Bench helps Lady Cats in win over Metro Academy

By Andy Brown
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Updated: February 25, 2019

Andy Brown / Louisburg Sports Zone

Freshman Delaney Wright drives to the basket on a Metro Academy defender last Tuesday in Louisburg.

It wasn’t a typical game for the Louisburg girls basketball team last Tuesday as it prepared for its next to last game of the season against rival Paola.

The Lady Cats hosted Metro Academy, an Olathe school that is not part of the Kansas State High School Activities Association, and one the team wasn’t familiar with.

Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry decided to use that opportunity to go down deeper into his bench to get players some varsity time ahead of postseason play. Several Lady Cats made an impact on the game as they came away with a 46-36 win and picked up their second straight victory in the process.

Lowry subbed in five players at a time through most of the game and the Lady Cats were able to wear down Metro Academy.

“It was an opportunity for us to look at some different lineups or rotations for postseason looks,” Lowry said. “It wasn’t our Senior Night and it was a different opponent than we are used to. It allowed us to do some different things and gave girls an opportunity to show what they can do.”

Junior Madilyn Melton was a force inside for the Lady Cats as she finished with a game-high 18 points, including an 8 for 9 performance from the free-throw line, and also had a team-high four steals.

Junior Sydni Keagle came off the bench and was second on the team in scoring, along with sophomore Brooklyn Diederich, who each finished with six points.

Freshman Delaney Wright also helped Louisburg defensively with four steals and senior Carson Buffington had a team-high seven rebounds and four assists. Juniors Erin Lemke and Ashley Moore, sophomores Madison Quinn and Megan Foote and freshman Jordan Mynsted also gave the Lady Cats good minutes

“I am extremely proud of those girls that came in off the bench,” Lowry said. “I think they were a little shell-shocked at first, but once they settled in, I thought their defense was really good, they caused turnovers, were active and did a really nice job.”

It was a back and forth game for much of the first half, but the Lady Cats ended the second quarter strong as they went on an 11-0 run thanks to baskets from Melton, Diederich, Quinn and Mynsted to take a 27-19 halftime lead.

Metro Academy cut the Louisburg lead to one early in the fourth quarter, but the Lady Cats went on another 8-2 run to put the game away.

“As a coach, I need to see those starters or regular players show a little more intensity,” Lowry said. “We have to get more intensity and that is on our captains to set the tone for us and they will do that. They have a done it all year. It was a little different night and had so many distractions, but now it is time to get dialed in.”

LOU 9 18 6 12 – 46

MA 11 8 10 7 – 36

LOUISBURG: Madilyn Melton 5-10 8-9 18; Brooklyn Diederich 2-4 0-0 6; Sydni Keagle 1-1 3-4 6; Erin Lemke 2-4 0-0 5; Jordan Mynsted 2-5 0-0 4; Delaney Wright 1-4 2-3 4; Madison Quinn 0-2 2-2 2; Carson Buffington 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 13-45 16-20 46. 3-point field goals: 4, (Diederich 2, Keagle, Lemke)