Wildcat girls drop home contests to Leavenworth, Ottawa

Louisburg watched a late lead slip away last Friday as Leavenworth used a decisive fourth-quarter run to pull out a 50-37 win in a non-league matchup at Louisburg.

The Wildcats carried a 30-25 advantage early in the fourth quarter, but the Pioneers caught fire from the perimeter, knocking down four 3-pointers in the final period after shooting just 1-of-17 from beyond the arc through the first three quarters. Leavenworth outscored Louisburg 25-7 over the final eight minutes to seal the win.

Turnovers also proved costly for Louisburg, which committed 23 miscues. Leavenworth capitalized with 20 points off those turnovers.

McKinley Harmon led Louisburg with nine points and three steals. Kinley Scott added seven points and five rebounds, while freshman Tatum Battle made a strong impression in her varsity debut, scoring seven points and collecting a team-high three steals. McKenna Lohse chipped in six points for the Wildcats.

“The Leavenworth game was a hard game to lose, they made some big shots down the stretch and we could not finish in the fourth quarter,” Louisburg head coach Adrianne Lane said. “The girls have been practicing hard and we are getting better. I’m excited for this week to see how we do against two more league teams.”

Louisburg fell to 1-3 on the season with the loss.

Earlier in the week, Ottawa jumped out to an early lead and never looked back last Tuesday night, handing Louisburg a 66-37 home loss.

The Cyclones led 15-4 after the first quarter and continued to build their advantage behind a dominant performance from Leah Askins-Dieterich, who finished with 28 points, 10 steals and four assists.

Louisburg was led by Kinley Scott, who turned in a strong all-around effort with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Scott was efficient around the basket and played aggressively on both ends of the floor.

“Kinley had a great game against Ottawa scoring 16 points and 12 rebounds,” Lane said. “I thought she did a good job finishing in the lane, and she played super hard.”

Ella Bockelman added six points, while Ellia Gibbons scored five for the Wildcats. McKinley Harmon chipped in four points as Louisburg continued to gain experience against a tough schedule.

Despite the loss, Lane said the Wildcats are showing signs of improvement as they prepare for upcoming league contests.

LOU                         11            11            8               7 – 37

LV                              5               13            7               25 – 50

LOUISBURG (1-3): McKinley Harmon 3-8 1-2 9; Tatum Battle 2-6 2-2 7; Kinley Scott 1-5 5-8 7; McKenna Lohse 3-5 0-0 6; Ellia Gibbons 1-6 1-2 4; Ella Bockelman 1-7 0-0 3; Talen McMurray 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 11-42 10-16 37. 3-point field goals: 5, (Harmon 2, Battle, Bockelman, Gibbons)

LOU                         4               12            11            10 – 37

OTT                          15            16            20            15 – 66

LOUISBURG: Kinley Scott 6-13 4-4 16; Ella Bockelman 3-5 0-0 6; Ellia Gibbons 2-5 0-0 5; McKinley Harmon 2-4 0-0 4; Morgan Latham 1-3 0-0 2; Maddie Yoder 0-5 2-6 2; Talen McMurray 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 15-45 6-10 37. 3-point field goals: 1, (Gibbons)