Wingfield hits game-winner as Wildcats edge Frontenac in double OT

Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield (left) celebrates with teammates Luke Hill, Brock Vohs (22) and Mason Dobbins (34) following his game-winning shot Thursday at home against Frontenac.

Christmas came early for the Louisburg boys basketball team and Colyer Wingfield had no problem playing the role of Santa Claus. 

Wingfield gave the Wildcats one of the best gifts they could have asked for, as his drive to the basket with .2 seconds left gave Louisburg a 64-63 victory over Frontenac in double overtime. 

In what looked like was going a tough time for the Wildcats going into the holidays, turned into a Christmas miracle of sorts.

“We always want Colyer going to the goal,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “So for him to make that play was big time, especially since the team was really keying on him. What a play it was.”

Wingfield was big for the Wildcats all night as he finished with a game-high 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds, three steals and three assists.

It was a perfect ending to what appeared to be a disastrous loss for the Wildcats.

Louisburg saw at 13-point fourth quarter lead fade away as Frontenac outscored the Wildcats, 19-6, in the fourth to force overtime.

The Raiders continued that momentum as they scored the first seven points of overtime. A 26-6 run that started in the fourth quarter, put the Wildcats in a deep hole and not much time left.

“We didn’t have great energy by any means, but they were still confident,” Pfannenstiel said. “It was a calm huddle, but they knew they had to be better. They all trusted each other and battled for 40 minutes. I was really proud of how they responded.”

Junior Brock Vohs got the rally started with an offensive rebound and put back. Wingfield then drove the length of the floor for a layup.

On the Wildcats’ next possession, Wingfield found junior Nathan Parker for a big 3-pointer to tie the game late in the first overtime. A Frontenac 3-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out to force a second extra period.

“He is our best shooter,” Pfannenstiel said of Parker. “He is a confident kid and we wanted him in there to take that shot. Colyer made the right play to kick it out to him and I was really happy for him when he made it.”

Frontenac opened the second overtime with a basket, but Vohs tied it with a pair of free throws. The Raiders would take a one-point lead on a free throw with 34 seconds remaining.

That set up Wingfield’s dramatics.

Louisburg had the ball at mid-court with five seconds remaining and the Wildcats inbounded the ball to Wingfield. The Louisburg senior used a screen from Vohs to drive to the basket and score with .2 seconds and was fouled.

Wingfield intentionally missed the free throw and the Wildcats won their fourth game of the season.

“It really didn’t look good there at the start of the first overtime,” Pfannenstiel said. “It takes a lot to battle back like they did. Our kids believed and they executed well down the stretch and stepped up and made some plays. It was a good team win.

“We didn’t know if they were going to go zone or man on that last play, so we kind of had two plays drawn up. They went man and Brock set a good screen to allow Colyer to get to the goal. He had the choice to take it all the way to the rim or kick it out to one of our shooters. He made the right choice.”

Junior Luke Hill also provided the Wildcats with a big boost off the bench. Hill was second on the team in scoring with 14 points, including four 3-pointers.

Senior Mason Dobbins was big around the basket with a team-high 11 rebounds, while sophomore Gavin Lohse came off the bench to get seven rebounds to go along with his first varsity basket.

Now the Wildcats head into the holiday break with just one loss and are off to their best start under Pfannenstiel. Louisburg will look to use that momentum as the Wildcats host Eudora on Jan. 3 in its first action of the new year.

“I told the guys before the game that I haven been here six years and we have never been 4-1 going into the break,” Pfannenstiel said. “That was our goal was to do something we haven’t done in a long time. I don’t think anything could give us more momentum than this win did right there. It was a great win.”

LOU 20 10 17 6 7 4 — 64

FRON 7 12 15 19 7 3 — 63

LOUISBURG (4-1): Colyer Wingfield 10-21 9-12 30; Luke Hill 5-9 0-0 14; Mason Dobbins 3-6 0-0 6; Nathan Parker 2-3 1-2 5; Brock Vohs 1-1 2-2 4; Trey Myers 1-5 0-0 3; Gavin Lohse 1-2 0-2 2. Totals: 23-52 11-16 64. 3-point field goals: 7, (Hill 4, Parker, Myers, Wingfield)

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