they will be without Harvey for the season as she sustained a knee injury. 

“We are super sad that Tehya got hurt in the off season,” Lane said. “She has been a part of the basketball program for several years and her work ethic will be missed in practice and in games. Tehya is still a huge part of the team. She comes to practice each and every day with a great attitude and she cheers on the girls. Tehya is a great example of a good teammate. She is going to always be there for the team and she will truly be happy for all of our success.”

Even with all the seniors, the Lady Cats will also look to some underclassmen to provide some significant minutes and that starts with junior Ashley Branine.

Branine, who played in eight varsity games a year ago, will also be another ball handler and scoring option for the Lady Cats. Louisburg also has eight sophomores that could see some playing time throughout the season.

The mix of seniors and underclassmen have provided the Lady Cats with the right amount of team chemistry, which Lane hopes can guide her team through a tough league schedule.

“I feel like this season our strengths are experience, team chemistry, work ethic and passion,” Lane said. “This team is very passionate and they love the game of basketball. They are all very excited to see how the season goes and I know they will work hard to get the results they are wanting.”

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