Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week seven of the winter sports season, sponsored by Louisburg Family Dental.
ASHLYN KUHLMAN, JUNIOR, GIRLS BASKETBALL
Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman put together a strong performance for the Louisburg girls basketball team last Friday at home against Bonner Springs. Kuhlman scored a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds in the Lady Cats’ 40-35 win over the Braves, which was their first Frontier League victory. She also had two blocks in the game and has 26 for the season.
Kuhlman leads the Lady Cats in scoring as she averages nearly nine points a contest and has a team-high 19 made 3-pointers. She also leads Louisburg with 61 rebounds on the season.
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.
Lady Cats down Bonner Springs for first league victory
Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman drives the lane Friday at home against Bonner Springs. Kuhlman finished with a game-high 15 points.
For much of the season, the Louisburg girls basketball team has been forced to play catch up.
Starting the season with no varsity experience, the Lady Cats had just one win going into Friday’s home contest against Bonner Springs. Louisburg has constantly had to play from behind.
That didn’t have to on Friday.
The Lady Cats played in front from the opening whistle and never trailed as they held off Bonner Springs for a 40-35 victory. It was also the first Frontier League win for Louisburg and it came at a great time.
“We really played as a team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The bench was awesome. Everyone that was in played to their role and no one tried to do anything fancy. It was just a great game all around.”
Louisburg (2-11) kept the Braves at arm’s length for the entire game, despite second and fourth quarter runs by Bonner Springs to try and take the lead.
Bonner Springs cut the Louisburg lead to 16-13, but junior Ashlyn Kuhlman knocked in a 3-pointer with 3:40 left in the first half to make it a 19-13 game.
It would be one of four 3-pointers for Kuhlman as she scored a team-high 15 points and also pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.
“A three is awesome cause it gives us a little edge and allows us to set up our defense,” Lane said. “(Ashlyn) had a great shooting night and I thought the whole team did a good job going to the basket at opportune times. We will work on finishing and I think we will only get better.”
Louisburg junior Jillian Asher drives to the basket Friday against Bonner Springs.
Late in the second quarter, Bonner Springs once again cut the lead to two, but Kuhlman hit a runner in the lane to push the lead back out to four.
The Lady Cats took a 24-21 lead into halftime, but widened the lead again. Junior Sami Lane hit a 3-pointer to start the third quarter to push the lead to six.
Louisburg’s defense also followed suit as Shylar Whiting drew a charge and Sabra Brueggen pulled down an offensive rebound and scored to make it an eight point lead.
Rebounds were a big factor for the Lady Cats as they out-rebounded the Braves 46-33 and pulled down 18 offensive rebounds that led to 11 second chance points.
The Lady Cats also changed up defenses throughout the game to try and slow the Braves down. Louisburg implemented three or four defenses to give Bonner Springs some different looks.
“Bonner was super physical and I thought the girls did a great job matching that,” coach Lane said. “I also think we gave it back to them a little bit. For us, I think switching defense on them so many times, and the girls being able to execute that, is what got us that win. (Bonner) seemed a little confused when we switched and it took them awhile to get stuff set up. I think the girls did a great job being able to switch back and forth and play any defense we threw at them.”
Kuhlman hit a 3-pointer late in the third to put Louisburg up 32-21 and the Lady Cats took an 8-point lead into the final frame.
Bonner Springs cut the Louisburg lead to one with 5 minutes and 30 seconds left in the game, but Kuhlman hit a 3-pointer after an offensive rebound by Brueggen.
Louisburg junior Sabra Brueggen battles for one of her seven rebounds Friday.
Whiting then hit a runner to make it a 6-point game with 2:10 left and the Lady Cats were able to hang on for the win.
“I think the girls playing more confident is what allowed us to hold off Bonner Springs on their runs,” Lane said. “I told the girls not to play scared and to play to win. Even when we were ahead, we were going to the basket. We had a huge third quarter and I really think that go us going.”
Brueggen finished second on the team in scoring with six points and seven rebounds. Junior Addy Stohs also had a big night on the glass with seven rebounds, while Jillian Asher had a team-high three steals.
Louisburg will try and make it two wins in a row Tuesday when it hosts rival Paola. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
WAMEGO — Louisburg had a big challenge in front it last Tuesday as the Lady Cats traveled to No. 2 Wamego.
Despite an even first quarter, Wamego pulled away for a 63-24 victory. The game was tied at 9-all after the first quarter, but Wamego outscored Louisburg 23-3 in the second quarter to pull away.
Louisburg sophomore Zyleigh Melton drives to the basket last Tuesday against Wamego.
Wamego point guard Lexi Hecht was a handful for the Lady Cats as she scored a game-high 26 points and also had seven assists and six steals.
Louisburg junior Shylar Whiting led the Lady Cats in scoring with a game-high eight points to go along with four rebounds. Sophomore McKenna Lohse also pull down four rebounds in the loss.
Louisburg girls fall to Girard to finish home tourney 1-2
Louisburg junior Shylar Whiting splits two defenders Friday during the Lady Cats’ tournament game against Girard.
Coming into the Louisburg Invitational winless on the season, the Lady Cats had a chance to finish their home tournament with a pair of wins Friday against Girard.
After winning the tournament opener, and falling to Chanute on Thursday, the Lady Cats played a tight game against Girard and had their chances, Unfortunately, Louisburg came up short in a 42-34 setback to the Trojans.
The Lady Cats had a four-point lead midway through the third quarter, but the Trojans were able to pull away with a 10-0 run.
“The first night was good, Friday was good, but the Chanute game was not the greatest,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I thought we grew as a team throughout the tournament, and even though we lost, I thought the girls got better. Everyone was in it and were playing hard. We are headed in the right direction for sure.”
It was a rough start for the Lady Cats early as Girard jumped out to a 10-1 advantage, but were eventually able to battle back. Louisburg went on a 12-0 run of its own midway through the second quarter.
Ashlyn Kuhlman and Sami Lane had baskets, then Shylar Whiting hit a 3-pointer to put the Lady Cats up 11-10. Kuhlman added another bucket with 4 minutes and 30 seconds left in the second quarter to increase the lead to three.
Girard went on mini 6-1 run to end the first half and took a 16-14 lead into the locker room.
Louisburg sophomore Morgan Latham drives to the basket against Girard.
The Lady Cats built another lead midway through the third quarter as junior Ally Brown scored five straight points to put Louisburg up 23-19 with three minutes left in the third.
Girard, once again had another answer, and it was a big one as it went on a 15-2 run to build its lead back up to 11 midway through the fourth quarter.
Brown, who scored a game-high eight points, knocked in a 3-pointer to cut the lead to eight. About 15 seconds later, sophomore Zyleigh Melton then knocked in a pair of free throws to make it a 36-30 game with 2:49 left, but it would be as close as the Lady Cats would get.
“They did great,” Lane said. “We got down nine and then we fought our way back and played good. I thought the girls valued the ball a lot better and we have been talking about that a lot in practice. They played as a team and thought it was much better.
“It makes us more confident as a team when we can come back like that. I know the girls have fight in them. It was good to see them not quit and no one out there gave up. Very proud of them to battle like they did.”
Defensively, the Lady Cats played well as it held Girard to just 23 percent from the field, but the Trojans won the game at the free-throw line.
Girard went to the line 36 times and made 23 of those attempts, compared to a 7-for-12 performance from Louisburg. The Lady Cats also battled some foul trouble.
“I was kind of surprised we got in that much foul trouble,” Lane said. “Girard didn’t get called for as many, but the girls had to battle through that and I thought they did a good job. Even ones that got in foul trouble like Shylar, Ally and Sami, they all still played hard despite having a lot of fouls on them.”
Kuhlman finished second in the team in scoring with six points and also had four blocked shots. Kuhlman, along with Sami Lane, led the Lady Cats with five rebounds each.
Junior Jillian Asher had a team-high three assists, while Brown led the team with two steals.
Louisburg will have a big challenge in its next game Tuesday as the Lady Cats travel to No. 2 team in the state — Wamego. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
LOU 4 10 11 9 — 34
GIR 10 6 15 11 — 42
LOUISBURG (1-10): Ally Brown 3-7 0-0 8; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-6 2-4 6; Jillian Asher 2-9 1-2 5; Shylar Whiting 1-2 2-2 5; Morgan Latham 2-4 0-2 4; Sami Lane 2-3 0-0 4; Zyleigh Melton 0-2 2-2 2. Totals: 12-35 7-12 34. 3-point field goals: 3, (Brown 2, Whiting)
Lady Cats lose tourney game to Chanute
For three quarters, Louisburg and Chanute found themselves in a tight contest.
It was the fourth quarter that one really separated from the other.
Chanute went on a big run late to pull away from Louisburg and handed the Lady Cats a 53-36 loss.
Louisburg’s Zyleigh Melton (20) and Jillian Asher trap a Chanute player Thursday during the Louisburg Invitational.
Louisburg was down 34-33 late in the third quarter, but Chanute went on a 17-0 run to take an 18-point lead to pull away.
Sophomore Morgan Latham had a good game on the inside for Louisburg as she scored a team-high nine points. Juniors Ashlyn Kuhlman and Ally Brown had eight and six points, respectively.
Sophomore McKenna Lohse had a team-high seven rebounds, while sophomore Zyleigh Melton had a team-high three assists.
Lady Cats rally to win first game of season, tourney opener
Louisburg’s (from left) Sabra Brueggen and Shylar Whiting come out to celebrate with Sami Lane following the Lady Cats’ win over Northeast Kansas on Tuesday in the opener of the Louisburg Invitational.
As the Louisburg coaches walked into the locker room following Tuesday’s opening round game of the Louisburg Invitational, the sounds that emitted from beyond the walls were something they haven’t heard all season.
The joyous screams were that of elation, mixed with a little bit of relief.
Their losing streak was over.
Louisburg snapped an eight-game losing skid and picked up its first win of the season as the Lady Cats downed Northeast Kansas, 49-41, to get a victory in the first round of their home tournament.
“This was a really important win for us,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I told them before the game that (Tuesday) was the night and we needed to get this. I really think that this will help us the rest of the week and even into the next week. Hopefully we can get some momentum going from this. We just really needed this so the girls know that they can do it and that we are good enough.”
The Lady Cats entered the 23-24 season with little to no varsity experience and were thrown into the fire of what was mostly a difficult Frontier League schedule.
Louisburg got that first win over Northeast Kansas, a homeschool program based out of Topeka, and the Lady Cats had to overcome some obstacles along the way.
Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman scored a team-high 16 points Tuesday against Northeast Kansas.
The Lady Cats were down five points with four minutes to go, but they were able to flip a switch as they outscored the Nighthawks 18-5 in the fourth quarter to pull away for an eight-point victory.
“I told the girls that we need to play to win and not be scared with the ball,” Lane said. “We came down and hit a 3, then hit a 2 and then Morgan (Latham) got fouled and hit a pair of free throws. It seemed like the girls took that to heart and did a good job of going to the basket when they were open.
Latham started the run by hitting 3 of 4 from the free-throw line, then Sami Lane hit a 3-pointer with two minutes remaining to give Louisburg a 40-39 lead.
The Nighthawks scored on a runner to take the lead back, but junior Ashlyn Kuhlman knocked down a runner to put Louisburg up on its next possession.
Northwest was then called for an intentional foul and sophomore Zyleigh Melton hit a free throw to put the Lady Cats up two. Kuhlman would go on to hit four straight free throws to put the Lady Cats up six.
Melton hit two more free throws late to seal the win for Louisburg.
“Those were awesome free throws,” coach Lane said. “Mo started it, Zyleigh hit a couple and Ash hit four in a row. If we don’t make those we don’t win and that was a game changer for us. They seemed calm up there and those also helped us reset on defense as well.”
Louisburg’s Morgan Latham (front) and Zyleigh Melton go in for a rebound Tuesday at home.
Louisburg had three players score in double figures and it started with Kuhlman as she finished with a team-high 16 points to go along with four rebounds and two blocked shots.
Junior Shylar Whiting gave the Lady Cats a spark offensively, especially in the first half, with 11 points. Lane finished with 10 points to go along with four rebounds.
Latham finished with seven points, while sophomore McKenna Lohse had a team-high six rebounds. Junior Jillian Asher finished with five boards and Melton had a team-high three assists.
The Lady Cats will try for back-to-back wins tonight as they host Chanute in the second round of the Louisburg Invitational. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
Louisburg will end tournament play at 7 p.m. on Friday against Girard.
“Chanute will be a lot different because they like to play at a slower pace, and they will play a zone defense, so we will have to see how that goes,” coach Lane said. “I am glad that we got this one and hopefully it will carry into the final two games of the tournament.”
LOU 5 15 11 18 — 49
NEK 3 18 15 5 — 41
LOUISBURG (1-8): Ashlyn Kuhlman 5-11 4-4 16; Shylar Whiting 5-8 1-4 11; Sami Lane 3-8 2-2 10; Morgan Latham 2-4 3-4 7; Zyleigh Melton 0-1 3-4 3; Jillian Asher 0-5 2-2 2. Totals: 15-45 15-20 49. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kuhlman 2, Lane 2)
Lady Cats find positives in road loss to Spring Hill
Louisburg junior Sabra Brueggen battles for a rebound Thursday at Spring Hill. The Lady Cats fell 59-46.
SPRING HILL — The Louisburg girls basketball team may still be looking for its first win of the season, but the Lady Cats are taking positive steps forward.
Louisburg took a big step Thursday at Spring Hill. The Lady Cats found themselves down just five points at halftime, but the Broncos were able to pull away in the second half and hand Louisburg a 59-46 loss.
“I thought we played pretty well,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I think that was one of the better games we have played all year against one of the best teams we have seen. I do think we are getting better every game. We ran some better offense than we have been and we played some different defenses than we were used to. I thought they did a great job.”
Spring Hill got out to a fast start with a 15-5 lead, but the Wildcats went on a 15-5 run of their own and took a 20-19 lead on a 3-pointer from Ashlyn Kuhlman. The Louisburg junior had eight points during that stretch.
The Broncos batted back and eventually took a 27-22 lead into halftime, but the Wildcats had a lot of positives go their way in the first half.
“Going into halftime, I think the girls were pretty excited and optimistic knowing that they can play with teams like that,” Lane said. “I think there were times in the second half where our offense was even better. I just keep telling the girls that this is all experience for them after not starting the season with any varsity experience. It hasn’t even been half the season yet, but we are getting better.”
Sami Lane pulls up for a 3-pointer Thursday during the Lady Cats’ game at Spring Hill.
Spring Hill eventually built a double-digit lead in the second half. Junior Sami Lane hit a 3-pointer to make it an eight-point game, but it would be as close as Louisburg would get.
Louisburg junior Sabra Brueggen was active inside with a team-high 13 points as she got to the free-throw line 12 times. Kuhlman also scored in double figures with 11.
Sophomore McKenna Lohse led the Lady Cats with eight rebounds on the night, while Sami Lane finished with seven points and six rebounds.
The Broncos’ Isla Herman and Sydney Buscher combined for 42 of Spring Hill’s 59 points. Buscher finished with a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds and Herman also scored 21 points.
Louisburg will try for that first win starting tonight as the Wildcats host Northeast Kansas, a home school team out of Topeka, in the first round of the Louisburg Invitational. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
A rough start sunk any hopes of an upset for the Louisburg girls basketball at home Friday as Baldwin scored 32 points in the first half and ran away with a 52-31 win over the Lady Cats.
Baldwin took a 32-9 lead at halftime and the Lady Cats struggled to get much going offensively as they shot just 24 percent for the game.
Jillian Asher led Louisburg in scoring with eight points and sophomore Morgan Latham finished with seven.
Louisburg sophomores McKenna Lohse (4) and Morgan Latham (13) go up for a rebound Friday against Baldwin.
Junior Ashlyn Kuhlman had a team-high five rebounds to go along with eight blocked shots.
Baldwin’s Alyssa Reichard had a team-high 19 points to lead the Bulldogs.
LOU 5 4 8 14 — 31
BAL 17 15 17 3 — 52
LOUISBURG (0-8): Jillian Asher 2-5 3-4 8; Morgan Latham 2-5 3-3 7; Ashlyn Kuhlman 1-7 2-2 4; Shylar Whiting 2-9 0-0 4; Sami Lane 1-7 0-0 3; Ally Brown 1-3 0-0 2; Addy Stohs 1-3 0-1 2. Totals: 10-42 9-14 31. 3-point field goals: 2, (Asher, Lane)
Louisburg girls fall short against Eudora in first game of 2024
Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman goes up for a shot Thursday against Eudora.
EUDORA — The new year may have not brought the Louisburg girls basketball team its first win, but the Lady Cats still showed signs of growth Thursday in Eudora.
The Cardinals, who were undefeated going into the game, held a large lead in the second half. Louisburg went on a big run to cut it to nine, but it would be as close as it would get in a 56-37 loss.
“I was so proud of the girls to keep working in the second half,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They kept battling and got within single digits. If we can value the basketball and hit a few more shots, I feel like our offensive game will improve tremendously.”
Eudora, which held a 27-18 lead at halftime, expanded its lead to 20 late in the third quarter, but the Lady Cats were able to respond.
Junior guard Jillian Asher started the run with a 3-pointer, sophomore McKenna Lohse hit a pair of baskets and junior Addy Stohs had another to cut the Eudora lead to nine.
It didn’t stay that way for long as the Cardinals went on a mini 8-0 run to push the lead back out and Eudora handed the Wildcats a loss.
“I thought the girls played very hard and never gave up,” Lane said. “We did a good job getting the ball inside and then passing it out when the posts were not open.
“Eudora is a great team. They have four returning starters back and one fantastic freshman that I felt like made their team work.”
Louisburg junior Sami Lane drives to the basket Thursday at Eudora.
That freshman is point guard Brynn Deterding. Along with senior guard Jayla Erpelding, Deterding caused problems for the Louisburg defense.
The two Cardinals guards combined for 30 points, including 18 points from Deterding. The two also combined for nine steals on defense.
Louisburg did a good job on the boards to keep itself in the game. The Lady Cats outrebounded Eudora by 13 and pulled down 11 offensive rebounds.
Asher led the Lady Cats in scoring with 10 points and junior Ashlyn Kuhlman finished with eight points and six rebounds.
Junior forward Sabra Brueggen also had a good outing with seven points, along with a team-high seven rebounds and three assists.
The Lady Cats will try for their first win Wednesday as they are scheduled to travel to Spring Hill for a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
Louisburg junior Jillian Asher pulls up for a shot in the lane Thursday at Frontenac. Asher finished with a team-high 10 points in the Lady Cats’ loss at Frontenac.
FRONTENAC — The Louisburg girls basketball team is inching closer to that first win, but the Lady Cats will have to wait till after the holiday break to get it.
Louisburg put together its best offensive performance of the season Thursday at Frontenac, but came up just short in a 55-48 loss to the Raiders.
“It was nice to see some offense working in this game,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “This is the most points we have scored and I hope the girls can build off this.”
Despite the good offensive performance, the Lady Cats had to play catch-up from the start as they had a tough first quarter and trailed 17-7.
Louisburg put together a comeback as it scored 16 points in the second quarter and the Lady Cats got a spark from Jillian Asher. The junior guard scored seven of her team-high 10 points in the second quarter, including a runner at the buzzer to trim the lead to just five at halftime.
“We have been talking a lot about playing all four quarters, but we got off to a slow start last night with only 7 points in the first quarter, but then we played with them the rest of the game,” Lane said. “We just need to put together four good quarters. Jill hitting a couple shots did help us get some momentum going into the second half.”
Louisburg junior McKenna Lohse goes up for a shot Thursday at Frontenac.
The Lady Cats continued to chip away at the lead in the second half. This time, they pounded the ball inside.
Forwards Sabra Brueggen, Morgan Latham and McKenna Lohse each scored on the inside, while Latham had back-to-back buckets in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 42-all with five minutes left in the contest.
Latham was second on the team with eight points, while Brueggen and Lohse had seven and six points, respectively.
“I thought the posts had a big night for us,” Lane said. “Sabra did a great job fighting for position, causing a lot of havoc under the basket. Kenna came in and gave us some great minutes and Morgan did as well. The posts were not afraid to take the ball to the basket or even look for an outside shot. I was very proud of them and how they played.
“I thought the guards did a great job forcing the ball inside at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth. I feel like that is how we got back into the game.”
However, in the final five minutes, Frontenac pulled away as it did to start the game. The Raiders finished on a 13-6 run to hand the Lady Cats their fifth loss of the season.
Junior Ashlyn Kuhlman also finished with seven points to help the Lady Cat offense, while junior Sami Lane had a team-high seven rebounds. Junior Ally Brown and Asher tied for team-high three assists and Brown also added five boards.
Louisburg will try and turn things around after the holiday break as the Lady Cats travel to Eudora on Jan. 4 in their first game back.
BALDWIN CITY — Despite getting off to a slow start offensively, Louisburg found itself still in the game last Tuesday against Baldwin.
Unfortunately, a rough third quarter helped give Baldwin a 42-23 victory over the Lady Cats at Baldwin Jr. High School.
The Bulldogs outscored Louisburg 14-4 in the third quarter and took an 18-point lead that the Lady Cats couldn’t come back from.
Louisburg trailed by just four after the first quarter, but scored a combined five points in the next two.
Junior Shylar Whiting led the Lady Cats in scoring with nine points and Ashlyn Kuhlman finished with five in the loss. Kuhlman also finished with a team-high eight rebounds and three assists.
Morgan Latham had six rebounds, while Sami Lane and Ally Brown each finished with five. Brown also had a team-high three steals.
LOU 7 1 4 11 — 23
BAL 11 5 14 12 — 42
LOUISBURG: Shylar Whiting 1-7 6-8 9; Ashlyn Kuhlman 1-8 2-4 5; Sabra Brueggen 1-2 0-2 2; Jillian Asher 1-3 0-0 2: Sami Lane 1-3 0-0 2; Morgan Latham 1-3 0-0 2; Ally Brown 0-7 1-2 1. Totals: 6-34 9-16 23. 3-point field goals: 2, (Kuhlman, Whiting)
Lady Cats battle but come up short in home loss to Anderson County
Louisburg junior Sami Lane pressures an Anderson County player into a turnover Friday at home. The Lady Cats fell to the Bulldogs, 35-31.
It ended up being another close loss for the Louisburg girls basketball team Friday against Anderson County, but the progress was there for the Lady Cats.
Anderson County had a size advantage, played a zone defense and both were obstacles for Louisburg. Still, the Lady Cats found themselves in a tight game with the Bulldogs.
Although it ended with a 35-31 Louisburg loss, there were definite positives to build on.
“I thought overall we played hard and we battled till the end,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I do feel like we got better Friday. Our defense was great and we got some really good looks at the basket.”
Louisburg had to deal with Anderson County’s size underneath the basket, including that of Kylie Disbrow and Caitlyn Foltz. The Lady Cats held them to 13 and nine points, respectively.
They also held Anderson County to just 28 percent shooting and forced 19 turnovers.
“I thought defensively we did great,” Lane said./ “Any time you can hold a team to 35 points is great. Our key was to double team (Foltz and Disbrow) when they caught the ball and the girls did a great job with this. Our rebounding was also big, we did a great job being physical and going and getting the ball.”
Offensively, the Lady Cats had to find a way to get going against the Anderson County 2-3 zone. Louisburg showed patience, and got good looks at times, but couldn’t get the shots to fall.
Louisburg shot 21 percent from the field, but did pull down 15 offensive rebounds in order to get extra chances.
Louisburg junior Shylar Whiting goes up for a shot Friday against Anderson County.
“The girls did a good job running the offense and getting into the middle of the zone,” Lane said. “We wanted to make their girls work hard on defense so they would be tired on offense. I felt we were getting great shots of the offense, we just couldn’t get enough to fall.”
The Lady Cats took a 19-18 lead at halftime thanks to a 3-pointer from Ashlyn Kuhlman and a bucket from Zyleigh Melton late in the second quarter.
Anderson County built another lead in the second half, but the Lady Cats cut into the Bulldog lead again as Shylar Whiting hit a 3-pointer and knocked in a free throw late in the fourth to cut deficit to two.
It would be as close as the Lady Cats would get as the Bulldogs knocked down enough free throws to seal the win.
Kuhlman led Louisburg in scoring with 10 points to go along with a team-high five rebounds and three steals. Junior Sami Lane scored seven, all in the first quarter, to help get the Lady Cats get out to a good start. She also finished with four rebounds.
Melton and Whiting each finished with five points and junior Sabra Brueggen added four points. Junior Ally Brown also tallied a team-high five rebounds and two assists.
Louisburg will try and pick up its first win today as the Lady Cats travel to Baldwin. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
Louisburg girls get out to good start, but fall to Burlington
Louisburg junior Addy Stohs goes up for a basket during Tuesday’s road contest at Burlington. The Lady Cats fell 43-38.
BURLINGTON — For one quarter, anyway, the Louisburg girls basketball team had everything working.
It was the kind of start the Lady Cats were hoping for after a disappointing loss in its opener. Louisburg nearly had a double-digit lead on Burlington in the first quarter Tuesday, but couldn’t hang on.
Burlington eventually surpassed the Lady Cats and handed Louisburg a 43-38 setback.
“I thought our team saw a huge improvement from our first game,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They seemed to play more confident overall and I felt like they played more as a unit versus individuals.”
The Lady Cats jumped out to an 8-0 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers from Ashlyn Kuhlman and Ally Brown, and a basket by Shylar Whiting. Louisburg went up 11-2 after a 3-point play by Sabra Brueggen.
Burlington started to claw its way back, but the Lady Cats still led 16-11 after the first quarter. Unfortunately for Louisburg, the offense didn’t carry over to the second.
The Lady Cats scored just two points in the second quarter and Burlington was able to tie the game at halftime.
“It was so important to get out and score early, more so for our confidence and team morale than anything,” Lane said. “It showed the girls that we can score.
“Only scoring two points in the second quarter hurt us. I felt like we stopped taking chances on defense, which led to a slow down on the offensive end of the court. We are best when we get out in transition. We need to continue to get out and run and try and catch the defense off guard.”
Louisburg junior Ally Brown drives to the basket Tuesday against Burlington.
The game was still tied at 27-all going into the fourth quarter, but Burlington took a four-point lead to start the final frame. A basket by Addy Stohs, a 3-pointer from Kuhlman and a running shot by Brown brought the Burlington lead back to one.
Junior Jillian Asher hit a free throw to tie the game at 35-all with 3 minutes left, but Burlington would end the game on a 8-3 run to seal the win.
Kuhlman led the Lady Cats in scoring with nine points and two blocked shots.
Stohs and Brown each finished with seven, including a team-high seven rebounds each. Stohs also added a team-high two blocks, while Brown and Asher each finished with a team-best three assists.
Sophomore Morgan Latham came off the bench for Louisburg and also tied for a team lead seven rebounds. Brueggen finished with six rebounds. Whiting and Sami Lane finished with five and four points, respectively.
The Lady Cats will try for that first win Friday when they host Anderson County. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman pulls up for a shot Friday during the Lady Cats’ season opener against Tonganoxie.
It was not the ideal scenario for the Louisburg girls basketball team going into its season debut Friday against Tonganoxie.
Louisburg struggled to get going offensively early, and couldn’t play catch-up in a 48-28 loss to the Chieftains. All of the Lady Cat players saw their first significant varsity minutes on what is a senior-less team.
“I would say on Friday all of us were a little nervous — well a lot nervous,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I think Tongie has a tough team this year and I bet they win a lot more games this year than they did last year. Our team had a rough start and Tongie started off super fast. We never got into our game because we were playing catch up.”
Tonganoxie jumped out to a big lead early as the Chieftains outscored the Lady Cats 18-3 in the first quarter and took a 20-point lead into halftime.
Although the Lady Cats faced a big deficit, Louisburg did its best chip away at the Tonganoxie lead as it scored 19 second half points.
“I think a positive is the girls never quit,” Lane said. “I felt like they played hard the whole game and every girl that got in the game came in off the bench and played hard. I also thought they played together. We kept running offense and working together.”
Louisburg junior Sabra Brueggen battles for a rebound Friday against Tonganoxie.
Junior Ashlyn Kuhlman led the Lady Cats in three different categories. Kuhlman scored a team-high eight points to go along with eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Ally Brown and Jillian Asher were each second on the team with five points. Sami Lane finished with six rebounds and a team-high three assists.
Morgan Latham tallied five rebounds, Addy Stohs had four and Shylar Whiting had a team-high two steals. Sabra Brueggen had two rebounds, two assists and a steal in the loss.
Louisburg had a tough time containing Tongie point guard Alyssa Schoeneck as she tallied a double-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and also had five steals.
The Lady Cats will try and bounce back tonight as they travel to Burlington. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
LOU 3 6 10 9 — 28
TON 18 11 14 5 — 48
LOUISBURG (0-1): Ashlyn Kuhlman 3-13 2-2 8; Jillian Asher 2-3 0-0 5; Ally Brown 2-8 1-3 5; Shylar Whiting 1-5 2-4 4; Morgan Latham 2-4 0-0 4; Sami Lane 0-6 2-2 2. Totals: 10-47 7-13 28. 3-point field goals: 1, (Asher)
