The Louisburg girls basketball team celebrates following the Lady Cats’ dramatic 49-48 win over Labette County Tuesday in the Class 4A state quarterfinals.

ALTAMONT — Alyse Moore went to the free-throw line with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Louisburg was tied with Labette County at 48-all with eight seconds remaining in the Class 4A state quarterfinal game Tuesday. Moore had a chance to send the Lady Cats to the state semifinals for the first time in school history.

“I felt confident going to the line, but I knew that I had to do it for my team,” Moore said. “I had to do it for the community of Louisburg.”

Moore would make 1 of 2 free throws to put the Lady Cats in front and Labette County couldn’t get its last shot to fall as Louisburg advanced with a 49-48 victory on the road in Altamont.

The win automatically gave the Lady Cats their best finish in school history and they aren’t done yet as they will play in the state semifinals today in Salina against McPherson.

“I am just so happy right now that it is hard to put into words,” Moore said. “I am so, so proud of my team and how hard we have worked. The things that people don’t see, I think are showing off right now and I am so proud of all my teammates.”

The atmosphere at Labette County High School mirrored one of a state championship contest. 

In a loud gymnasium that made it difficult to think, much less talk, added another layer of difficulty in the Lady Cats’ victory – one they had to rally from five points down in the fourth quarter.

“That gym was the loudest gym I have ever coached in,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The environment was so awesome and I felt like I was in my element.

“I cannot even begin to say how proud I am of this team. They are fighters and they do not quit, no matter the situation. I never once thought we were going to lose, because I knew the team would battle back. I felt like we finally wore Labette County out with three minutes left in the game.”

It was then that the rally started. 

Melton scored with under four minutes remaining to cut the Labette County lead at 42-39, then on the Lady Cats’ next possession, Megan Foote tied it with a 3-pointer – her fourth of the night.

Melton answered the bell again as she scored on a reverse layup to put Louisburg up 44-42 with under two minutes remaining.

“During a game like that, you just got to do what you got to do,” Melton said. “They put so much pressure on us under the goal that we had to just go for it, and had to get creative. In the moment, I did not even think about it (reverse layup). It was the open path to score.  

“This game was very tough, very challenging mentally and physically. We knew that the battle was not over until the final buzzer, so we just kept fighting. The team’s determination and heart shown in that game. We put it out there for all to see.”

A Labette free throw cut the Louisburg lead to one, but with a minute left, junior Delaney Wright drove baseline and put up a runner that went in put Louisburg back up three.

“To be honest, I didn’t think it was going to go in,” Wright said. “Then when I saw it go in, I kinda couldn’t believe it. It was a great feeling. It is hard to put into words right now what this win means to me.”

Labette County knotted it up at 48 as Karsyn Stewart hit a 3-pointer in transition with 20 seconds left. 

Louisburg put up a shot to try and win it with 10 seconds left, but it rimmed off and Moore was there to try and grab the rebound and was fouled – which set up her heroics.

Moore, who is shooting just 35 percent from the line on the season, went up to the charity stripe with the confidence of a 90 percent shooter. She wasn’t about to let her team down.

“I wasn’t surprised that she made the free throw,” Lane said. “I know Alyse has struggled all year from the free-throw line, but I had faith in her. Alyse is the type of player that makes things happen and she was ready for that moment.”

As many plays as the Lady Cats made down the stretch offensively, it was their defense the entire game that kept them in it.

Despite shooting just 30 percent from the field and 52 percent from the free-throw line, the Lady Cats were strong defensively as they were constantly on the floor and diving for loose balls.

In all, Louisburg forced 20 Labette County turnovers, which led to 16 Lady Cat points and was one of the biggest differences in the game.

“Labette was really tough,” Foote said. “They’re physical and all-around good team. The atmosphere they created was also extremely difficult to play in. I thought we did an amazing job not letting them get to us and get us riled up. We never freaked out and we especially never gave up. 

“That game just shows how important perseverance and patience is.  We never once thought we were going to lose that game. Hustle and grit truly describes our team.”

It was Foote who led the Lady Cats in scoring with 15 points and was one of three to score in double figures. 

Junior Jordan Mynsted finished with 11 points and Melton had 10, to go along with eight rebounds.

Moore, who finished with two points, also tied a team-high with eight rebounds and had a team-best seven deflections.

Brooklyn Diederich, Delaney Wright and Foote provided strong defense from the guard spots and made things difficult on the Labette shooters.

“I am overjoyed knowing I’m a part of this historic team,” Foote said. “We will forever go down in history. I am not satisfied though. I think we can make even more history than we already have. I’m planning on us being the first ever basketball team to win state. My goals are set high and I know we can achieve them. We’re not done yet.”

The challenges only get tougher as the Lady Cats face a McPherson team that is a regular to the state tournament and ended the season as the No. 2 team in Class 4A.

The semifinal, which tips at 7 p.m. tonight at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina, could give the Lady Cats their toughest test of the season.

Still, they are looking forward to the challenge of playing on the highest stage.

“To play in Salina is absolutely an amazing feeling,” Melton said. “For me, it is a goal we set, fought for, believed in and achieved it. To experience this with my team and especially with Megan, Alyse, and Brooklyn, who have fought for this these last 4 years beside me, is an emotion I cannot put into words. All I can say is we did it girls. We made it. We deserve to play on that court and no matter what happens, I wouldn’t want to be there with anyone else.”

LOU 11 12 9 17 — 49

LC 14 12 8 14 — 48

LOUISBURG (19-4): Megan Foote 4-14 3-4 15; Jordan Mynsted 5-7 1-2 11; Madilyn Melton 3-9 4-5 10; Delaney Wright 2-5 1-3 5; Brooklyn Diederich 1-6 0-0 3; Adyson Ross 1-2 0-0 2; Alyse Moore 0-7 2-7 2; Brianne Kuhlman 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 16-52 12-23 49. 3-point field goals: 5, (Foote 4, Diederich)

Louisburg senior Madilyn Melton recorded her 500th career rebound last Saturday in the Lady Cats’ sub-state championship victory over Fort Scott.

In the midst of all the excitement of winning a sub-state championship and becoming the first team to qualify for state in 47 years, Louisburg senior Madilyn Melton reached a milestone of her own.

Melton recorded 11 rebounds in the Lady Cats’ sub-state victory over Fort Scott on Saturday and that ninth one was special.

Late in the fourth quarter, Melton pulled down her 500th career rebound, and at the time had no idea that she was even close.

Head coach Adrianne Lane called a timeout right after it happened and her teammates let her know exactly what she had accomplished. 

“Reaching a goal like 500 rebounds is a huge accomplishment,” Melton said. “I play with some amazing girls and we all work hard to get those rebounds. To reach this is exciting. These type of goals are set as a freshman and we work four years to reach them.”

Melton is the second Lady Cat to reach such a milestone in less than a month. In February, senior Alyse Moore reached the 500-rebound mark on the road against Shawnee Mission South.

Rebounding is a job that both players take very seriously.

“Playing with Alyse and the rest of the seniors has been an amazing journey,” Melton said. “Alyse is a gifted player and the teammate everyone should have.  To share an accomplishment like this with her is quite an honor. I am thankful to play with a team that trusts us to get the job done under the goal.”

They have certainly done that as the Lady Cats are onto the Class 4A state semifinals and both players have been big reasons why.

“I am super proud of her,” Moore said. “It is pretty cool to think that between us we have more than a 1,000 rebounds together. It was cool to see her reaction when she came off the floor. She has earned this and I am so proud of her accomplishment.”

No one appreciates the ability to rebound more than the head coach.

“Rebounding is a huge part of our game, we hit the boards hard on offense and defense as a team,” Lane said. “Having two seniors reach the 500 rebound milestone this year shows how hard we work to rebound. Madilyn pulling down 500 career rebounds is so exciting and I am so proud of her.”

Louisburg seniors (from left) Alyse Moore, Brooklyn Diederich, Megan Foote and Madilyn Melton hoist the Class 4A sub-state championship trophy Saturday following the Lady Cats’ 51-27 win over Fort Scott.

Back in middle school, six future Louisburg girls basketball players wrote down their basketball goals on a note card.

Their coaches at the time, Jim Foote and Andy Wright, asked them to set goals for themselves and what they wanted to accomplish on the basketball court.

It was an overwhelming majority – they all either wanted to make it to state or win a state title. State was always their goal.

So following their 51-27 win over Fort Scott in the Class 4A sub-state championship game Saturday, Foote dusted off those cards and showed them to the girls.

It was a blast from the past of sorts. For the last six or seven years, they wanted to be the ones to break the program’s long state drought.

So when seniors Megan Foote, Brooklyn Diederich, Alyse Moore, Madilyn Melton and juniors Delaney Wright and Jordan Mynsted read those cards, there was an obvious sense of achievement.

“It has been our goal for as long as I can remember,” senior Megan Foote said. “I can’t stop smiling. I’m so proud of this team. We have been through so much together, and to be able to win sub-state is a huge accomplishment.”

Yes, in anti-climatic fashion, the Lady Cats became the first team since 1974 to earn a state bid and ended the program’s 47 year absence. Years of hard work led to this moment.

“We wanted nothing more than to get our year on that (state) board,” Melton said. “With a year like the one we have had, it is a great feeling to know we have brought excitement into the school and community. Breaking the drought is a great achievement. Many great players have come before us and I feel like we won it for them.”

In a year where the Lady Cats didn’t even practice as a full team until after their first game, they rallied to put together one of the best season’s in school history as they moved their record to 18-4 after their victory Saturday.

Three of those losses have come at the hands of a Class 6A program, two Class 5A teams and a ranked 3A squad in Nemaha Central. They did all this under a first-year head coach in Adrianne Lane.

“I am so proud to be a part of this team,” Lane said. “The girls are fighters and they deserve to make history. It has been so much fun seeing the girls come together this season. We have overcome several obstacles, but this team’s perseverance has taken us to where we are.”

The Lady Cats have persevered and battled to get to this point, but it has been their defense in the last couple of months that has helped them get to where they are and it showed again Saturday.

Louisburg held Fort Scott to just 21 percent shooting and forced 15 turnovers. It is that kind of pressure that has put the Lady Cats in this position.

“I think our defense is the key to us winning most of our games,” Diederich said. “We all give 110 percent when we are on defense and we are always hustling.

“It is a super exciting feeling to go to state. We have always had this goal from day one to go to state. So, finally achieving this goal was a huge accomplishment.”

The Lady Cats held Fort Scott to single digit scoring in each of the four quarters, including a five-point fourth that helped Louisburg pull away.

“Man, this team is good at defense,” Lane said. “I love coaching teams that battle and play hard like this group. No matter what team we are playing I feel that we have someone on our team that can guard the other team’s best player. 

“A big part of our success on the defensive side of the ball is the way we help each other, and box out. This shows how unselfish the girls are. They are willing to step and help and box out in all situations.”

Both Moore and Mynsted almost had double-doubles to help lead Louisburg. Mynsted finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Moore had nine points and 10 rebounds.

However, it was Melton that achieved a big milestone for the Lady Cats. She joined Moore as she recorded her 500th career rebound in the fourth quarter.

Melton finished with a team-high 11 rebounds and had seven points and two blocks.

Foote added eight points to go along with a team-high six deflections and four steals. Moore and Wright led Louisburg with three assists each.

“I am honestly super proud of my team,” Moore said. “It’s amazing to be able to say that we made history in Louisburg and that we can make our community proud, especially our school and just represent them well.”

Now the Lady Cats will try for the best finish in school history tonight when they travel to Labette County (19-2) for the Class 4A state quarterfinals. A win would give them the best finish in school history and they are looking forward to the challenge.

“It will be a tough week for sure, but I believe we’re ready,” Foote said. “Right after the game on Saturday, we scheduled a film session for the next day. We take it one game at a time. Once one game is over, we move on to the next. Obviously we’re very excited and hyped up, but I think that’ll make us even better because we have something to prove. 

“We are focused and coming into practice to compete. Labette is a talented team and has a great atmosphere to play in. I believe we play better on the road as well. We are 100 percent focused and we will be using the momentum from Saturday to our advantage.”

Labette County is an experienced postseason team that has been to state five of the last seven seasons. Louisburg has spent the last two days trying to prepare for a team they haven’t seen before, but it is excited for the opportunity.

“Labette County is a solid team and they have experience playing in the state tournament,” Lane said. “That being said, I think the girls are ready for the challenge and I think we will show up and play hard. I feel that some of our best games of the season were played on the road, so the girls will be mentally ready. It will be a fun day for the girls, and we plan to enjoy it and battle every possession.”

LOU 13 16 7 15 — 51

FS 6 8 8 5 — 27

LOUISBURG (18-4): Jordan Mynsted 4-9 3-3 12; Alyse Moore 3-9 3-3 9; Megan Foote 1-5 5-6 8; Madilyn Melton 3-6 1-2 7; Brooklyn Diederich 2-8 0-0 5; Adyson Ross 2-4 0-0 4; Emma Lohse 1-2 0-0 2; Delanie Tally 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 18-55 12-16 51. 3-point field goals: 3, (Diederich, Mynsted, Foote)

Members of the Louisburg sub-state champion basketball teams are (front row, from left) Emma Lohse, Maverick Rockers, Sierra Hahn, Cade Gassman, Brooklyn Diederich, Isaac Guetterman, Delanie Tally, Michael Seuferling; (middle row) Andy Hupp, Delaney Wright, Ben Guetterman, Megan Foote, Konnor Vohs, Brianne Kuhlman, Weston Guetterman, Adyson Ross; (back row) Emma Prettyman, Julian Margrave, Jordan Mynsted, Mack Newell, Alyse Moore, Colyer Wingfield, Madilyn Melton and Dawson Barnes.

Almost a year ago I was sitting at the first round of the Big 12 tournament, excited for my favorite time of the year — March Madness.

Life has changed a lot since then.

I still vividly remember a phone call from my wife while watching hoops from the now T-Mobile Center. There was a lot of worry in her voice.

She had no idea why people were fighting over toilet paper in Price Chopper. Why were they panicking over something they had no idea what it was yet? It wasn’t food or water for heaven’s sake!

The next day was even more puzzling. Tournaments across the country were cancelled. State high school events were stopped in their tracks and never finished.

Even worse news came as spring sports were later cancelled and were people were forced to shelter in their homes. We more or less become a ghost country.

A year later, our lives are completely changed. We are having to do things differently, be more cautious and for some, outlook on every day life is incomparable to what we had before.

One thing that has risen back is March Madness and Louisburg is right in the thick of it all.

In a year where they have been challenges with practices and playing games due to COVID-19, both the Wildcat boys and girls basketball teams have put together one of the best seasons in school history.

It was an incredible weekend at Louisburg High School as the boys won their first sub-state title since 2017 on Friday. The girls earned a state berth for the first time since 1974 – breaking a 47 year drought – on Saturday.

Both teams are currently ranked in the top five in the state and are one of eight teams left standing in Class 4A. It is something that has never been done in school history.

That is a feat among itself, but do it in these challenging times says a lot about the players and coaches of both programs.

Boys head coach Ty Pfannenstiel and girls head coach Adrianne Lane have done a great job keeping their players focused and limiting distractions throughout the season.

For the girls team, though, it didn’t start out that smoothly.

Many members of the Lady Cats were forced to quarantine when practice began in November and they didn’t have their complete team on the court until the first game in early December. They never got a chance to practice together as team before that season opener against Tonganoxie.

Despite that, they won their first eight games and ended the season with an 16-4 record and finished second in a tough Frontier League.

They are now onto the state tournament for the first time since 1974 – the second year of the girls state basketball. 

As for the boys, they have faced an up and down season of their own, but the Wildcats have to put together a strong finish to a year that put them as the No. 2 team in the state rankings.

Louisburg has won eight of its last nine games, with the Wildcats’ only loss coming to state ranked Shawnee Mission South, a Class 6A program.

Both teams are loaded with talent, but the one thing the two have in common is a strong senior class. In most years, seniors provide leadership and it is evident on both sides.

Weston Guetterman, Ben Guetterman, Konnor Vohs, Andy Hupp and Dawson Barnes have all played vital roles on this year’s boys team. Add in juniors Julian Margrave – who is the team’s leading scorer – Michael Seuferling and Maverick Rockers and the Wildcats have a solid rotation that stacks up with some of the best in the state.

For the girls, Madilyn Melton, Megan Foote, Brooklyn Diederich and Alyse Moore have played basketball together since the seventh grade when they recorded a perfect season for LMS. Many of them have played basketball since they were little and have a deep love for the game.

It shows on the court as those four girls, along with juniors Delaney Wright, Jordan Mynsted and sophomores Brianne Kuhlman and Adyson Ross, play with a reckless abandon – especially on the defensive end of the floor.

Folks, this type of stuff doesn’t happen every year when it comes to state basketball – unless your name is Bishop Miege or McPherson. For a school to put two teams in the state tournament is a remarkable story.

School history had already been made, but there is much more to be had.

If the boys win tonight, the Wildcats will — at worst — tie for the best finish in program history when Louisburg took third in 1948.

As for the girls, well if they haven’t already accomplished enough to break a long state drought, a win over Labette County on Tuesday would give the Lady Cats the best finish in school history for a program that began in the early 70s.

Louisburg already made history in the fall when the girls cross country and boys soccer team each finished third at state and had the best season in its program’s tenure.

So, why not them?

Wildcat fans, for those of you who haven’t joined the hype train yet, there is still plenty of room. Find yourself a voucher and come out and support both teams as they both try to accomplish something that is unprecedented for Louisburg athletics. 

Enjoy these teams while we have them — they don’t come around often.

Members of the Louisburg girls basketball team celebrate Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal win over Ottawa.

With its season on the line, the Louisburg girls basketball team had to find a way to gut out a win against a physical Ottawa team.

The same two teams had a close matchup about a month ago, and it was much of the same Wednesday in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals.

In a game that featured a fair amount of free throws, the Lady Cats were able to overcome a slow start and pull away for a 44-34 victory over the Cyclones. It puts Louisburg in the sub-state championship Saturday against Fort Scott.

“We are extremely excited to make the finals of substate,” senior Megan Foote said. “We are very grateful for the opportunity to compete every day and every chance we get to play. I can’t express how proud I am of our team for the fight and focus we give everyday. I believe our team played very well on Wednesday. 

“Of course we had our ups and downs, like every team does, but we never gave up. We were on edge at the start of the game but we finally settled down and started playing our game. Once we adjusted to their offense and press, we were good to go.”

Ottawa made things difficult on Louisburg early as the Cyclones pressed the Lady Cats for much of the game and didn’t allow them to get into a flow offensively.

It worked for awhile as Ottawa took a 10-7 lead into the second quarter, but the Lady Cats outscored the Cyclones 13-5 the rest of the first half and took a 20-15 lead at halftime.

Louisburg’s defense came up big as it forced 26 Cyclone turnovers, which led to 20 points. The Lady Cats took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter, but the Cyclones didn’t go away.

Ottawa (8-13) tied the game at 30 midway through the quarter, but the Lady Cats came up big at the free-throw line. Louisburg scored 12 of its final 14 points from the line as Ottawa tried to get back in the game.

“Our free throw shooting is what sealed the win for us,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Making 15 total in the 4th quarter was a huge accomplishment and I felt the girls went to the line with confidence.”

The Lady Cats ended the game on a 14-4 run to earn a spot in the sub-state title game.

“Ottawa is a very well-rounded and good team,” Foote said. “Their record definitely doesn’t show how good they really are. They’re a very physical team filled with athletes. Their offense is tough to guard with all the picks and cutting that they do as well. They have very talented players who are fast and know where the ball is at all times. They’re a well coached team, that I believe will be dangerous in upcoming years. It was a tough battle to the end, but we pulled through and that is what matters most.”

The game was physical from the start as both team had a high number of fouls, which resulted in a combined 49 free throws between the two teams.

Senior Alyse Moore played a big role in the Wildcats’ victory as she scored a team-high nine points and also pulled down 14 rebounds. Foote finished with eight points and four rebounds.

Sophomore Brianne Kuhlman finished with seven points all coming from the free-throw line. Those free throws were important as six of them came late in the fourth quarter.

Louisburg also got good play from its bench as sophomore Adyson Ross provided some key minutes. Ross also hit a big 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to put the Lady Cats up by eight points at the time.

Today, the Lady Cats will try and make history as they host No. 3 seed Fort Scott at 3 p.m. in the sub-state finals. A victory would give Louisburg its first state berth since 1974.

“The girls are so excited to play in the sub-state championship,” Lane said. “We are going into the game with the mindset of winning, we are going to do everything we have to do to win. “

Louisburg defeated Fort Scott 58-24 earlier this season, but the Lady Cats know it will be a tougher game this time around.

“Words cannot describe how happy I am that our team is one step away from state,” Foote said. “We have not been to state in 47 years. That has been our goal since being little kids, to break that streak. The energy and connection this team has right now is unmatched and we truly are ready. We are coming into Saturday with level heads and knowing that it will be a tough battle.”

LOU 7 13 7 17 — 44

OTT 10 5 4 15 — 34

LOUISBURG (17-4): Alyse Moore 3-4 3-10 9; Megan Foote 2-7 3-3 8; Brianne Kuhlman 0-3 7-9 7; Brooklyn Diederich 2-7 1-2 6; Adyson Ross 1-2 2-2 5; Madilyn Melton 2-9 1-2 5; Delaney Wright 0-4 2-2 2; Jordan Mynsted 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 11-42 19-30 44. 3-point field goals: 3, (Ross, Diederich, Foote)

Louisburg senior Megan Foote tries to call a timeout after diving on the floor for a loose ball Friday against Paola.

On a night where the offense wasn’t clicking on all cylinders, the Louisburg defense more than made up for it.

Louisburg, which hosted Paola on Senior Night, leaned on its defense as the Lady Cats held the Panthers to just three points in the fourth quarter and pulled away for a 44-26 victory over the Panthers.

It ended the Lady Cats’ regular season with a 16-4 record, which is their best finish since the 2014 season. Louisburg also has the No. 1 seed in sub-state action, but the Lady Cats wanted to make sure they ended on the right note.

“Winning Friday’s game was a goal for the girls,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They set this goal at the beginning of the season and they were very excited to reach that goal and finish the regular season with a win.”

It was also memorable night as the team honored seniors Brooklyn Diederich, Megan Foote, Madilyn Melton and Alyse Moore. Each of the four players played big roles in the victory.

Foote led the Lady Cats with 13 points and also had a team-high six steals to go along with five rebounds.

Melton also had a big performance for the Lady Cats as she recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, three assists and had two blocks.

Moore also scored in double figures with 11 points and had five rebounds and three steals, while Diederich had a team-high four assists and also had two steals.

“Seeing this group of seniors walk out on senior night was very emotional,” Lane said. “They have been big contributors to this program for several years, and they will be missed tremendously by all of us. The team’s grit and constant battle is what won the game for us on Friday, which was a great win for this group of seniors.”

Those 16 wins also have a special meaning for the four Lady Cat seniors. 

The last time they won that many games was when they were seventh-graders and finished with a perfect season, under-then coach Suzanne Reedy.

Reedy would eventually move on to become the principal at Louisburg Middle School, before her untimely passing a year ago.

So following the Lady Cats’ win, the four girls presented a framed picture of the seventh-grade team with Suzanne, to her husband, Jon. It made for an even more emotional evening.

Prior to all the ceremonies, the Lady Cats defended their home court in impressive fashion as they jumped out to a 24-13 halftime lead and never looked back.

Defensively, the Lady Cats never let Paola back in the game as they forced 27 turnovers and held the Panthers to just 22 percent shooting.

“The girls defense was great,” Lane said. “No matter what type of offensive game we are playing, our defense is always strong and the girls will battle and fight every possession. They did a great job pressing Paola and taking them out of their comfort zone.”

It is now postseason time for Louisburg as they Lady Cats are the No. 1 seed and will host No. 4 Ottawa at 7 p.m. tonight in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals.

“Our team is very excited for postseason as this is what we have been working towards all year,” Lane said. “I feel we do match up well against Ottawa and if we stay focused and play together as a team, I do think we can be successful.”

LOU 12 12 6 14 — 44

PAO 9 4 10 3 — 26

LOUISBURG (16-4): Megan Foote 2-6 7-10 13; Alyse Moore 5-7 1-2 11; Madilyn Melton 4-9 2-4 10; Jordan Mynsted 2-9 1-3 5; Delaney Wright 1-5 0-2 3; Brooklyn Diederich 0-6 1-2 1; Brianne Kuhlman 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 14-45 13-25 44. 3-point field goals: 3, (Foote 2, Wright)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week eleven of the winter sports season, sponsored by Vohs Pharmacy.

Alyse Moore, Senior, Girls Basketball

Louisburg senior Alyse Moore put together an impressive week that also included a milestone achievement. Moore helped the Lady Cats to a 2-1 record last week as she combined for 35 points, 23 rebounds and six steals in those three games. Included in that was a 14 point and 10 rebound performance in a loss to Shawnee Mission South.

Also in that game, Moore joined an elite club in Louisburg history. She recorded her 500th career rebound against Shawnee Mission South. Moore has played a key role in helping the Lady Cats to the No. 5 ranking in Class 4A and to the No. 1 seed in sub-state.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners:

Week 1: Jordan Mynsted

Week 2: Julian Margrave

Week 3: Alec Younggren

Week 4: Megan Foote

Week 5: Madilyn Melton

Week 6: Michael Seuferling

Week 7: Cade Holtzen

Week 8: Ryan Owens

Week 9: Aiden Barker

Week 10: Weston Guetterman

Senior Brooklyn Diederich gets on the floor for a loose ball Thursday against Eudora.

When it came to the postseason standings, Thursday’s game with Eudora was meaningless for the Louisburg girls basketball team.

The sub-state brackets have already been set and the game was more of a formality than anything else.

But for the Lady Cats, they needed a win to get back on the winning track after losing two straight games. Louisburg had a battle on its hands with Eudora, but were able to hold on for a 41-38 victory over the Cardinals.

“We needed that big time,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We’ve had a couple rough losses lately and the girls really needed to get this win. Our teamwork was much better and I think you could tell in this one that we had worked on being a better team.”

Eudora showed early on just how much it wanted this game as they were on the floor for loose ball and were playing aggressive defense. The intensity seemed to catch the Lady Cats off-guard early on as the Cardinals jumped out to a 13-2 start.

Instead of backing down, the Lady Cats slowly but surely whittled away at the Eudora lead. In the second quarter, Louisburg buckled down defensively and outscored the Cardinals 11-4 and were down just one point at halftime.

Down five points going into the fourth quarter, Louisburg made one final run. Baskets from Delaney Wright and Madilyn Melton, along with free throws from Alyse Moore helped tie the game at 32-all.

Late in the fourth, Louisburg was down two until Wright drove to the basket, made the basket, was fouled and converted the old-fashioned 3-point play. 

Eudora responded with a basket of its own to take the lead back, but Moore put Louisburg up 39-38 with 1:45 left. A couple defensive stops later, Louisburg senior Megan Foote found herself at the free-throw line with 16 seconds left.

Foote converted both in the 1-in-1 opportunity to put Louisburg up three. Eudora’s Harper Schreiner hit a 3-pointer that would have tied the game, but it was after the buzzer sounded.

“I think we have matured this season and we are at the point where we can win games like this one,” Lane said. “Each person that was out there played an important role and battled every single minute they were out there. 

“I thought the rotation was good and we were able get to girls rest. It was just a battle. We are a physical team, so maybe we play better when it is that physical of a game, but I thought the girls did a great job.”

Louisburg was able to contain one of the state’s best point guards in Schriener as both Foote and Wright took turns guard the all-state guard. They held her to 3 of 19 shooting and she finished with just nine points.

“They did a great job on Harper, and I thought it kept our girls a little more fresh,” Lane said. “Once she got rid of the ball, I thought they did a good job of not letting her get it back and I think that was key for our win.”

Junior Jordan Mynsted led Louisburg in scoring with 10 points and pulled down six rebounds. Moore finished with eight points and eight rebounds, while senior Madilyn Melton and a team-high nine rebounds and two blocks.

Senior guard Brooklyn Diederich also did a good job finding opening teammates as she led the team with seven assists.

Louisburg is back in action tonight when it hosts Paola for its final regular season game, which is also Senior Night. The Lady Cats will honor their four seniors, Foote, Melton, Diederich and Moore.

“It will be emotional, but we know this will not be our last home game,” Lane said. “We are going to keep the emotions in check and remember that we still get to play more games at home this year. Those four have been playing in this program for a long time and have put a lot of minutes in on the varsity court, so I think it will be an emotional night for those girls, their parents and the rest of our team.”

LOU 7 11 7 16 — 41

EUD 15 4 11 8 — 38

LOUISBURG (15-4): Jordan Mynsted 5-9 0-0 10; Alyse Moore 4-6 0-0 8; Delaney Wright 2-6 2-3 6; Brianne Kuhlman 1-2 2-3 5; Brooklyn Diederich 2-7 0-0 5; Madilyn Melton 2-5 1-2 5; Megan Foote 0-8 2-2 2. Totals: 16-43 7-10 41. 3-point field goals: 2, (Kuhlman, Diederich)

Lady Cats lose close game to SM South

Louisburg couldn’t have asked for a better start on the road against a Class 6A program.

The Lady Cats jumped out with eight straight points to start Monday’s game at Shawnee Mission South. The rest of the contest didn’t go as smoothly.

Louisburg, which held a one-point at halftime thanks to a 3-pointer from Megan Foote at the buzzer, fell in a close game to the Raiders, 51-48.

“I thought the girls played hard and battled this entire game,” Lane said. “I felt that we did a good job running offense, but we had a hard time finishing some of our shots.”

Alyse Moore, who recorded her 500th career rebound in the first half, finished the game with a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds. Foote also scored in double figures with 10 points.

Senior Madilyn Melton had six points, but also had 10 rebounds and a team-high three assists.

Louisburg also got a good defensive performance from junior Delaney Wright.

“I thought Delaney did a great job guarding South’s  best guard,” Lane said. “She played very hard and battled. Alyse was awesome on both sides of the ball, she was leading scorer and she did a great job rebounding and helping on defense.

LOU 10 15 10 13 — 48

SMS 8 15 13 15 — 51

LOUISBURG: Alyse Moore 6-16 2-3 14; Megan Foote 4-9 0-0 10; Madilyn Melton 3-11 0-0 6; Brianne Kuhlman 2-5 0-0 5; Brooklyn Diederich 2-8 0-2 5; Delaney Wright 1-3 2-2 4; Jordan Mynsted 1-11 2-2 4. Totals: 19-63 6-9 48. 3-point field goals: 4, (Foote 2, Kuhlman, Diederich)

Louisburg senior Alyse Moore grabbed her 500th career rebound Monday at Shawnee Mission South .

Shortly before halftime of Monday’s game at Shawnee Mission South, jogged to the huddle after a timeout was called.

Moore had just pulled down an offensive rebound and had a putback to pull Louisburg within one of the Raiders. She had no idea just how special that one rebound was.

But everyone else on the team did.

Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane called the timeout and the Shawnee Mission South announcer informed the crowd that Moore had just recorded her 500th career rebound.

“Honestly I had no clue that I was even close,” Moore said. “Brooklyn (Diederich) told me after it all happened that she had found out, but it was hard for her not to tell me. I remember my mom yelling at me to get a rebound and I was like, ‘I’m trying.’  I would have never gotten it if my teammates wouldn’t have been boxing out too, but it was a great feeling for sure.”

Moore, who had a team-high 10 rebounds in Monday’s loss to the Raiders, has been the Lady Cats’ leading rebounder this season. She is currently averaging close to nine rebounds a game and her teammates were happy to see her recognized for her hard work.

“When Alyse got her 500th rebound I called time out and I told her and she was very surprised and humbled,” Lane said. “The team was super excited for her. Alyse achieving this milestone is amazing, she works so hard and is such a great leader for our team.”

It is those rebounds, and work on the inside, that sometimes go overlooked. However, Moore has made a living underneath the basket as she has already eclipsed her rebounding total from last season with one regular season game and postseason remaining.

“For rebounding, the main thing is just giving it your 100 percent all the time and having a team back you up, knowing they are going to be boxing out as well,” Moore said. “I have had people ask me before why I don’t score as much, but honestly that is not my main focus. I would much rather score my points playing good defense and getting rebounds.”

It is not like she doesn’t score. Moore has recorded numerous double-doubles on the season, including a 14 point and 10 rebound effort in her milestone game Monday and is currently averaging seven points a game.

Although the record is nice, the Louisburg senior is more concerned with her team and knows she is fortunate she gets to play in her final year.

“I am just so thankful for this year,” Moore said. “I am definitely going to remember this year the most out of the four years I have played and I feel like this is the cherry on top. I am just thankful that I have gotten the opportunity to play.”

Louisburg junior Jordan Mynsted tries to get a shot up past the Piper defense Friday in the Lady Cats’ 48-35 loss.

With the Frontier League championship on the line, the Louisburg girls basketball team hosted Piper in one of its biggest games of the year. 

The two teams were tied atop the league standings with just one loss, and with just a couple games left on the schedule, one had a chance to be in the driver’s seat.

Unfortunately for the Lady Cats, that team was Piper. The Pirates held Louisburg to just five points in the fourth quarter and handed the Lady Cats a 48-35 loss, in a game that was closer than the score indicated.

“The girls were very sad after our loss to Piper,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I felt like the girls were playing not to lose rather than playing to win. I thought they played hard the entire game, and we will get better from playing a team that pressures like Piper did.”

It was a close game throughout, but the Pirate defense turned out to be the difference in the game. Piper pressured the Lady Cats the entire night and made it difficult for Louisburg to get in a rhythm offensively.

Piper finished the game with 13 steals and scored 13 points off those turnovers.

“Piper’s pressure was the most we had seen all year,” Lane said. “They pressed us pretty much the whole game and their pressure did throw us off of our normal game. We had a hard time setting up offense and getting offenses ran. They also did a great job of guarding our 3-point shooters.”

Louisburg played some of defense of its own as Piper struggled to score as it shot just 26 percent for the game. The Lady Cats played their best in the third quarter.

Trailing 27-21 at halftime, Louisburg held Piper to just three points in the third quarter and took a one point lead thanks to five straight points from Megan Foote, free throws from Alyse Moore and a basket by Jordan Mynsted.

The Pirates tied the game going into the fourth quarter, and with under three minutes left, Louisburg trailed by just three points. From there, Piper went on an 8-0 run to end the game and stayed atop the league standings.

“I thought in the fourth quarter we got down after Piper hit a couple of buckets, and we did not recover from that,” Lane said. 

Senior Madilyn Melton helped keep the Lady Cats in the game as she finished with a team-high 13 points and had eight rebounds.

Moore also had a strong game as she recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds to go along with three assists.

LOU 12 9 9 5 — 35

PIP 12 15 3 18 — 48

LOUISBURG (14-3): Madilyn Melton 5-12 3-4 13; Alyse Moore 3-10 4-4 10; Megan Foote 2-9 0-1 5; Jordan Mynsted 2-10 0-0 4; Brooklyn Diederich 1-3 0-0 3. Totals: 13-50 7-9 35. 3-point field goals: 2, (Diederich, Foote)

Lady Cats roll Fort Scott

FORT SCOTT — It was one of those nights where Louisburg could do no wrong from behind the 3-point line.

The Lady Cats knocked down 11 3-point shots and helped them to a 58-24 rout of Fort Scott on Thursday at Fort Scott High School.

In fact, Louisburg made as many three’s as it did 2-point shots as the Lady Cats were able to effectively attack the Fort Scott zone all night.

“The girls’ teamwork was great, they played together and battled the entire game,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I was so proud of all the girls and how hard they played. I love the confidence the girls have. They are not afraid to shoot the 3 and it really paid off.”

After a close first quarter, the Lady Cats really took off as they outscored Fort Scott 20-2 in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 19-point lead.

Louisburg, which forced 18 turnovers, held the Tigers to just 10 second half points and were able to force a running clock in the fourth quarter.

Nine different players scored for the Lady Cats and they were led by 13 points from Megan Foote, who connected on four 3-pointers. Foote also handed out a team-high seven assists.

Junior Jordan Mynsted finished with 11 points, while senior Brooklyn Diederich knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with nine points.

Seniors Madilyn Melton and Alyse Moore led the team in rebounding with eight and seven, respectively.

LOU 13 20 14 11 — 58

FS 12 2 7 3 — 24

LOUISBURG: Megan Foote 4-8 1-2 13; Jordan Mynsted 5-10 1-2 11; Brooklyn Diederich 3-6 0-0 9; Brianne Kuhlman 3-5 0-2 8; Madilyn Melton 3-6 0-0 6; Alyse Moore 1-3 1-6 3; Delaney Wright 1-4 0-0 3; Emma Lohse 1-2 0-0 3; Adyson Ross 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 22-53 3-12 58. 3-point field goals: 11, (Foote 4, Diederich 3, Kuhlman 2, Lohse, Wright)