After a pair of rough losses earlier in the week, the Louisburg girls basketball team wanted to end its regular season the right way on Friday.

The Wildcats hosted rival Paola on Senior Night as they had a chance to honor their seven seniors. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it wasn’t the way they wanted to send their seniors out.

Paola rallied past Louisburg with a late fourth quarter run and handed the Wildcats a 52-49 loss in their regular season finale. 

“Friday was a tough loss for our team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We played hard and played well, but just came up short. Losing on Senior Night was not ideal, but I do feel like we played well and had a good game.”

Jillian Asher, Ally Brown, Sabra Brueggen, Ashlyn Kuhlman, Sami Lane, Addy Stohs and Shylar Whiting all played their final game on their home floor as many of those players have seen varsity time the last three seasons.

“This senior group has really been a huge part of this program the past four years,” coach Lane said. “They played varsity since they were sophomores and they have contributed and worked hard for the past three years. As sophomores they all worked hard to make the older girls better and they continued to work hard as juniors and seniors. It has been a lot of fun coaching them and I wish them all the best of luck in their futures.”

The Wildcats jumped out on the Panthers early as they opened the game on a 10-1 run and took a 15-11 lead going into the second. Louisburg led by just one going into halftime.

It was a one-possession game for much of the third quarter, but the Wildcats started to separate themselves again in the fourth quarter as they built a six-point lead with under four minutes left. 

Paola put one more run together as it outscored Louisburg 13-4 down the stretch. The Wildcats did have one last chance to tie the game with under 10 seconds left, but were unable to get a shot off.

The Wildcats had tough time containing Paola’s inside attack and it started with senior Brylynn Wicker. She led all scorers with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

“Wicker is a very active and physical player,” coach Lane said. “She does a great job scoring in the lane. I thought we did a good job guarding her in the second half. We tried to not let her catch the ball, and I thought Sabra did a good job guarding her.”

Kuhlman had a strong showing for the Wildcats in her final home game as the Louisburg guard was able to score on the inside. She finished with 18 points and also had nine rebounds to go along with four assists and three blocks.

Brueggen also had success in the paint for Louisburg as she tallied 13 points with five rebounds. Asher was third on the team in scoring with seven.

Brown led the Wildcat offense with five assists to go along with four rebounds and also had two steals and two blocked shots.

As much success as the Wildcats had on the inside, they struggled from the outside as they were just 1-for-12 from behind the 3-point line. They were also 10-for-23 from the free-throw line.

Louisburg begins postseason play Wednesday as it travels to No. 2 Eudora for the first round of sub-state. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

“Eudora is a great team,” coach Lane said. “They are fast and have several great players in their program.”

LOU 15 9 11 14 — 49

PAO 11 12 13 16 — 52

LOUISBURG (5-15): Ashlyn Kuhlman 5-16 8-10 18; Sabra Brueggen 6-10 1-5 13; Jillian Asher 3-7 0-0 7; McKenna Lohse 2-2 0-4 4; Ally Brown 1-6 1-2 3; Shylar Whiting 1-1 0-0 2; Sami Lane 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 19-51 10-23 49. 3-point field goals: 1, (Asher)

Wildcats fall to Eudora, Blue Valley Southwest

It wasn’t the best start for the Louisburg girls in what was a busy week for the Wildcats. 

They played three games in four days and it started on Feb. 25 when the Wildcats traveled to Blue Valley Southwest. The Class 5A program used a big second quarter to pull away from Louisburg for a 72-33 win.

The Timberwolves outscored the Wildcats 25-4 in the second quarter to pull away for the victory.

Ashlyn Kuhlman led Louisburg in scoring with 13 points, while Morgan Latham and Sami Lane scored six and five points, respectively.

Then, on Feb. 26, the Wildcats hosted No. 3-ranked Eudora in a make-up game and the Cardinals showed why they are one of the top teams in the state. Eudora held Louisburg scoreless in the first half and handed the Wildcats a 42-10 loss.

Sabra Brueggen led Louisburg in scoring with four points.

LOU 0 0 5 5 — 10

EUD 12 10 14 6 — 42

LOUISBURG: Sabra Brueggen 1-6 2-4 4; Ellia Gibbons 1-1 0-0 3; McKenna Lohse 1-4 0-0 2; Jillian Asher 0-4 1-2 1. Totals: 3-38 3-8 10. 3-point field goals: 1, (Gibbons)

LOU 14 4 8 7 — 33

BVSW 22 25 15 10 — 72

LOUISBURG: Ashlyn Kuhlman 4-12 3-4 13; Morgan Latham 2-7 2-2 6; Sami Lane 2-5 0-0 5; McKenna Lohse 2-3 0-0 4; Kinley Scott 1-1 1-1 3; Sabra Brueggen 1-3 0-2 2. Totals: 12-43 6-9 33. 3-point field goals: 3, (Kuhlman 2, Lane)

SPRING HILL — The Louisburg girls basketball team put together one of their better offensive showings of the season on Feb. 14

The Wildcats shot better than 43 percent from the floor and knocked down 10 3-pointers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite good enough against one of the Frontier League’s top teams. 

Louisburg ventured to Spring Hill, and while the Wildcats shot well, they couldn’t keep up with a bigger Bronco team in a 72-60 loss.

“I thought overall we played Spring Hill tougher than the first time we played them,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I felt like we gave them a great game.”

The Wildcats (5-12) played right with Spring Hill (14-2) for much of the first half and trailed just 31-26 at halftime. 

Louisburg couldn’t keep Spring Hill off the glass as the Broncos pulled down 24 offensive rebounds, which led to 21 second chance points.

A bulk of those points and rebounds came from Spring Hill senior Sydney Buscher, who scored a game-high 27 points and had 11 rebounds. Buscher also scored her 1,000th career point in the second half.

“Spring Hill is a great rebounding team,” Lane said. “They are tough and they outsize us at every position, so rebounding is always hard when we play them. Sydney is a great all-around player and she is very hard to keep off the glass and she does a great job reading the rebounds.”

Despite all that, the Wildcats still tried to keep pace with the Broncos from behind the 3-point arch and Louisburg senior Ashlyn Kuhlman was a big part of that.

Kulhman scored a team-high 19 points, which included five 3-pointers, and also had a team-high five rebounds. 

Junior McKenna Lohse was second on the team with nine points, while junior Morgan Latham finished with eight. Senior Ally Brown also had eight points and a team-high two steals.

Seniors Sabra Brueggen and Sami Lane had seven and six points, respectively, while senior Jillian Asher led the team with four assists.

Louisburg will have a busy final week with three games and that begins Tuesday with an out-of-league game against Blue Valley Southwest. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

LOU 12 14 18 16 — 60

SH 19 12 22 19 — 72

LOUISBURG (5-12): Ashlyn Kuhlman 7-19 0-0 19; McKenna Lohse 3-5 3-4 9; Morgan Latham 4-8 0-1 8; Ally Brown 3-5 0-0 8; Sabra Brueggen 2-6 3-4 7; Sami Lane 2-5 0-0 6; Jillian Asher 1-3 0-0 3. Totals: 22-51 6-9 60. 3-point field goals: 10, (Kuhlman 5, Lane 2, Brown 2, Asher)

TONGANOXIE — For three quarters, the Louisburg girls basketball team was well on its way to a fourth straight victory. 

Louisburg took an 8-point lead — its biggest of the game — going into the fourth quarter and had a chance to avenge a loss from earlier in the season.

Tonganoxie had other ideas as the Chieftains went on a big run in the final period and handed the Wildcats a 42-39 loss. The Chieftains went on an 18-3 run to begin the fourth quarter and took a 7-point lead midway through the fourth.

The Wildcats did battle back and cut the deficit to one with under 30 seconds left, but couldn’t get over the hump.

“Losing to Tongie was tough,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We had a very hard time guarding their quick guards and rebounding versus their tall players. This loss was hard because we had a pretty good lead going into the fourth quarter and I felt like we should have gotten that win.”

Louisburg had a tough time slowing down Tonganoxie guard Alyssa Schoeneck, who was a big reason for the Chieftains’ comeback.

Schoeneck scored 16 of her game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter and the Wildcats didn’t have much of an answer. She also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.

“She is a great player,” Lane said of Schoeneck. “She is super quick, she does a great job finishing in the lane, and she is a great shooter. She was also very active on the boards in the fourth quarter. She is hard to guard. Her first step is super quick and she finished well in the lane even with pressure on her.”

For the first half, the Wildcat defense held strong as it held the Chieftains to just 13 first half points and just 20 points through three quarters.

Offensively, the Wildcats couldn’t take advantage and build a big lead as they were up just 17-13 at halftime, but did eventually take an 8-point lead late in the third. Louisburg shot 20 percent from the field.

The Wildcats had success getting the ball inside, especially in the first half. Junior McKenna Lohse provided Louisburg with a nice scoring punch inside as she scored 11 points and had six rebounds.

Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points and had five rebounds, while senior Sami Lane was next with five points. 

Senior Sabra Brueggen led Louisburg with nine rebounds on the night and senior Ally Brown had a team-high three steals. Seniors Jillian Asher and Shylar Whiting had six and five rebounds, respectively.

“I felt like we did a good job taking care of the basketball when we were pressured throughout the game,” coach Lane said. “We also did a good job running the floor and scoring some transition points early in the game.”

Louisburg will try and bounce back tonight when it travels to Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 7 10 11 11 — 39

TON 6 7 7 22 — 42

LOUISBURG (5-11): Ashlyn Kuhlman 3-12 4-6 12; McKenna Lohse 4-7 3-4 11; Sami Lane 2-4 0-0 5; Sabra Brueggen 0-9 4-8 4; Jillian Asher 1-5 0-0 3; Morgan Latham 0-4 2-2 2; Shylar Whiting 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 11-54 13-20 39. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kuhlman 2, Asher, Lane)

If you were to look at the stat sheet, the Louisburg girls had one of their tougher shooting performances of the season.

The Wildcats shot just 22 percent for the game and trailed Ottawa for much of the night Friday during Louisburg’s homecoming contest. Not exactly the recipe for success.

They needed a spark.

Louisburg got it from many different players as the Wildcats pulled away in the fourth quarter to get a 46-40 win over the Cyclones and avenged a loss from earlier in the season. 

Whether it was a 3-point shot, a big rebound, a steal or making key free throws, the Wildcats got production from several different players.

It was also the third straight victory for the Wildcats (5-10) and they have also won four of their last five games.

“I think this win was the biggest of the season so far,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I feel like this will help the girls see what they are capable of as a team and this will also help their confidence moving forward.”

Ottawa held the lead for the entire first half, but the Wildcats were able to jump in front late in the third quarter. Senior Jillian Asher knocked down a 3-pointer with just over a minute left in the third to give Louisburg its first lead at 32-29.

The Cyclones didn’t back down as sophomore Leah Askins-Dietrich put her team on her back and led them on a 9-2 run into the fourth quarter that gave them the lead back at 38-34.

Louisburg senior Ally Brown hit a 3-pointer with 5 minutes left to cut the Ottawa lead to one and start a Wildcat run. Asher then nailed a 3 of her own with 4:32 left to put Louisburg up 40-38 and the Wildcats wouldn’t relinquish the lead.

Brown and Asher scored eight and seven points, respectively in the game, and all came in the second half. 

“The shooting was great in the second half and we hit the shots that we needed to,” Lane said. “Ally and Jill’s confidence really showed when they were finishing their shots down the stretch.”

The Wildcat defense held strong as they allowed just two points in the final four minutes. 

“We did have a rough start, but I felt like our defense kept us in the game and we came out the second half running a different play and having girls play in different positions, and the girls capitalized on this,” Lane said. “We did a great job rebounding offensively second half and keeping the ball alive, and our second effort was fantastic.”

Ottawa was forced to foul down 41-38, and was called for an intentional foul, which gave Louisburg free throws and the ball. 

Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman stepped to the foul line and made of 5 of 6 attempts in the final 40 seconds to help give the Wildcats the victory. Kuhlman also scored in double figures for the game with 12 points, including 8-for-9 from the line.

“Free-throws win games and we had some big ones to go ahead in the fourth quarter,” Lane said. “Kenna (Lohse) hit two big ones to tie us up in the third. Jill hit one big one to put us up by 3 and Ashlyn finished the game by making several at the end. Great effort by all of them.”

Another senior, Sabra Brueggen was an important piece on the inside for Louisburg as she scored a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds. She was also 6-for-9 from the free-throw line.

Senior Sami Lane was all over the floor for the Wildcats as she led the way with a team-high nine rebounds and also paced Louisburg with three assists.

“Sabra and Sami both had a great game for us as well,” coach Lane said. “These two kept the ball alive on several different occasions and gave us second chances to score.”

The Wildcats also put together a strong effort on defense as they held Ottawa to just 29 percent shooting. Senior Shylar Whiting had a team-high four steals on the night and Brown had two.

Louisburg will try to make it four in a row Tuesday as the Wildcats travel to Tonganoxie. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 4 12 16 14 — 46

OTT 12 8 11 9 — 40

LOUISBURG (5-10): Sabra Brueggen 4-11 6-9 14; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-15 8-9 12; Ally Brown 3-7 0-0 8; Jillian Asher 2-7 1-2 7; Sami Lane 1-3 0-0 3; McKenna Lohse 0-3 2-2 2. Totals: 12-53 17-24 46.  3-point field goals: 5, (Asher 2, Brown 2, Lane)

PAOLA — The Louisburg girls basketball team had hopes of starting a winning streak for the first time this season on Tuesday in Paola.

The Wildcats took full advantage of the opportunity against their rival.

Louisburg used a big fourth quarter to pull away for a 65-42 victory at Paola High School as the Wildcats won their second consecutive game. 

“It was a great feeling to get a win on the road as the girls battled and played to win,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The fourth quarter was big for the girls. They got into a great streak and I felt like we finally wore Paola down. It was very nice to see the girls not get down on themselves and play through Paola’s run.”

The Wildcats used a 23-7 run in the fourth quarter to end the game after Paola chipped away at the Louisburg lead in the third. The Panthers cut the Wildcat advantage to five late in the third quarter.

Louisburg opened the fourth on a 12-2 run and never let the lead get back under single digits.

Balanced scoring was also big for the Wildcats as they had four players score in double figures.

Senior Jillian Asher led Louisburg with 15 points and two steals, while senior Ashlyn Kuhlman had 14 points to go along with a team-high seven rebounds and two steals of her own.

Senior Ally Brown had 10 points and four rebounds as she was 4-for-5 from the field. Junior Morgan Latham also had 10 points to go along with five rebounds.

Latham was joined by junior McKenna Lohse on the inside as she tallied seven points, six rebounds and two steals. Senior forward Sabra Brueggen had six points and senior Sami Lane had a team-high four assists.

“Having multiple girls score was great to see,” Lane said. “If we have multiple scorers we are harder to guard and it makes the offense execution easier.”

The game was tied at 14-all after the first quarter, but the Wildcats went on a run to start the second. Louisburg outscored Paola, 19-7, in the period and took a 33-21 lead at halftime. 

Paola got back into the game with its play on the inside and was led by senior Brylynn Wicker, who scored a game-high 25 points and pulled down 18 rebounds for the Panthers.

The Wildcats were able to slow down Wicker late in the third quarter and Louisburg went on another run on offense to pull away. 

“I think we finally figured out the correct defense to run against Paola at the end of the third quarter and throughout the fourth,” coach Lane said. “We focused in on their forwards and we doubled them to try and prevent them from catching and finishing in the lane.”

Louisburg will try for three straight wins Friday as the Wildcats host Ottawa for homecoming. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 14 19 9 23 — 65

PAO 14 7 14 7 — 42

LOUISBURG (4-10): Jillian Asher 5-10 4-6 15; Ashlyn Kuhlman 4-11 4-5 14; Morgan Latham 5-11 0-0 10; Ally Brown 4-5 0-0 10; McKenna Lohse 2-5 3-3 7; Sabra Brueggen 3-8 0-2 6; Shylar Whiting 0-4 2-2 2; Kinley Scott 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 23-56 14-20 65. 3-point field goals: 5, (Kuhlman 2, Brown 2, Asher)

The Louisburg girls basketball team had yet to pick up a home victory this season, but that all changed Friday against Bonner Springs.

Louisburg used a big second quarter to get a lead, and the Wildcats were able to hold on for a 36-28 victory over the Braves as they got their third win on the season.

“The girls played hard and together on Friday and they were super excited to get the win,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Our defense was great. We played zone and man to man and I felt like the girls executed and communicated well. I didn’t think Bonner got a lot of looks to score and they didn’t get many second chances.”

The Wildcats outscored the Braves, 17-0, in the second quarter and took a 25-9 lead at halftime. It was a nice bounce back victory for the Wildcats after losing to the Braves in the final game before the holiday break.

Defensively, the Wildcats set the tone as they held the Braves to just 25 percent shooting and only three second chance points. 

Bonner Springs didn’t go away, however, as the Braves outscored Louisburg 11-2 in the third quarter. Bonner Springs cut the lead to three early in the fourth, but the Wildcats hit key shots down the stretch and got stops when they needed it.

With five minutes left in the game, Ally Brown hit a jumper to push the lead back to five and end the Louisburg drought as it was just the fourth point of the second half at the time. Junior Morgan Latham followed with a pair of free throws to increase the lead to seven.

After that, the Wildcats got the stops they needed and sealed the win at the free-throw line. Louisburg finished the game with a 10-for-14 performance at the line to hold off the Braves.

Senior Jillian Asher led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points, while Latham added nine points and five rebounds. Both players finished 5-for-6 from the line.

Brown added seven points to go along with six rebounds, while senior Ashlyn Kuhlman had six points and a team-high seven rebounds and three assists. 

However, it was the team effort on defense that helped the Wildcats prevail to their first home win of the season.

“I thought Jill (Asher), Sami (Lane) and Shylar (Whiting) did a great job guarding Bonner’s scorers in the fourth quarter,” coach Lane said. “They stepped up and played tight and tough defense. Ashlyn (Kuhlman), Mo (Latham), and Ally (Brown) did a great job reading Bonner’s plays and helped when needed in the fourth quarter as well. It was fun to watch our defense work together.

“Down the stretch our goal was to take care of the basketball and go to the basket and finish if we had wide open looks. I thought the girls played smart and they played to win verses playing not to lose. They did a good job taking care of the ball on offense and then getting stops on defense.”

Louisburg is back in action Tuesday as the Wildcats travel to Paola for a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 8 17 2 9 — 36

BON 9 0 11 8 — 28

LOUISBURG (3-10): Jillian Asher 3-9 5-6 12; Morgan Latham 2-6 5-6 8; Ally Brown 3-5 0-0 7; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-7 0-0 6; McKenna Lohse 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 11-39 10-14 36. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kuhlman 2, Asher, Brown)

Wildcats fall on the road to No. 4 Eudora

It isn’t easy to play a ranked team on the road and Louisburg had its fair share of challenges on Jan. 28 at Eudora. 

The Wildcats got out to a rough start against No. 4 Eudora and left with a 61-34 loss. Eudora jumped out to a 19-4 lead after the first quarter to pull away.

Junior McKenna Lohse led the Wildcats with nine points to go along with a team-high three assists. Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman had eight points and three blocks. 

Senior Sabra Brueggen had a team-hight six rebounds, while junior Morgan Latham added six points and three blocks.

LOU 4 14 11 5 — 34

EUD 19 19 14 9 — 61

LOUISBURG: McKenna Lohse 3-4 3-4 9; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-10 2-2 8; Morgan Latham 3-4 0-0 6; Sami Lane 1-6 1-1 4; Ally Brown 1-3 0-0 3; Sabra Brueggen 1-9 0-0 2; Addy Stohs 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 12-44 6-7 34. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kuhlman 2, Lane, Brown)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week six of the winter sports season, sponsored by Landmark National Bank.

ASHLYN KUHLMAN, SENIOR, BASKETBALL

Louisburg senior Ashlyn Kuhlman helped lead the Wildcat girls to their first wins of the season last week and it started on Jan. 20 against Harrisonville. Kuhlman scored a game-high 21 points to help the Wildcats to a victory over Harrisonville, which was their first of the season. She was also 9-for-10 from the free-throw line in that game.

Kuhlman also played well in the Ralph Miller Classic as she scored a team-high 12 points against Goddard-Eisenhower in a loss Friday in the consolation semifinals. She also helped the Wildcats to a win over Wichita West in the seventh place game. On the season, she leads the Wildcats in scoring at just over 10 points a game and also has a team-high 29 blocks on the year. She is second in rebounding with 53.

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: Gavin Lohse

Week 2: Colin Brown

Week 3: Jay McCaskill

Week 4: Brayden Yoder

Week 5: Andrew Jamison

CHANUTE — For the second time in six days, the Louisburg girls basketball team came away with a victory — with the latest coming in tournament action.

The Wildcats faced off with Wichita West in the seventh-place game of the Ralph Miller Classic at Chanute High School. Louisburg dominated from start to finish as the Wildcats cruised to a 50-18 victory and earned their second win of the season.

“Getting a win on Saturday was a great way to end the week,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The girls had a hard week, and winning two games was great for the team morale.”

The victory was the fourth game in six days for the Wildcats, three of which came in the Ralph Miller Classic. After losses to Sunrise Christian and Goddard-Eisenhower in the first two games, the Wildcats ended on a strong note.

Louisburg dominated the inside as juniors McKenna Lohse and Morgan Latham each almost had a double-double. Lohse scored a team-high 10 points and pulled down nine rebounds, while Latham had nine points and a team-best 11 boards.

The Wildcats out rebounded the Pioneers, 50-26, and scored 26 points in the paint.

Senior Sabra Brueggen finished with eight points, while seniors Ashlyn Kuhlman and Ally Brown added six. Brown also pulled down six rebounds.

Sami Lane led the team with four assists and Jillian Asher had three. Shylar Whiting had four steals to pace the Wildcat defense. 

Louisburg held Wichita West to 11 points in the first half and put the game away in the third quarter as the Wildcats outscored the Pioneers, 17-3. 

“I thought we played some good offense in the tournament and we did a great job playing together,” coach Lane said. “It was good to see all the girls contribute.”

Louisburg returns to action on today when it travels to Eudora. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 12 11 17 10 — 50

WW 4 7 3 4 — 18

LOUISBURG (2-9): McKenna Lohse 5-11 0-0 10; Morgan Latham 4-6 1-2 9; Sabra Brueggen 3-8 2-5 8; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-7 0-0 6; Ally Brown 2-7 0-0 6; Jillian Asher 2-10 0-0 5; Shylar Whiting 2-6 0-0 4; Addy Stohs 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 21-58 3-7 50. 3-point field goals: 5, (Kuhlman 2, Brown 2, Asher)

Wildcats fall to Sunrise Christian, Eisenhower to open tourney

It was a tough start to the Ralph Miller Classic for the Louisburg girls as they squared off with Sunrise Christian in the first round.

Sunrise, a private academy located just outside of Wichita, provided a big test for the Wildcats. The Buffaloes got out to a quick start and never looked back as they handed Louisburg a 72-53 loss on Thursday.

The Wildcats were able to put up points on the Buffalos, but couldn’t get the stops it needed to cut what was a 23-12 deficit after the first quarter.

“I thought the girls played well at Chanute in all three tournament games,” Lane said. “I was very proud of the girls and how they battled against Sunrise Christian. We scored well against them and our offense was consistent each quarter.”

Ally Brown led the Wildcats with nine points to go along with a team-high three assists. Morgan Latham had eight points and four rebounds.

Sami Lane and Shylar Whiting each scored seven, while Whiting also had three assists. Ashlyn Kuhlman and McKenna Lohse led Louisburg with five rebounds each.

On Friday, the Wildcats squared off with Eisenhower and fell to the Class 5A program, 61-42. Louisburg trailed 28-17 at halftime, but the Tigers scored 18 points in the third quarter to pull away.

Kuhlman led the Wildcats in scoring with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Sabra Brueggen and Jillian Asher each finished with eight points, while Brueggen also had six rebounds and a team-high three assists. 

Brown added six points and  a team-best seven rebounds. Lane also tied Brueggen with a team-high three assists.

LOU 7 10 11 13 — 42

EIS 17 11 18 15 — 61

LOUISBURG: Ashlyn Kuhlman 4-11 0-0 12; Jillian Asher 2-11 2-2 8; Sabra Brueggen 1-3 5-8 7; Ally Brown 2-7 0-0 6; Morgan Latham 2-6 0-0 4; McKenna Lohse 0-2 2-2 2; Shylar Whiting 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 12-48 9-12 42. 3-point field goals: 8, (Kuhlman 4, Asher 2, Brown 2)

LOU 12 8 13 20 — 53

SUN 23 15 14 20 — 72

LOUISBURG: Ally Brown 3-8 0-0 9; Morgan Latham 4-8 0-0 8; Shylar Whiting 3-4 0-0 7; Sami Lane 3-7 0-0 7; Jillian Asher 1-6 3-4 5; Ashlyn Kuhlman 1-8 3-3 5; McKenna Lohse 2-4 0-2 4; Sabra Brueggen 1-3 2-2 4; Addy Stohs 2-3 0-0 4. Totals: 20-51 8-11 53. 3-point field goals: 5, (Brown 3, Whiting, Lane)

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — Losing is never easy and the Louisburg girls basketball team has had a tough start to its season as the Wildcats lost their first seven games of the year.

The Wildcats took that streak into Harrisonville on Monday in hopes picking up that first win. Louisburg had the lead for most of the game, only to see Harrisonville go on a run and take a 6-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Instead of backing down, the Wildcats battled back. Louisburg got big shots from Ashlyn Kuhlman, Jillian Asher and Morgan Latham down the stretch as they pulled away for a 48-38 victory to snap their losing skid. 

“Getting our first win of the season was so exciting and almost a relief,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “This team has been working so hard, they deserved that win.”

Down six points with under five minutes left, the Wildcats put together one of their better stretches of the season. Louisburg ended the game on a 16-0 run that included 3-pointers from Kuhlman and Asher, along with a couple baskets from Latham. 

Kuhlman and Asher also hit free throws down the stretch to preserve the win as the Wildcats converted 16 of 19 opportunities from the free-throw line for the game.

“I was very impressed with the girls and their ability to stay calm, especially when we got down six in the fourth quarter,” Lane said. “They wanted that game, and they showed that the way they battled back. Ashlyn, Jillian and Morgan all hit some big shots to seal that win.”

Kuhlman and Asher provided a big spark for the Wildcats offensively as the two players combined to score 37 of the team’s 48 points.

Kuhlman scored a game-high 21 points to go along with four rebounds and two blocks. She was also 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. As for Asher, she finished with 16 points and also had a team-high three steals. 

Latham chipped in seven points as she had a couple big baskets in the Wildcat fourth quarter run. 

Senior Ally Brown led the team in a pair of categories as she tallied a team-high six rebounds and also had a team-high five assists. She also had two steals in the final two minutes that helped preserve the win. 

Louisburg (1-7) shot 42 percent from the field and held Harrisonville to just 25 percent.

Louisburg took a 13-6 lead after the first quarter, but Harrisonville slowly chipped away, before going up 38-32 midway through the fourth. 

“Overall, I thought we had some good moments and some rough moments,” Lane said. “Harrisonville pressing the entire game was a battle for our team. Our defense was solid, and I thought we did run some great offense.”

The Wildcats will continue a busy week Thursday when they travel to Chanute Invitational to compete in the 3-day tournament. Louisburg opens play against Sunrise Christian at 3 p.m., and will play at 3 again on Friday. 

“I am super excited for the tournament,” Lane said. “I think we will play some good teams that will make us better as we continue to grow as a team this season.”

LOU 13 7 10 18 — 48

HAR 6 10 12 10 — 38

LOUISBURG (1-7): Ashlyn Kuhlman 5-11 9-10 21; Jillian Asher 4-7 6-6 16; Morgan Latham 3-4 1-2 7; McKenna Lohse 1-2 0-0 2; Sabra Brueggen 1-2 0-1 2. Totals: 14-33 16-19 48. 3-point field goals: 4,(Asher 2, Kuhlman 2)

Rough second quarter hurts Wildcats at Baldwin

Going on the road against a ranked team is never easy, but Louisburg couldn’t have asked for a better start last Friday at No. 8 Baldwin.

The Wildcats jumped out to an 8-point lead in the first quarter, but they hit a rough patch. Louisburg would score just four points in the second and third quarters combined, as the Wildcats fell just short road, 37-31.

Despite going scoreless in the second quarter, the Wildcats still only trailed by three at halftime. Louisburg did score 13 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t quite enough to get the upset win.

“The Baldwin game was a tough loss, but I think it showed the girls how we want to play as a team,” Lane said. “The first quarter and the fourth quarter we did a great job on both sides of the ball and I think that helped the team’s confidence.”

Ashlyn Kuhlman led Louisburg in scoring with seven points and also had five rebounds. Junior Morgan Latham had six points and five rebounds, while senior Sabra Brueggen pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Senior Shylar Whiting had five points and four rebounds. 

LOU 14 0 4 13 — 31

BAL 13 4 8 12 — 37

LOUISBURG: Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-6 2-2 7; Morgan Latham 3-5 0-0 6; Shylar Whiting 2-6 0-0 5; Jillian Asher 1-4 2-2 4; Sami Lane 1-10 0-0 3; Sabra Brueggen 1-6 0-1 2; Ally Brown 1-6 0-0 2; Ellia Gibbons 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 12-48 4-5 31. 3-point field goals: 3, (Kuhlman, Whiting, Lane)

The Louisburg boys basketball team faced an uphill battle before Monday’s game with Spring Hill even started.

The Wildcats were without their leading scorer and rebounder in senior Gavin Lohse, who was out with an injury, and had their return from break pushed back a week due to winter weather.

It wasn’t exactly the start to 2025 that Louisburg was hoping for and Spring Hill continued that tough trend for the Wildcats.

The Broncos shot better than 50 percent from the field, and put the Wildcats in a hole they couldn’t dig out of as they handed Louisburg a 70-37 loss.

“Spring Hill shot so well against us in the first half,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “I thought we played hard and didn’t do bad defensively in the first half, but they hit big shot after big shot. 

“Then in the second half we just ran out of gas and couldn’t guard very well. They started getting to where they wanted to go easily and we can’t do that and expect to win or be in games. Not having Gavin right now really hurts but we still have to be way better defensively to give us a chance.”

Spring Hill shot 56 percent from the floor as it jumped out to a 22-8 lead after the first quarter. Louisburg struggled to get things going in the second half as it scored 12 points in the two quarters.

Senior Luke Schultz led the way with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Owen Marsh finished with a team-high 12 points. Another senior, Ethan Kush, also had six rebounds on the night.

Jackson Bruce had a big night for the Broncos as he scored a game-high 22 points on a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor. His teammate, Jordan Miller, had a game-high 10 assists and five steals.

The schedule doesn’t ease up for the Wildcats as they travel to No. 1 Baldwin on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

LOU 8 17 4 8 — 37

SH 22 18 16 14 — 70

LOUISBURG (2-5): Owen Marsh 5-8 0-0 12; Luke Schultz 5-12 1-3 11; Lance Callahan 2-3 0-0 6; Derek Frederick 1-7 0-0 3; Ethan Kush 1-4 1-2 3; Myles Vohs 1-11 0-0 2. Totals: 15-49 2-7 37. 3-point field goals: 5, (Marsh 2, Callahan 2, Frederick)

Rough start for Louisburg girls ends in loss to Spring Hill

It wasn’t the start to 2025 that the Louisburg girls envisioned for themselves Monday in a home game against Spring Hill. 

The Wildcats couldn’t overcome a big Spring Hill run in the first quarter that ended in a 64-33 loss to the Broncos. 

Spring Hill opened the game on a 21-3 run and the Wildcats were unable to recover as it is their sixth-straight loss to start the season. Louisburg was outscored by just four points in the next two quarters, which led to some positives.

“Spring Hill is a great basketball team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They have a lot of great players who can handle the ball and take the ball to the basket. After our slow start the girls played with them the rest of the game.

“I thought the girls did a great job playing 1-3-1 defense, and in the second half they did a great job running offense. We ran a lot of offensive sets and the girls did a great job executing.”

Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman led Louisburg in a few different categories. She scored a team-high 13 points, including 11 in the third quarter, to go along with a team-best five rebounds and three blocks.

Another senior, Sabra Brueggen, finished with eight points, including going 6-for-8 from the free-throw line. Senior Ally Brown was next with five points.

Brueggen, junior McKenna Lohse and senior Addy Stohs each had four rebounds, while junior Morgan Latham had a team-high three assists.

Spring Hill’s Isla Herman led all scorers with 18 points and also had 11 rebounds, while Sydney Buscher had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Broncos. 

Louisburg will hit the road Friday as the Wildcats travel to No. 8 Baldwin.

LOU 3 9 13 8 — 33

SH 21 10 16 17 — 64

LOUISBURG: Ashlyn Kuhlman 5-17 0-1 13; Sabra Brueggen 1-2 6-8 8; Ally Brown 2-3 0-0 5; Shylar Whiting 1-3 0-0 3; Jillian Asher 1-8 0-0 2; Morgan Latham 0-3 2-2 2. Totals: 10-44 8-13 33. 3-point field goals: 5, (Kuhlman 3, Whiting, Brown)