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)

BONNER SPRINGS — It has been a rough start to the season for the Louisburg girls basketball team and the schedule hasn’t done it many favors.

Going into Thursday’s game at Bonner Springs, the Wildcats had just played three straight ranked teams and were still looking for their first win of the season.

Despite getting off a to a good start, the Wildcats will be looking for that elusive win after the new year. Bonner Springs came to life offensively in the second half and pulled away to hand Louisburg a 49-37 loss.

“We gave Bonner a great fight,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We played even with them the first half, and the girls did a great job rebounding and running offense. The second half their size did hurt us on the defensive boards.”

The Wildcats (0-5) got out to a good start as they led 9-6 after the first quarter and the two teams were all tied up at 17-all at halftime.

Bonner Springs asserted itself in the second half as it scored 17 points in the third quarter. The Braves then went on a 15-6 run to begin the fourth quarter and never looked back.

Louisburg senior Sabra Brueggen led the Wildcats with eight points on the night and senior Sami Lane finished with seven. 

Junior Morgan Latham had five points and a team-high seven rebounds, while sophomore Kinley Scott provided the Wildcats with some solid minutes in the absence of McKenna Lohse ,who was out with an illness. Scott finished with five points.

“Kinley did a great job for us,” coach Lane said. “She played hard and was not afraid to go to the basket. She got fouled several times and she made several free throws. I was very proud of her effort.”

Seniors Ally Brown, Jillian Asher and sophomore Maddie Yoder each had a team-high three assists.

Louisburg will open the 2025 part of their schedule on the road when it travels to Harrisonville (Mo.) on Jan. 7.

LOU 9 8 11 9 — 37

BON 6 11 17 15 — 49

LOUISBURG (0-5): Sabra Brueggen 8, Sami Lane 7, Morgan Latham 5, Kinley Scott 5, Ashlyn Kuhlman 4, Maddie Yoder 3, Jillian Asher 3, Shylar Whiting 2. 

Louisburg fall to No. 8 Baldwin

Louisburg faced its third ranked team in as many games on Dec. 17, and unfortunately for the Wildcats, the results was the same as the other two.

The Wildcats hosted No. 8 Baldwin and fell short in a 52-41 loss in their final home game of 2024.

“Baldwin is a great team,” coach Lane said. “They are quick and do a great job getting to the basket. The girls battled with them. We did a good job getting the ball inside and finishing in the lane.”

Baldwin got out to a quick start as it scored 17 points in the first quarter, but the Wildcats were able to cut it to four midway through the second and trailed just 27-20 at halftime.

The Bulldogs built a 16-point lead in the third quarter and the Wildcats couldn’t muster enough offense to get back in it. 

Baldwin scored 13 points off 15 Louisburg turnovers and were able to get to the basket as it scored 26 of its 52 points in the paint.

Senior Jillian Asher kept the Wildcats in it offensively as she led Louisburg with 15 points on the night, including three 3-pointers. 

Junior Morgan Latham also did a lot of the work on the inside as she called eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. 

LOU 9 11 10 11 — 41

BAL 17 10 15 10 — 52

LOUISBURG: Jillian Asher 5-9 2-2 15; Morgan Latham 4-7 0-0 8; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-8 1-4 5; McKenna Lohse 1-4 2-2 4; Ally Brown 2-5 0-0 4; Sami Lane 1-9 0-0 2; Addy Stohs 1-1 0-0 2; Sabra Brueggen 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 16-46 6-10 41. 3-point field goals: 3, (Asher 3) 

The Louisburg girls basketball team has a tough early schedule and the Wildcats played their second ranked team in as many games Friday when they hosted No. 6 Wamego.

Louisburg stayed within striking distance in the first half, but the Wildcats couldn’t keep up as Wamego used a big second half to pull away and hand Louisburg a 61-37 loss.

“Wamego was a great team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They play super aggressive and they do a great job going and getting loose balls and rebounds. I thought this was the best we had played as a team. We did a great job playing our roles and executing the new defense.”

The Wildcats’ new defense was to slow down Wamego’s all-state point guard, Lexi Hecht. For much of the game, seniors Shylar Whiting and Jillian Asher were assigned to shadow her at all times.

Although Hecht scored 11 points, she was 4-for-19 from the field and the two Wildcat defenders did their best to not give her open looks. The Wildcats also held Wamego to 32 percent from the floor.

“Shylar and Jill did a great job slowing down their point guard and the entire team did a great job running a new defense and executing,” Lane said. “They all helped on (Hecht) when Shylar and Jill were getting screened as well. Overall great defensive performance for the girls.”

Turnovers haunted the Wildcats as they committed 32 for the game and Wamego turned those into 24 points, which turned out to be a big difference in the game.

Louisburg (0-3) stayed with Wamego in the first half as it trailed by just five in the first quarter and 25-16 at halftime.

The second half, the Red Raiders were able to pull away as they outscored Louisburg, 36-21, in the second half and left the Wildcats still looking for that first win.

Junior Morgan Latham paced the Wildcats on the inside with a strong performance as she had a team-high 14 points and nine rebounds, just missing a double-double. 

Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman was right behind her with eight points and eight rebounds, while senior Sami Lane and junior McKenna Lohse had four rebounds. Senior Ally Brown had a team-high three assists and two steals. 

Louisburg will try for that first win today as the Wildcats host Baldwin in a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 6 10 10 11 — 37

WAM 11 14 16 20 — 61

LOUISBURG (0-3): Morgan Latham 4-6 6-10 14; Ashlyn Kuhlman 3-14 0-0 8; McKenna Lohse 2-2 0-0 4; Shylar Whiting 2-5 0-2 4; Jillian Asher 1-3 0-0 3; Sami Lane 0-3 2-2 2; Kinley Scott 0-2 2-2 2. Totals: 12-36 10-16 37. 3-point field goals: 3, (Kuhlman 2, Asher)

OTTAWA — Going on the road against a ranked team is always a challenge, but the Louisburg girls basketball team more than held its own Tuesday in Ottawa. 

The Wildcats found themselves down just a point midway through the fourth quarter, but No. 8 Ottawa put together a big run late in the contest to hand Louisburg a 52-45 loss.

Ottawa went on a mini 9-3 run in the final four minutes of the contest to pull away from the Wildcats as it took advantage of some Louisburg mistakes. 

“Overall we played hard and battled against Ottawa,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They are a great team, fast, and they know the game of basketball. We fought to be in the game with them till the very end. Our defense played well, we gave them a couple different looks and I thought the girls did a good job running different defenses.”

Louisburg got out to a good start as it led 10-7 after the first quarter, but the Cyclones battled back to outscore Louisburg 16-11 in the second quarter to take a 2-point halftime lead.

Ottawa pushed its lead to six in the third quarter, but a 3-pointer from Ally Brown right before the end of the quarter cut the Cyclone lead to 3. 

The Cyclones pushed its lead back out to seven in the fourth, but the Wildcats came back again. Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman knocked in a 3-pointer to make it a 39-35 deficit for Louisburg.

Ottawa got the lead back to six, but Kuhlman hit a runner with just over three minutes left and junior McKenna Lohse converted a 3-point play to make it a 43-42 game with 2:50 remaining.

Unfortunately, the Cyclones took advantage of some offensive rebounds and Wildcat turnovers to finish with a 9-3 run.

Mistakes haunted the Wildcats as they committed 27 turnovers, which led to 22 Ottawa points. The Cyclones also pulled down 22 offensive rebounds.

Despite that, the Wildcats shot 46 percent from the floor, which was able to keep them in the game.

“Our turnovers and giving up second chances hurt us down the stretch,” Lane said. “We did a good job finishing in the lane when we did break the press.”

Lohse had a big night for the Wildcats inside as she recorded a double-double. The Louisburg junior finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds and also had two blocks.

Kuhlman led the Wildcat scoring with 12 points and also had two blocked shots. Senior Jillian Asher finished just short of double figures with nine points and three assists.

Senior Shylar Whiting paced Louisburg with five assists, while senior Sami Lane was second on the team with four rebounds. Junior Morgan Latham and Brown each finished with five points.

Louisburg will face off with its second ranked team in as many games tonight as the Wildcats host No. 6 Wamego. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 10 11 11 13 — 45

OTT 7 16 12 18 — 52

LOUISBURG (0-2): Ashlyn Kuhlman 5-11 0-0 12; McKenna Lohse 5-11 1-1 11; Jillian Asher 3-4 1-2 9; Morgan Latham 2-5 1-2 5; Ally Brown 2-3 0-0 5; Shylar Whiting 1-2 1-1 3. Totals: 18-39 4-6 45. 3-point field goals: 5, (Asher 2, Kuhlman 2, Brown)

The Louisburg girls basketball team found itself just minutes away from getting a win Friday in its season opener against Tonganoxie.

Louisburg had seven-point lead with just over three minutes left in the contest, but the Chieftains took advantage of some Wildcat turnovers and second-chance opportunities to hand Louisburg a 44-42 loss.

“That was a super tough loss,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The girls have been working so hard and they really wanted that win.”

The Chieftains went on an 13-4 run to end the game as it earned points at the free-throw line and on offensive rebounds to key the comeback.

A big part to that comeback to for Tonganoxie was its point guard, Alyssa Schoeneck. The Chieftain junior scored a game-high 16 points as she keyed the late game run.

“We needed to do a better job rebounding,” Lane said. “We allowed Tongie so many second chances and it really hurt us in the fourth quarter. Tongie’s point guard was super quick and she was hard for us to guard. The posts did a great job helping in the lane.”

It was a back and forth contest throughout as Tonganoxie took an early 12-6 after the first quarter, but the Wildcats responded in a big way as they outscored the Chieftains 12-4 in the second and took a 2-point halftime lead.

The Chieftains led by one after the third quarter, but the Wildcats went on a run to start the fourth. Ashlyn Kuhlman began by hitting a jumper, and then back-to-back layups by Jillian Asher put the Wildcats up five.

After a couple free throws by Tonganoxie, Louisburg senior Sami Lane knocked in a 3-pointer to put the Wildcats back up 37-31. McKenna Lohse knocked in a free throw to make it 38-31 with 3:29 left in the game.

Tonganoxie went on a 6-0 run to tie it and ended in a lay-in from Schoeneck. Louisburg senior Ally Brown gave the Wildcats the lead back on jumper with 1:30 left in the game, but Schoeneck responded with a 3-point play to put the Chieftains right back up and that is where they would stay.

Kuhlman led the Wildcats in scoring as she finished with 15 points to go along with eight rebounds and six blocked shots. Asher and senior Shylar Whiting each finished with six points for the Wildcats.

Lohse led Louisburg with nine rebounds to go along with a team-high four assists. Senior Sabra Brueggen finished with six rebounds.

It was a tough shooting night for the Wildcats as they were just 28 percent from the field and 6-for-14 from the free-throw line. However, the Wildcats were able to battle through that.

“Overall I felt like the girls played hard,” coach Lane said. “They did not quit and they fought back after getting behind in the first quarter. I also thought the girls did a great job playing together.”

Louisburg will try and bounce back tonight as the Wildcats travel to Ottawa for a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 6 12 10 14 — 42

TONG 12 4 13 15 — 44

LOUISBURG (0-1): Ashlyn Kuhlman 6-19, 1-4 15; Jillian Asher 3-4 0-0 6; Shylar Whiting 1-6 3-4 6; Morgan Latham 2-5 0-0 4; McKenna Lohse 1-4 1-2 3; Sami Lane 1-2 0-0 3; Ally Brown 1-8 1-2 3; Addy Stohs 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 16-50 6-14 42. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kuhlman 2, Whiting, Lane)