Adrianne Lane was hired as the new head girls basketball coach earlier this month and will take over for Shawn Lowry, who was the head coach for the last seven seasons.

Following the resignation of head coach Shawn Lowry in early February, Adrianne Lane made her way to the bench for the Louisburg girls basketball team to fill in as an assistant coach.

As it turns out, Lane is going to
stay there – but in a bigger role.

During the USD 416 Board of
Education meeting on March 9, Lane was officially hired to be Louisburg’s new
head girls basketball coach and will replace Lowry, who spent the last seven
seasons guiding the Lady Cats.

“I
am very honored to be offered this position at LHS,” Lane said. “The
timing of this opportunity is perfect for me and my family, and I am so
thankful to be asked to step into such a valued position. After coaching the seventh
grade girls the past two seasons, I am super excited to get back into coaching
at the high school level again.”

Lane came to Louisburg after coaching and teaching for several years at Drexel (Mo.) High School. She served as the Drexel head girls coach from 2006 to 2012 and was able to capture a lot success.

She
posted a 90-36 record during her time with the Drexel program and coached in
two Missouri all-star games. Before that time, she served as a junior varsity
coach during the 2003-04 season at Piper High School.

Lane has been the business teacher at Louisburg High School for three years and has spent the last two seasons as the LMS seventh-grade girls coach. She also was an assistant coach for the LHS softball team for one season.

In 2020, Lane was an assistant for interim coach Leanna Willer and Willer will return as the junior varsity coach next season.

“Being
asked to help this season I do feel will benefit me in the future,” Lane said. “I
got to know the girls on a coach/player level and not just teacher/student
level and I believe these relationships will make the transition
into next season easier. When I was asked to step in and help, I felt very
honored that the assistant coaches trusted me and my basketball knowledge.”

Even
though the season is still months away, Lane is excited to get started with her
new team over the summer as she begins to put her fingerprints on the program.

“I
would say my coaching style is aggressive,” Lane said. “I like to play man-to-man
defense if possible and run the court. Defenses will change depending on
the team we are playing, but every defense we run will be based on man to man
principles.

“As for offense, I feel that all offenses should be based around a team’s personnel.  We will run the court on offense when we can, and we will try and be aggressive on the offensive boards. I believe in the big 4: defense, rebounding, transition and free throws. If we can do these four things, we can be successful as a team. I have high expectations for my players and I will expect them to work hard on and off the court.”

Louisburg junior Madilyn Melton earned second team All-Frontier League honors with the team was released late last week. She was one of three Lady Cats to be awarded recognition.

In a year that saw three teams
from the same league go to the state tournament, the 2019-20 version of the
Frontier League was a very difficult one.

Eudora, Piper and Baldwin all
advanced to the state tournament and Piper earned a spot in the Class 4A final
four. Although the Louisburg girls basketball team didn’t have the season it
was hoping for with an 8-13 record, the Lady Cats were still recognized by the
area coaches.

Three Louisburg players were named
to the All-Frontier League basketball team when it was released late last week.
Junior Madilyn Melton was awarded second team honors, while juniors Alyse Moore
and Brooklyn Diederich were named to the honorable mention squad.

“Given
the up and down season that we had, I think we were definitely well-represented
on the all-league teams,” Louisburg interim coach Leanna Willer said. “The
Frontier League is extremely strong, especially in girls’ basketball. We have
some true basketball talent in our league, and I was glad to see that other
coaches and schools recognize what these three brought to the court this
year. 

“We
are so proud of all three of these girls and we’re very excited to have all three
of them returning next year. They are very deserving of this recognition.”

Melton
had a big year for the Lady Cats at the forward spot as she led Louisburg in
scoring at 13.3 points a game and finished with 7.1 rebounds a contest. She
also averaged two steals and 1.3 blocks a game.

“Madilyn
finished the season very strong for us,” Willer said. “She was our clear
leading scorer, but she also stepped up her rebounding and defensive game to
become very valuable on both ends of the floor. At the beginning of the season,
we were looking for her to have a big year, and I believe she expected the same
of herself.

“Madilyn
had a bit of a tough time getting to the rim toward the beginning of the year,
but she started to learn to be more physical and find ways to score. Teams
recognize that she is the player to stop when they play us, but her skill and
experience help her overcome.”

Moore
also had a strong season for Louisburg as she led the team in rebounding with
nearly eight a game to go along with nearly three steals a contest.  She also averaged 8.9 points a game.

As
for Diederich, she finished the season with an average of 6 points a game and a
team-high 29 3-pointerse, but she also led the Lady Cats on defense. She
recorded a team-high 5.7 deflections and 1.7 steals a game.

“Alyse
is the type of player who gives 100 percent effort, 100 percent of the time,”
Willer said. “She goes full speed and refuses to give less. She would run
through a brick wall for her teammates only to get back up and do it again. On
the court, Alyse is physical and leads the team in rebounds and steals. Her
speed and physicality allowed us to play the type of defense we wanted and
additionally, Alyse was our second leading scorer this season – a huge asset on
both offense and defense.

“Brooklyn
is one of those girls that just has a nose for the ball. She may be small, but
she covers more court than anyone else and leads the team in deflections. If
there’s a chance, Brooklyn will get a hand on the ball. Brooklyn plays like the
energizer bunny – she just doesn’t quit. She was our third leading scorer and a
person we want out there on the floor. We know she will play smart, give the
effort that we need, and take care of the basketball.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE GIRLS BASKETBALL

First Team

Evelyn Vazquez, Piper, junior

Harper Schreiner, Eudora,
sophomore

Alli Frank, Spring Hill, junior

Josie Boyle, Baldwin, senior

Riley Hiebert, Eudora, senior

Trinity McDow, Paola, senior

Kim Whetstone, Bonner Springs,
senior

Second Team

Grace Barnes, Piper, senior

Ayreona Carter, Piper, senior

Madilyn Melton, Louisburg, junior

Anna Burnett, Baldwin, senior

Reagan Hiebert, Eudora, senior

Honorable Mention

Lauren Gray, Tonganoxie, senior

Sophia Ficken, Ottawa, sophomore

Kirsten Evans, Ottawa, sophomore

Jenna Harvey, Baldwin, junior

Kate Ediger, Paola, sophomore

Alyse Moore, Louisburg, junior

Brooklyn Diederich, Louisburg,
junior

Louisburg senior Haley Cain goes up for a jumper during the team’s game with Baldwin on Tuesday at Baldwin High School.

BALDWIN CITY – When it was all
said and done, the Louisburg girls basketball walked off the court for the
final time this season following a 44-32 loss to Baldwin Tuesday in the Class
4A sub-state semifinals.

There was obvious disappointment
for the Lady Cats following the defeat, but the setback didn’t deter from what
was one of their best performances of the season – especially on the defensive
end of the floor.

Louisburg held Baldwin to 28
percent from the floor and forced 19 turnovers as it was a tight game until the
final minute.

Baldwin would go on to defeat No.
4 Labette County on Friday in the sub-state championship and the Bulldogs will
join fellow Frontier League members Eudora and Piper in the state tournament this
week.

“We
are so proud of these girls and how they showed tremendous resilience
throughout that game,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “It would
have been easy for the girls to see themselves as underdogs and let the
game get away from them, but they fought every step of the way. I believe it
showed everyone just how much heart and soul this team can play with when we
truly play together.”

The Lady Cats (8-13) got up on the
Bulldogs early as they took a 10-6 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks
to a 3-pointer from Brooklyn Diederich and a basket from Madilyn Melton in the
final minute to give them some momentum.

Louisburg’s offense cooled in the
second quarter as it managed three points, but the Lady Cats still found
themselves down just five at halftime – thanks in part to their defense.
Louisburg was active defensively as they recorded 33 deflections to go along
with 12 steals and four blocks in the game.

“Our
defensive effort was huge,” Willer said. “We are not a team that tends to score
a lot of points, so maintaining a strong defense and holding the other team to
a low score was ideal. We had all kinds of players making big plays – getting
steals, deflections, applying ball pressure, fronting their post, etc. It was a
solid team effort and we worked really well together. Communication stepped up
as well, and that energy carried us through our comeback in the fourth quarter.”

That
comeback seemed to give the Lady Cats, who were the No. 12 seed coming into the
tournament, a chance for an upset and a spot in the championship game.

Down 23-18 going into the fourth quarter, junior Alyse Moore hit a pair of free throw and Melton connected on a basket to cut the lead to one. Baldwin knocked down a shot to go back up three, but after a Delaney Wright made free throw, junior Megan Foote knocked down a 3-pointer to give Louisburg a 26-25 lead midway through the frame.

Unfortunately
for the Lady Cats, Baldwin answered with a 3-pointer of its own to take the
lead back. The Bulldogs would go on to make 12 of 14 free throws down the
stretch to ice the game and the Lady Cats didn’t have a chance to catch up.

“We’ll
give credit where credit is due – Baldwin was extremely good from the free-throw
line that night, especially during the fourth quarter,” Willer said. “Fouling
was the only way for us to stop the clock toward the end, and they were just
solid – we couldn’t catch a break. We always say that free throws win games,
and Baldwin’s girls did an excellent job.”

Melton scored a bulk of the Lady
Cats’ points as she finished with a team-high 18 points to go along with nine
rebounds and two steals. Diederich was next on the team in scoring with six
points, but was also active defensively with a team-high 11 deflections and
Foote also had 10 of her own. Both players also had three steals.

Moore was second on the team with seven
rebounds, while Wright had five deflections, a steal and a block.

Although, the Lady Cats came up
short, Willer was excited to see her team’s effort in what was team’s most
important game of the year.

“This season has definitely been a roller coaster filled with many
ups and downs,” she said. “It’s been an emotional ride for all of us, but I
think we finally saw during that last game how truly special this team could
be. We battled through so many tough moments and I believe we are all stronger
for it. It has been a truly unforgettable year that I won’t soon forget. I am so
proud of the determination our team had to finish out the season strong.”

LOU               10           3             5             14 – 32

BAL                6             12           5             21 – 44

LOUISBURG (8-13): Madilyn Melton
6-14 6-9 18; Brooklyn Diederich 2-10 0-0 6; Alyse Moore 1-6 2-2 4; Megan Foote
1-3 0-0 3; Delaney Wright 0-6 1-2 1. Totals: 10-46 9-14 32. 3-point field
goals: 3, (Diederich 2, Foote)

Sophomore Delaney Wright goes up for a shot against Paola during a game earlier this season. The Lady Cats fell to the Panthers on Friday, 46-35.

PAOLA – After losing in the final
seconds last time it squared off with Paola, the Louisburg girls basketball
team was hoping to return the favor when the Lady Cats traveled to Paola.

Unfortunately, a slow start cost the Lady Cats and they weren’t able to recover in a 46-35 loss Friday to the Panthers and they ended their regular season with an 8-12 record. Despite a rough first quarter, Louisburg went on to outscore Paola in the next two frames as it continued to try and chip away at the lead.

“I
feel like the girls played very hard, and they fought until the end,” coach
Leanna Willer said. “We were very proud of the team and how we battled. We
never hung our heads or gave up whatsoever.”

Paola
jumped out to a big lead as it outscored Louisburg 15-5 in the opening quarter
and the Lady Cats tried to battle back. Louisburg leaned on junior Madilyn
Melton to help get them there.

Melton
scored a game-high 16 points to go along with six rebounds in the loss,
including an 8-for-11 performance from the free-throw line.

Junior
Megan Foote had a team-high five steals to go along with five rebounds and junior
Alyse Moore had a team-high eight boards. Another junior, Brooklyn Diederich,
had a team-best four assists.

The
Lady Cat defense also improved in the second half as it held Paola to 20 points
in the final two quarters. Trinity McDow led Paola in scoring with 19 points
and Brayden Hanf also scored in double figures with 12.

“Without
that 10 point spread in the first quarter, we are looking at a very different
ball game,” Willer said. “From that point on, we played pretty much even with
them, and we actually won the second and third quarters. We definitely saw a
lot of positives in that game.

“First
of all, I think Madilyn played a great game for us – she got to the rim and the
free throw line, which is exactly what we needed from her. I think our defense
stepped up in the second half and took them out of their element. Delaney
Wright played a huge role in that as she guarded McDow and limited her touches
in the second half. I also think we did a much better job moving the ball
around on offense and being patient on that end of the floor. It took us a bit
to settle into it, but once we did, we started getting the looks we wanted and
creating more opportunities for success.”

Louisburg
is hoping some of those positives carry over into the postseason. The Lady
Cats, who are ranked No. 12 in the Class 4A East playoffs, will travel to No. 5
Baldwin tonight for the sub-state semifinals. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

The winner of that game will play
the winner of No. 4 Labette County and No. 13 Atchison on Friday evening for
the sub-state championship.

“We are very excited heading into sub-state, and it’s always nice
to start the postseason with a clean slate,” Willer said. ‘Wins, losses, record
– none of that matters now. Each team comes in at 0-0 and anything can happen.
We are geared up and ready to go for what will inevitably be a tough battle. It’s
now or never.”

LOU               5             12           9             9 – 35

PAO               15           11           8             12 – 46

LOUISBURG (8-12): Madilyn Melton
4-10 8-11 16; Brooklyn Diederich 2-6 0-0 5; Delaney Wright 2-7 0-1 4; Alyse
Moore 1-6 1-6 3; Megan Foote 0-3 3-6 3; Brianne Kuhlman 1-1 0-0 2; Haley Cain
1-6 0-2 2. Totals: 11-39 12-26 35. 3-point field goals: 1, (Diederich)

Louisburg junior Madilyn Melton goes to the basket for two points Tuesday during the Lady Cats’ home game against Metro Academy.

It had been a couple weeks since
the Louisburg girls basketball team was able to find the win column, but the
Lady Cats picked a good time for that to happen again.

Louisburg hosted Metro Academy on
Tuesday in its home finale and the Lady Cats were able to snap a losing streak with
a 45-36 victory over the Mavericks. The Lady Cats picked up a big win heading
into its final regular season game with Paola.

“Tuesday’s
win was much needed,” coach Leanna Willer said. “We have been working really
hard to continue to get better every day, so it was nice to see that get
rewarded on the scoreboard Tuesday night. It wasn’t always pretty, and we are
definitely working on cleaning things up a bit at practice this week, but it
felt good to be back on the positive side of the outcome.”

The
Lady Cats (8-11) used its defense to come out on top as they held Metro Academy
to just 11 first half points and forced 18 total turnovers. Louisburg was able
to turn those mistakes into 17 points, which turned out to be vital in its
nine-point win.

Metro
Academy came alive offensively in the fourth quarter with 16 points, but the
Lady Cats built enough of a lead to win comfortably.

Junior Brooklyn Diederich led the Lady Cat defense with nine deflections and three steals, while junior Megan Foote had five deflections and two steals. Sophomore Delaney Wright also caused a lot of pressure at the front of that pressure defense.

“I
thought our defense started out really strong, especially during the first
half,” Willer said. “We kept them out of an offensive rhythm and made them
uncomfortable with our full court pressure. I think our defense got a
little tired toward the end, and we allowed them to come back and score
more points than we would have hoped, but we have been working hard on defense
and rebounding all week long to keep improving. Our defensive pressure converts
into offensive energy and points, so it’s always great to start off that way.”

Junior
Madilyn Melton continued her strong play with one of her best games of the
season to lead the way. Melton scored a team-high 18 points to go along with
four rebounds.

Fellow
junior Alyse Moore also scored in double figures with 10 points and senior
Haley Cain had a team-high six rebounds in the win. However, it all started on
the inside with Melton.

“Madilyn
has been playing very well these last few games,” Willer said. “We continue to
look for ways to get her the ball, whether inside the paint or on the
perimeter. She has taken on the workload very well and she is working hard to
try new moves and positions.

“Madilyn
has also done a much better job of recognizing when she needs to take the ball
to the rack and when she should kick it back out to a teammate – this opens a
lot of things up for the rest of the team and creates more opportunities for
our offense to be successful.”

The
Lady Cats’ offense got kick-started in the second half. Louisburg built a
double-figure lead to start the third quarter on a 3-pointer from senior Sydni
Keagle and then built a 14-point advantage going into the fourth to all but
seal the win.

Louisburg
will try and finish out its season with two straight wins Friday when it
travels to Paola for its regular season finale. The Panthers beat the Lady Cats
earlier in the year on a last-second shot and Louisburg is hoping for a revenge
win of its own.

“We
are very much looking forward to have another shot at Paola,” Willer said. “When
we first played this season, our heads were all over the place. We fought hard,
but lost a heartbreaker in the end. Going into tomorrow’s game, we are feeling
much more confident in the work we’ve put in both on and off the court to be
the best team we can be. May the best team win.”

LOU               13           5             16           11 – 45

MA                8             3             9             16 – 36

LOUISBURG (8-11): Madilyn Melton
7-11 3-3 18; Alyse Moore 3-9 4-8 10; Megan Foote 1-1 3-5 6; Delaney Wright 1-5
0-0 3; Haley Cain 1-3 0-0 3; Sydni Keagle 1-2 0-0 2; Brooklyn Diederich 1-9 0-0
2. Totals: 15-40 10-16 45. 3-point field goals: 5, (Wright, Cain, Melton,
Keagle, Foote)

Junior Alyse Moore puts up a runner in the lane Friday during the Lady Cats’ game with Bonner Springs at Bonner Springs High School.

BONNER SPRINGS – The Louisburg
girls basketball team was within minutes of picking up a road win and snapping
a mini losing streak.

Bonner Springs, however, had
different ideas.

The Braves closed the game with 10
straight points and handed the Lady Cats a 43-39 loss Friday at Bonner Springs
High School. It was the third straight loss for the Lady Cats as they head into
the final week of the regular season.

“It
was a tough loss for sure,” coach Leanna Willer said. “We were ahead the whole
game, but just couldn’t finish it out as a team in those final minutes. We were
all disappointed, especially because we knew that was a winnable game for us.
However, we’ll give credit to Bonner Springs – they fought back hard to come
out on top in the end.”

Louisburg
(7-11) held the lead from early in the second quarter until late in the fourth.
The Lady Cats built an eight-point lead on a couple different occasions,
including early in the fourth quarter, but the Braves made one final push.

After Louisburg senior Haley Cain scored on an offensive rebound to put the Lady Cats up 38-31, Bonner Springs finished the game on a 12-1 run. The Braves tied the game with 58 seconds remaining and then took the lead a few moments later on a basket from Kim Whetstone.

It
was Whetstone that caused the Lady Cats the most problems. She finished with a
game-high 20 points, many of which came in the Braves’ 20-point fourth quarter,
and also added 13 rebounds.

Louisburg
had a couple different opportunities to either tie the game, or take the lead
back, but either the shots wouldn’t fall or the Braves forced a turnover. The
Lady Cats also struggled at the free-throw line as they were 3-for-13 for the
contest.

The
game was a back-and-forth affair early on as the lead changed hands eight times
through the early part of the second quarter, but Louisburg junior Madilyn
Melton helped build the Lady Cats’ lead. She scored 14 points from the second
quarter to the early part of the fourth that helped give Louisburg a nine-point
lead at the time.

Melton
finished with a team-high 16 points to go along with eight rebounds and three
blocked shots. Junior Alyse Moore was next on the team in scoring with seven
points and six rebounds.

Junior Megan Foote led the Lady Cats with eight assists and had seven rebounds. Another junior, Brooklyn Diederich, had a team-high nine deflections and Foote added six. Sophomore Delaney Wright was second on the team with four assists and had a team-high two steals.

“I
thought we did a much better job offensively being patient and moving the ball
around to get the looks we wanted,” Willer said. “I think we also saw a glimpse
of the potential that this team truly has to be great. We are so close to
flipping that switch and being a really great team. At this point, we’re our
own worst enemy. If we can figure out how to take care of things on our end and
play as a team, we’ll be tough to beat.”

Louisburg
will try and bounce back tonight when it hosts Metro Academy in its final home
game. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU               8             12           8             11 – 39

BON              10           6             7             20 – 43

LOUISBURG (7-11): Madilyn Melton
8-13 0-4 16; Alyse Moore 3-11 0-2 7; Brooklyn Diederich 2-8 0-0 6; Megan Foote
1-5 2-4 5; Haley Cain 1-3 0-0 2; Adyson Ross 1-1 0-0 2; Delaney Wright 0-5 1-3
1. Totals: 16-49 3-13 39. 3-point field goals: 4, (Diederich 2, Moore, Foote)

Louisburg senior Shayla Aye makes her first varsity basket as her teammates look on during Tuesday’s game against Eudora. Aye, who serves as the team’s manager, suited up for the first time on Senior Night.

If you are a Louisburg fan, the
game itself between the Lady Cats and No. 4-ranked Eudora didn’t leave a lot to
cheer about.

The Cardinals showed why they are
one of the best teams in Class 4A as they defeated the Lady Cats, 56-33.
Despite that, the Lady Cats left the floor with a lot of smiles on their faces
and there was one big reason why.

Tuesday was Senior Night for the
Lady Cats as they honored senior players Haley Cain and Sydni Keagle, along
with manager Shayla Aye.

Aye, who has been in charge of the
team’s camera the last few years, had a chance to suit up for the first time.
So late in the fourth quarter, she made her way to the scorer’s table to check
in.

What came after was something many
of the Lady Cat players will never forget.

Aye stole the ball and dribbled
down the court in the game’s final seconds, and after a couple missed shots,
scored her first varsity basket as the LHS gymnasium erupted.

“Shayla
has to be one of the most positive people on the planet,” coach Leanna Willer
said. “She smiles constantly and brings such a positive energy and light into
any room. We have absolutely loved having Shayla be part of our program over
the years, and she earned her right to put on that uniform for senior night.

“At
the end of the game, we were going to do whatever we could to get Shayla the
ball and the opportunity to score. It was truly an incredible moment, and I’m
so glad we got to share it together. Shout out to the Eudora coaching staff and
players – they were true class acts and cheered for her just as much as we did.”

It was also a chance to recognize Cain and Keagle for their efforts with the program and both players were honored following the game along with their parents. Both players started the game for the Lady Cats and Aye was named as an honorable starter.

“It’s
difficult to even put into words what Haley and Sydni have meant to this
program,” Willer said. “They have been awesome leaders, and are incredible
young women. Although roles have changed for each of them over the years, they
are completely unselfish and have been willing to do whatever is best for the
team. These two are true team players and their teammates trust them
wholeheartedly as they lead by example.

“There
is no hiding the fact that they are not leading the team in points, rebounds,
or even minutes, but they make the biggest impact when it comes to the
intangibles. We can always count on them to give their all and hold teammates
accountable while being the glue holding our team together. Personally, I do
not know what I would have done without these two this year. They will be
greatly missed next year.”

As
for the game itself, Eudora took control of the game early as it scored the
game’s first 15 points and took a 31-11 halftime lead.

It was a closer game in the second
half and Louisburg (7-10) found a little more of a rhythm offensively, but the
Cardinals scored 17 points in the third quarter to all but seal the win.

Junior Madilyn Melton led
Louisburg in scoring with 14 points, while sophomore Delaney Wright and junior
Alyse Moore each finished with seven. Moore also had a team-high seven rebounds
and three steals. Cain also had six rebounds to help lead the Lady Cats and
Keagle had four.

Louisburg will try and bounce back
tonight when it travels to Bonner Springs for a league game. Tipoff is set for
6 p.m.

LOU               4             7             11           11 – 33

EUD               19           12           17           8 – 56

LOUISBURG (7-10): Madilyn Melton
6-7 2-2 14; Delaney Wright 2-8 1-2 7; Alyse Moore 2-4 3-5 7; Brooklyn Diederich
1-5 0-0 2; Shayla Aye 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 12-39 6-9 33. 3-point field goals: 3,
(Wright 2, Diederich)

Louisburg senior Haley Cain reaches out to catch a pass near the basket Friday against Spring Hill at Louisburg High School.

The Louisburg girls basketball
team was hoping the third time was the charm Friday against Spring Hill.

The Lady Cats, who have already split a pair of games with the Broncos earlier this season, had a chance to win that deciding third game at home during homecoming. Unfortunately, Louisburg wasn’t able to slow down Spring Hill, especially in the second half, as the Lady Cats fell, 44-31.

“Our
girls competed hard and gave a great effort,” Louisburg interim coach Leanna
Willer said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to convert much of our effort into
points. We were getting the opportunities we wanted, but we are going to have
to continue working on finishing those plays.”

Spring
Hill junior Alli Frank gave the Lady Cats problems much of the night as she
accounted for more than half of her team’s points. Frank finished with a
game-high 23 points and also pulled down seven rebounds.

Frank
provided a lot of those points in the second half where the Broncos outscored
the Lady Cats, 25-12, after Louisburg trailed by just one point at halftime.

Louisburg
(7-9), which found itself tied 12-all at the end of the first quarter, saw it
offensive production start to dwindle. The Lady Cats had trouble scoring over
the Spring Hill zone defense as they packed it in and they weren’t able to
score inside.

“Spring
Hill’s defense is definitely tough,” Willer said. “They pack into the lane
very well and collapse on any ball that gets inside. We knew this would be the
case and looked to score from the outside to open up some opportunities for our
bigs in the lane.”

The
Lady Cats knocked down just two 3-pointers on the night, so it made it
difficult for them to get the looks they were wanting inside.

Junior
Madilyn Melton tried to create on the inside for Louisburg and scored a
team-high 13 points to go along with nine rebounds, four steals and three
blocks. Junior Alyse Moore pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds and also tied
Melton with four steals.

Spring
Hill held just one a point lead going into halftime, but the Broncos pulled
away and eventually built a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter to pull away.

Louisburg
will face another tough opponent tonight as it hosts No. 4 Eudora on Senior
Night as the Lady Cats honor senior players Haley Cain and Sydni Keagle. Tipoff
is set for 6 p.m.

“We
are focusing on one possession at a time, within one game at a time, starting
with Eudora tonight,” Willer said. “Each day at practice is a clean slate and
brand new opportunity to put in the work to get better. We all know that we
have had our ups and downs this season, but none of that really matters when we
step out onto the floor. The score will always start at 0-0 and we will have to
earn everything we get. We are looking to finish this regular season on a high
note headed into sub-state.”

LOU               12           6             6             7 – 31

SH                  12           7             12           13 – 44

LOUISBURG (7-9): Madilyn Melton
5-10 2-3 13; Alyse Moore 1-5 4-9 6; Brooklyn Diederich 2-10 0-0 5; Adyson Ross
2-3 1-2 5; Haley Cain 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 11-43 7-14 31. 3-point field goals: 2,
(Diederich, Melton)

Sophomore Delaney Wright drives past an Ottawa defender Friday during the Lady Cats’ win over the Cyclones.

OTTAWA – It had been awhile since
the Louisburg girls basketball team had tasted victory and the Lady Cats were
becoming more and more frustrated.

They decided to take all that
frustration out on Friday.

Louisburg held Ottawa to just
seven first half points and the Lady Cats ran away with it from the opening tip
as they snapped their six-game losing streak with a 41-24 win over the Cyclones
at Ottawa High School.

“It was so much fun to see the girls smiling and having fun
out on the court together, and it was even better to come out on top,” interim
coach Leanna Willer said. “We all just had a great time as a team. Even when
mistakes were made, no one got down on themselves and we were able to maintain
a high energy throughout the entire game.”

The Lady Cats (7-8) were able to pull away thanks to their
defense as they held Ottawa to just 18 percent from the field and forced 23
turnovers in the process.

Freshman Adyson Ross, who started in place of Megan Foote and
was out with an illness, led the team with three steals. Junior Alyse Moore and
senior Haley Cain both added two steals each. Those Cyclone mistakes led to 18
points off turnovers.

“Our defense definitely set the tone for us coming out,” Willer
said. “It’s always nice to have some defensive plays that turn into offensive
or transition points, and we were able to get our hands on a lot of balls and
keep them out of a rhythm on offense.

“We did a much better job of moving on the flight of the ball
instead of reacting, and I think we realized how much that helps us stay active
and engaged. Our rebounding also improved from earlier in the week, which was
nice to see as we emphasized it during practice.”

Louisburg sophomore Delaney Wright got the Lady Cats started
strong with five straight points to start the game and junior Brooklyn
Diederich ended the first quarter with five points of her own to give them a
12-3 lead.

The Lady Cats did much of the same in the second quarter as they
outscored the Cyclones 13-4 and led 25-7 at halftime.

Diederich led Louisburg in scoring with 10 points and also had a
team-high six deflections. Junior Madilyn Melton also had nine points in the
win to go along with three blocks.

Moore finished with a team-high seven rebounds, while Wright had
seven points and a team-best three assists.

Louisburg will try for back-to-back wins Friday when it hosts
Spring Hill for homecoming. Willer believes this game can give the team
confidence going into the final stretch of the season.

“This game was a huge step for us in terms of confidence and
team chemistry,” Willer said. “We are really looking forward to practices
focused on ourselves and doing the little things right for the remainder of the
season. Our main goal is to focus on one game at a time, not worrying about the
rest. We want to take care of business by playing our best game.”

LOU               12           13           6             10 – 41

OTT               3             4             8             9 – 24

LOUISBURG (7-8): Brooklyn
Diederich 4-8 0-0 10; Madilyn Melton 4-6 1-1 9; Delaney Wright 2-6 2-7 7; Haley
Cain 1-3 2-2 5; Alyse Moore 1-5 2-5 4; Adyson Ross 1-2 0-0 2; Jordan Mynsted
0-1 2-4 2; Sydni Keagle 0-0 2-4 2. Totals: 13-33 11-23 41. 3-point field goals:
4, (Diederich 2, Wright, Cain)

Senior Brooklyn Diederich releases a shot between two Paola defenders Tuesday at Louisburg High School.

It wasn’t the best start to the
week for the Louisburg girls basketball team that began with the resignation of
their coach and was followed up with a road loss to Eudora on the same day.

Despite all that, the Lady Cats
found themselves up on rival Paola with just seconds to play on their home
floor Tuesday. Instead, the Panthers made their week just a little bit worse.

Paola’s Brayden Hanf knocked down
a go-ahead 3-pointer with just 1.2 seconds left to hand Louisburg a 39-38 loss.
Despite all the struggles, the Lady Cats are keeping a positive frame of mind.

“Of course this was a tough loss for the girls, no one likes
losing a rivalry game,” Louisburg interim coach Leanna Willer said. “After how
hard they battled, losing on a shot in the final seconds felt like getting
punched in the gut. That being said, I think the girls are already looking
forward to playing them again in a couple of weeks on Paola’s home floor. They
came to practice Wednesday morning ready to put in work and get better together.”

On Monday, the Lady Cats were informed their head coach,
Shawn Lowry, turned in his resignation and Willer will lead the varsity squad
for the rest of the season. It was a shock to a lot of the players.

Although it has still not worn off for some of them, they are all trying to move forward and finish the season on a positive note.

“This is not a natural or easy transition for anyone, and we all
know that we have a tough road ahead,” Willer said. “It’s tough to lose such an
amazing coach in Coach Lowry. Over the last couple of years I have learned so
much, not only about basketball, but leading and coaching in general as he took
it upon himself to take both me and coach (Nick) Chapman under his wing. He
cares so deeply for each of the girls in the program (past, present, and
future), and that is what makes it so difficult to see him go. 

“We have a wide range of emotions about the situation on our
team right now, but I have been impressed with how much they want to move
forward, play for each other, and finish out the season strong. As a team, we
are excited to be able to have the chance to practice together and figure some
things out about ourselves. We will all make mistakes, but we will make them
giving 100 percent effort and dedication.”

Louisburg (6-8) got out to a good start as the Lady Cats took a
17-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, and although Paola whittled away at
it, they were still on top 22-19 at halftime.

It was a close game the rest of the way and Paola took a 36-33
lead early in the fourth quarter. The Lady Cats came right back as Delaney
Wright knocked down a jumper to cut it to one, then Alyse Moore hit a 3-pointer
with 3 minutes and 45 seconds left to give Louisburg a 38-36 lead.

The score stayed that way till the end when the Panthers found
Hanf in the right corner on an inbound pass and her 3-pointer rolled in to give
Paola a one-point lead with 1.2 seconds left.

Louisburg had one final opportunity as Moore heaved the ball
down the floor and found an open Brooklyn Diederich behind the 3-point line.
Diederich squared up for the shot, but Paola’s Macaela Garrett quickly got over
to her to knock the ball away as time expired.

“I
am so proud of how the girls responded after the Eudora game on Monday,” Willer
said. “It would have been easy to hang their heads and let Paola come get an
easy win, but our team showed up ready to fight. I think that was pretty
apparent with our energy in that first quarter. The girls played a great game
and fought for each opportunity they got. Our shots weren’t always falling, but
we were getting good looks just like we wanted. We even gave ourselves a chance
in that last 1.2 seconds on an incredible throw from Alyse, which is all we
could have hoped for in that situation.

“Naturally,
we would like to clean up a few things as well. We need to take better care of
the basketball and rebound, but we played from the heart and took pride in the
fact that we are Louisburg.”

Madilyn
Melton led Louisburg in scoring with 12 points to go along with five rebounds.
Moore also scored in double figures with 10 points and pulled down nine
rebounds.

Wright
led the Lady Cats defensively as she recorded a team-high six steals and also
had five rebounds.

The
Lady Cats will try and bounce back tonight when they travel to Ottawa for
another Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU               17           5             11           5 – 38

PAO               9             10           12           8 – 39

LOUISBURG (6-8): Madilyn Melton
5-10 2-3 12; Alyse Moore 3-9 2-2 10; Brooklyn Diederich 3-9 0-0 8; Delaney
Wright 2-10 0-0 4; Haley Cain 1-3 0-0 2; Adyson Ross 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 15-46
4-5 38. 3-point field goals: 4, (Diederich 2, Moore 2)

Lady Cats fall to No. 6 Eudora

It wasn’t going to be easy when
Louisburg traveled to Eudora – a team that is currently ranked No. 6 in Class
4A.

The Cardinals certainly didn’t
make it easy on them as they defeated Louisburg, 47-17, on Monday at Eudora High
School.

Madilyn Melton had eight points and
eight rebounds to lead Louisburg.

Eudora took a 19-5 lead at the end
of the first quarter and led 29-9 to halftime to pull away from the Lady Cats.

LOU               5             4             5             3 – 17

EUD               18           10           16           2 – 47

LOUISBURG: Madilyn Melton 3-6 2-4
8; Alyse Moore 2-8 1-2 5; Brooklyn Diederich 1-2 0-0 3; Megan Foote 0-1 1-2 1.
Totals: 6-26 4-8 17. 3-point field goals: 1, (Diederich)