Louisburg’s Emalee Overbay (34), Isabelle Holtzen (30) and Kennia Hankinson leap off the bench in excitement after Tayler Lancaster hit the game-tying 3-pointer in the fourth quarter Monday against De Soto at Louisburg High School.

Carson Buffington stepped to the free-throw line seven times in what was the most crucial time of the game.

Free throws aren’t exactly Buffington’s forte — as she will be the first to tell you. Still, that didn’t stop the Louisburg sophomore from knocking down six of those seven attempts in overtime as she helped the Lady Cats to a 66-62 win Monday over De Soto at Louisburg High School.

“I am usually not confident when I shoot my free throws,” Buffington said. “But I just told myself I was going to make them for the team.”

Buffington wasn’t the only Lady Cat to come through in pressure-packed situations. Guards Isabelle Holtzen and Tayler Lancaster each hit 3-pointers at the end of the third and fourth quarters, respectively, that either helped bring Louisburg back from a deficit or tie the game.

Chloe Renner, Emalee Overbay, Haley Cain and Buffington battled a trio of De Soto 6-footers on the glass and came up with several big rebounds in the fourth quarter and overtime. Guards Madisen Simpson, Paige Buffington and Kennia Hankinson all hit key shots or free throws throughout the game.

“It was a great win,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “We talk about defending this place because of how hard we work here and these girls refused to give up on their home floor. It was a big league game and another one for us to grow in.

“De Soto has probably three 6-footers in there and we were in there battling for rebounds and got some big offensive rebounds late in the game. That just shows how we play, and we are going to play our tails off. It was a great team win.”

Chloe Renner drives the lane during Monday’s overtime win against De Soto.

For a while, a victory was in doubt as De Soto started the third quarter on a 12-0 run after Louisburg had taken a two-point lead at halftime. De Soto went up 40-31 late in the third before the Lady Cats went on a mini run of their own.

After a pair of Simpson free throws, Renner hit a basket and then as the buzzer sounded to end the third, Holtzen knocked down a 3-pointer that brought the Louisburg bench to its feet and the De Soto lead to two.

Lancaster opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to give the Lady Cats a quick advantage, but it would change hands two more times before De Soto went on a 10-2 run to go up 52-45 with four minutes left in the game.

The Lady Cats (8-7) eased their way back into the game again after two free throws from Carson Buffington and a basket from Simpson with 1 minute and 40 seconds left in the contest to cut the De Soto lead to three.

That set up the heroics from Lancaster as she hit a 3-pointer with 50 seconds left that put the game into overtime.

“They were great shots and they didn’t hesitate,” Lowry said of the Holtzen and Lancaster 3-pointers. “There is no selfishness here and it is everyone doing their job and everyone playing their role when they are asked to. We had different kids step up tonight like Chloe and Haley who came off the bench and played great defense. Everyone really played a role in this.”

De Soto opened the overtime with a basket, but the Lady Cats were able to tie it and take the lead after Carson Buffington made a basket and was fouled. She made the free throw to convert the three-point play.

Carson would go on to convert four of her next five free throw opportunities, while Paige Buffington and Simpson also hit a pair of free throws to help give the Lady Cats the win.

During that time, the Lady Cats also got big rebounds from Carson Buffington and Renner, who gave Louisburg second chances at the basket.

Carson led the Lady Cats with a double-double as she recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds, to go along with an 8-for-9 performance from the free-throw line.

(From left) Emalee Overbay, Kennia Hankinson, Madisen Simpson, Tayler Lancaster, Carson Buffington and Paige Buffington were all smiles just after the final buzzer sounded in their 66-62 win.

“Carson cares about her team and cares about winning that game,” Lowry said. “She just stepped up there and nailed them, but it wasn’t for her, it was for her team. I am really happy for her though.”

In fact, the whole Louisburg team shot well from the free-throw line as the Lady Cats made 21 of their 24 attempts.

Simpson led the Lady Cats in scoring with 21 points, while Renner was second on the team with seven rebounds and had a team-high four assists.

The victory puts Louisburg in third place in the Frontier League with a 5-2 record, with its lone league losses coming to state-ranked Paola and Baldwin.

Louisburg will try and improve on that mark Friday when it hosts Ottawa. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

LOU               12           14           12           14           14 – 66

DES                13           11           16           12           10 – 62

LOUISBURG (8-7): Madisen Simpson 21, Carson Buffington 16, Tayler Lancaster 8, Paige Buffington 6, Kennia Hankinson 6, Chloe Renner 4, Isabelle Holtzen 3, Haley Cain 2. Totals: 19 21-24 66. 3-point field goals: 7, (Simpson 2, Lancaster 2, Hankinson 2, Holtzen)

Louisburg sophomore Carson Buffington dribbles down the floor on a fast break opportunity following one of her four steals Friday in Eudora. The Lady Cats put it altogether in the second half for a 57-33 win. 

EUDORA — For 16 minutes, the Louisburg High School girls basketball team had a tough time trying to work its way around Eudora’s zone defense.

The Lady Cats had just 16 points at halftime and they weren’t their usual scoring selves.

However, all it took was a couple tweaks and Louisburg got back on track in a 57-33 win Friday at Eudora High School. The Lady Cats turned up their defensive pressure, found a hole in the Cardinals’ zone defense and let the shots fly as they recorded nine 3-pointers on the night.

“Hats off to Eudora, they used a different zone than we are used to playing against and it had an odd front,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “We had to make some adjustments at halftime and we were able to execute much better than the first half. Our defensive intensity wasn’t that great in the first half either, but we picked that up in the second half too.”

That spark on the defensive end led to a big third quarter offensively for the Lady Cats.

Louisburg (7-7) had a 26-22 lead late in the third, but the Lady Cats were physical under the basket getting offensive rebounds and forced several turnovers that started a 12-0 run to end the quarter. Carson Buffington, Haley Cain, Emalee Overbay and Chloe Renner provided big rebounds during that stretch.

Senior Tayler Lancaster led the charge as she picked the pocket of the Eudora guards, which created several chances in the open floor. Lancaster knocked down two 3-pointers during the run and fellow senior Madisen Simpson also nailed a shot from beyond-the-arc that came off a Lancaster steal.

Louisburg senior Tayler Lancaster goes up for two of her 13 points Friday in Eudora.

“Tayler has been good on the ball for us with her pressure,” Lowry said. “She has good hands and she did a nice job (Friday).

“That run we had was big, but it started with getting on the floor for loose balls and it started with toughness stuff that led into that. I think there was a scramble there that had multiple girls on the floor and it led into the run. Everything that is good for us starts with us giving really good effort and our intensity being really good on defense.”

Lancaster had eight of the team’s 15 steals to go along with 13 points and the Louisburg guard takes pride in stopping her opponent.

“Defense is my main focus and creating a lot of ball pressure so they have problems getting the ball into the post,” Lancaster said. “Defense is where it starts for me and the rest of the team.”

The Lady Cats kept the pressure on as they started the fourth quarter on an 11-3 run and never looked back.

Simpson led the Lady Cats in scoring with 18 points and also had seven rebounds from the guard spot. Louisburg did a lot of work on the glass and Buffington had a team-high 12 rebounds, while Cain and Overbay had eight and seven, respectively. Buffington was second on the team with four steals.

Friday gave the Lady Cats a big Frontier League road victory, and also stopped a short two-game losing streak, which included a loss to rival Paola last week. Despite some setbacks here and there, the Lady Cats are enjoying their season as they continue to make improvements off a year ago.

“We have a sisterly bond,” Lancaster said. “We just work together and we have fun doing it. Even with the losses, we tough it out together and that is how we win our games.”

Louisburg returns home this week as it hosts De Soto tonight in a makeup contest. Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. The Lady Cats will also host Ottawa on Friday.

“We love defending our place, but getting these wins on the road are important to do,” Lowry said. “We have two tough games against De Soto and Ottawa at home so this win was a good one to get.”

LOU               9             7             22           19 – 57

EUD               5             3             14           11 – 33

LOUISBURG (7-7): Madisen Simpson 18, Tayler Lancaster 13, Chloe Renner 7, Kody Lowry 6, Carson Buffington 5, Emalee Overbay 3, Haley Cain 2, Isabelle Holtzen 2, Paige Buffington 1. Totals: 19 10-16 57. 3-point field goals: 9, (Simpson 4, Lancaster 3, Lowry 2)

Louisburg senior Jake Hill tries to back down a Paola defender during the Wildcats’ game Tuesday at Paola High School. Paola rallied for a 55-49 win over Louisburg.

PAOLA – The Louisburg High School boys basketball team was just minutes away from pulling off an upset of its league rival, and a possible future substate opponent, on the road.

A victory would have given the Wildcats an even bigger boost of confidence as they had already won three of their last four games going into Tuesday’s game at Paola High School. Unfortunately for Louisburg, the Wildcats will have to wait a little longer to try and knock off Paola.

The Panthers overcame a six-point deficit with four minutes left in the game to pull out a 55-49 win over Louisburg.

“The loss itself was disappointing, but the dedication to improvement our boys displayed that night and practice the next day was impressive,” Louisburg coach Jason Nelson said. “We’ve spoken of the necessity to maintain our game plan implementation for 32 minutes and we saw, first hand, what happens when we don’t execute. We went through a two-minute period where we didn’t execute at the defensive end and it cost us dearly.”

Louisburg (6-8) put together a 45-39 lead midway through the fourth quarter after 3-pointers from Jayce Geiman, Dalton Stone and a basket from Desmond Doles. Paola then called a timeout and the Panthers picked up their intensity.

Paola’s Dalton Rankin hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead in half, and then got a pair of baskets from Tanner Moala and Andrew Phillips to give them a 1-point lead with under three minutes left.

Wildcat senior Sam Guetterman hit a pair of free throws to put Louisburg up one again, but only for a short time.

Noah Bell responded with a 3-pointer to put Paola back on top by two points, then Louisburg senior T.J. Dover drove the lane for two points to tie it up with 1 minute and 16 seconds left.

Paola took the lead on pair of free throws by Brandon Wilkes, and then the Panthers got a Wildcat turnover, which turned into two points for Phillips and all but sealed the win for the home team.

The Wildcats were playing short-handed as they missed one of their post players in junior Dalton Ribordy, who was out with an illness. Nelson believes the team did what it could to pick up the slack, especially having to go up against a pair of 6-foot, 5-inch players in Moala and Matthew Wilson.

“Given our dramatic personnel rotation, we played really well,” Nelson said. “With Dalton out of the lineup, we’re significantly smaller, and knew we’d have to play some smalls on their bigs. Those who were tasked with playing against their bigs did a really good job.”

Senior Grant Harding led the Wildcats with a double-double as he recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds. Geiman also had a team-high 12 points, including four 3-pointers, while Dover finished with 10 points. Guetterman had eight points and six rebounds in the loss.

Bell led the Panthers with 13 points and Moala finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Louisburg will try to get back on the winning track, but the Wildcats face a tough test tonight on the road at No. 4 Eudora. The Wildcats played the Cardinals close for a half earlier this season and they hope to turn that into more this time around.

“We know that if and when we put 32 minutes of our style of basketball together we can play with most anybody and we’ve gotten progressively better,” Nelson said.

LOU             8             12           15           14 – 49

PAO             8             12           14           21 – 55

LOUISBURG (6-8): Jayce Geiman 12, Grant Harding 10, T.J. Dover 10, Sam Guetterman 8, Dalton Stone 6, Desmond Doles 2, Jake Hill 1. Totals: 19-46 7-11 49. 3-point field goals: 6, (Geiman 4, Stone 2)

Lady Cats fall to No. 8 Paola

PAOLA – At times, there wasn’t much the Louisburg girls basketball team could do Tuesday against Paola.

The Lady Cats played the type of defense they were looking for, but Paola always had an answer. The Panthers shot a high-percentage from the field as they took down Louisburg, 67-43.

“They are athletic,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said of Paola. “I am not sure what their shooting percentage was, but it was good. It is not that we were playing off anywhere, they were just hitting some nice shots and hats off to them for that. It was a nice offensive performance.”

Louisburg senior Tayler Lancaster tries to dribble into the lane Tuesday in Paola.

Paola senior Matti Morgan lifted her team with a game-high 27 points as she was perfect from the field.

Morgan and the rest of the Panthers were tough to stop as they scored 41 first half points and the Lady Cats weren’t able to keep up. The two teams provided a back-and-forth first quarter as Paola took a 24-17 lead going into the second.

“We did ok,” Lowry said. “We have some things that we have to make some adjustments on and some fundamental things that we have been doing and we didn’t do this time. We had some breakdowns that happened that the players know about and we will get it fixed. I wasn’t disappointed at all with our toughness or effort. The kids give a lot.”

Louisburg (6-7) got a bulk of its scoring from a pair of seniors. Madisen Simpson led the Lady Cats with 22 points, including four 3-pointers, while Paige Buffington finished with 12.

Sophomore Carson Buffington finished with a team-high 11 rebounds.

The Lady Cats will try and snap mini two-game losing skid tonight when they travel to Eudora.

“That is what great about this time of year is you are in the meat of your schedule with Tuesday and Friday games,” Lowry said. “Now we just have to get ready for the game (today) and turn around play two more times next week. We just need to get some of our stuff fixed.”

LOU             17           8             10           8 – 43

PAO             24           17           17           9 – 67

LOUISBURG (6-7): Madisen Simpson 22, Paige Buffington 12, Chloe Renner 4, Kennia Hankinson 3, Carson Buffington 2. Totals: 14 9-16 43. 3-point field goals: 6, (Simpson 4, P. Buffington 2)

Louisburg senior Emalee Overbay drives the lane during the Lady Cats’ fifth-place game of the Top Gun Tournament on Saturday at Wellsville High School. The Lady Cats came up short in a 63-56 loss.

WELLSVILLE — For three quarters, the Louisburg girls basketball team was able to outscore Wellsville on Saturday during the fifth-place game of the Top Gun Tournament.

It was other quarter that had the Lady Cats digging out of a hole the entire contest.

Wellsville used a big first quarter to distance itself from the Lady Cats early and handed Louisburg a 63-56 loss at Wellsville High School.

The Eagles outscored Louisburg 20-2 in the first quarter and eventually built a 22-point lead early in the second quarter before the Lady Cats started to chip away at the lead.

“We let some different things distract us and we just weren’t mentality prepared starting the game,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “We talk a lot about this process for us and this is definitely something we will learn from and be better next time.”

The Lady Cats (6-6) scored the first basket of the game on Madisen Simpson layup, but Wellsville would go on a 24-0 run to take the commanding lead. Louisburg, however, spent the last 22 minutes of the game cutting into the Eagle lead.

Louisburg nearly pulled off the improbable comeback as it cut the lead to four points midway through the fourth quarter on a basket from Paige Buffington.

“It would have been easy for many after that first quarter to check it in for the day but this group has a great deal of pride in the way they play together,” Lowry said. “Our seniors do a very good job of leading and battling when they’re faced with adversity.”

The Lady Cats faced a lot of adversity as it had to try to overcome a 22-point deficit on their opponent’s floor. Louisburg started by stopping the Wellsville run early in the second quarter and started to hit shots themselves.

Simpson and Buffington hit shots from the outside and each connected on three 3-pointers and the Lady Cats had seven for the day. Simpson led Louisburg in scoring with 20 points to go along with three assists and Buffington added 15 in the loss.

Louisburg also battled under the basket for loose balls and rebounds. Sophomore Carson Buffington finished with a game-high 17 rebounds to go along with eight points, while freshman Haley Cain came off the bench to add seven boards.

Madisen Simpson averaged 19 points a game for the tournament and earned a spot on the all-tournament team.

After the Lady Cats cut the lead to four points, it became a free throw shooting contest as the Eagles held the ball in the final four minutes of the game, forcing Louisburg to foul. Wellsville scored their final 11 points from the free-throw line and was 31 for 46 for the game compared to just 12 for 20 for Louisburg.

“It’s very important for us to continue and get better both individually and as a team each time we step on to the court, whether that be in practice or in a game,” Lowry said.  “All the players are committed to this and are playing with great effort, toughness and heart.”

Louisburg put together a strong tournament, especially offensively despite the 1-2 record.

The Lady Cats broke two tournament records, including the record for most 3-pointers in a game Thursday in the consolation semifinals against Anderson County. Louisburg made 14 3-pointers, which broke Ottawa’s old record of 12 in 2005.

Louisburg also set the record for most made 3-pointers by a team as they made 31 over the three game span. The Lady Cats broke the previous record of 25 set by Ottawa in 2005.

Individually, Simpson tied the tournament record for most made 3-pointers. She equaled Baldwin’s Kelsey Verheage’s mark of 12 in 2006 and 2007.

Along with her spot in tournament history, Simpson was also named to the all-tournament team as she averaged 19 points a game.

“Madisen continued her strong play last week in the tournament and we were all excited for her to be recognized for it,” Lowry said.

Louisburg will try and get back on the winning track, but it will be a challenge tonight as the Lady Cats travel to No. 8 Paola. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

WEL              20           14           8             21 – 63

LOU               2             21           11           22 – 56

LOUISBURG (6-6): Madisen Simpson 20, Paige Buffington 15, Carson Buffington 8, Tayler Lancaster 5, Kennia Hankinson 5, Emalee Overbay 2, Chloe Renner 1. Totals: 17 12-20 56. 3-point field goals: 7, (Simpson 3, P. Buffington 3, Lancaster)

Louisburg senior Chloe Renner passes off to a teammate after getting on the floor for a loose ball Thursday in the consolation semifinals of the Top Gun Tournament at Wellsville High School.

WELLSVILLE – Sophomore Carson Buffington can normally be found underneath the hoop, mixing it up for a rebound or a loose ball and getting the easy basket.

So when Buffington lined up for a 3-pointer during the consolation semifinal game of the Top Gun Tournament on Thursday, it looked a little out of place for some. Still, Buffington let the shot fly and knocked it down like she had done it all season.

The basket brought cheers from her bench and all coach Shawn Lowry could do was give a little smirk. It was that kind of night for the Lady Cats.

“I will say she has yellowish light, but she knows she can take that,” Lowry said. “She actually has a good shot from out there and she is starting to get more confident with it now. She is a pretty good shooter.”

Actually, a lot of the Louisburg team displayed that 3-point prowess against Anderson County as the Lady Cats set a tournament record for made 3-pointers in a game with a 63-25 blowout to advance to the fifth-place game on Saturday at Wellsville High School.

Louisburg nailed 14 3-pointers on the night as the Lady Cats put on their best shooting display of the season in what was an important bounce back game after losing to Spring Hill in the opening round of the tournament. The old record of 12 was set in 2005.

“When shots are falling like that, you know it is probably going to be a pretty good night,” Lowry said. “It started with our defense and our defensive intensity on the other end of the floor. Our intensity was really good and it was good coming off the bench, too.

“I challenged some of our players off the bench and they responded. Some of the players like Haley Cain, Kennia Hankinson, Isabelle Holtzen and Chloe Renner were really solid off the bench.”

Freshman Haley Cain works her way toward the basket against Anderson County on Thursday in Wellsville.

The 3-point shooting has been a big bonus for the Lady Cats as of late as they have made 34 shots from behind-the-arch in the last three games, including 10 each against Spring Hill in their previous two meetings.

Senior Madisen Simpson got it all started Thursday as she connected on five 3-pointers and scored a team-high 16 points and was one of three players to score in double figures. Hankinson, a sophomore, had three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points off the bench, while senior Tayler Lancaster had 10 points with two 3-pointers.

“When you set a tournament record, and there have been a lot of good teams in this tournament, that is a good thing for our girls,” Lowry said. “A lot of them contributed to that and we have been shooting the ball well lately, and this coming off the last two games where we have had 10 each.”

Paige Buffington had a pair of long shots, while Carson Buffington and junior Mikayla Quinn each had a trey to total the record-setting mark.

Defense got the Lady Cats (6-5) started as they frustrated Anderson County offensively and held the Bulldogs to no field goals in the first quarter, which led to a comfortable 39-12 lead at halftime.

Louisburg didn’t play like it had a big lead as it continued to pressure Anderson County and outscored the Bulldogs 15-7 in the third quarter before enforcing a running clock for the fourth.

The Lady Cats will face off with Wellsville for fifth place at 1:15 p.m. Saturday and they realize it is an important game.

“We wanted to get two wins out of this tournament and it started with Anderson County,” Lowry said. “This is our first step and Saturday we want to get that second win. It is going to be a tough one against a really good Wellsville team, but we will be ready.”

LOU               17           22           15           9 – 63

AC                  4             8             7             6 – 25

LOUISBURG (6-5): Madisen Simpson 16, Kennia Hankinson 11, Tayler Lancaster 10, Carson Buffington 8, Paige Buffington 6, Haley Cain 5, Mikayla Quinn 3, Isabelle Holtzen 2, Kody Lowry 2. Totals: 22 7-13 63. 3-point field goals: 14, (Simpson 5, Hankinson 3, P. Buffington 2, Lancaster 2, C. Buffington 1 Quinn 1)

Louisburg falls in close battle with Spring Hill

Just five days after the Louisburg girls basketball team earned an 11-point win over Spring Hill, the Lady Cats once again faced off with the Broncos — this time in the first round of the Top Gun Tournament.

The two teams found themselves in a back-and-forth match-up, but this time it was Spring Hill that came out on top.

Louisburg rallied from a double digit deficit to eventually take the lead late, but couldn’t hold on in a 59-57 loss.

Louisburg senior Paige Buffington drives the lane Tuesday against Spring Hill in Wellsville.

“That was a battle,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “That first quarter we really came out flat, but we really battled back and showed a lot in that fourth quarter to come back and take the lead. It showed a lot about this group. It was a really good basketball game. It was one where, if you are not directly involved, it was a fun one to watch and take in.”

The Lady Cats found themselves down by 10 points in the third quarter only to storm back. Louisburg senior Tayler Lancaster led the Lady Cats as she knocked down three 3-pointers in the third, including one with 47 seconds left that banked off the glass.

Lancaster continued her hot-shooting early in the fourth and gave the Lady Cats the lead at 44-41. Spring Hill eventually took a 47-44 advantage, only to see Lancaster tie the game again with a 3-pointer with four minutes left.

“Tayler had a great game and hit some big baskets,” Lowry said. “It all starts with ball pressure with her and she did great in the game.”

Fellow senior Madisen Simpson knocked down a 3-pointer to give Louisburg a 52-48 advantage. Simpson and Paige Buffington knocked down free throws to give the Lady Cats a 55-51 lead with a minute left.

Spring Hill cut the deficit to two with 56 seconds remaining, then stole the ball and Lauren Delker scored to tie the game for the Broncos. The two teams would trade free throws, but Delker struck again with a basket with 3.8 seconds left to give the Broncos the win.

Simpson led Louisburg in scoring with 22 points, while Lancaster finished with 18, including her five 3-pointers. Spring Hill’s Meghan Goff led all scorers with 23 points and Delker added 12 in the win.

LOU               6             13           20           18 – 57

SH                  10           14           17           18 – 59

LOUISBURG: Madisen Simpson 22, Tayler Lancaster 18, Paige Buffington 7, Carson Buffington 6, Kennia Hankinson 3, Emalee Overbay 1. Totals: 14 19-28 57. 3-point field goals: 10, (Lancaster 5, Simpson 4, Hankinson 1)

Louisburg senior Paige Buffington tries to dribble past a Spring Hill defender Thursday during the Lady Cats’ home contest against the Broncos. Louisburg defeated Spring Hill 60-49.

It never mattered how close Spring Hill got — or even when the Broncos took the lead for a few moments — Louisburg wasn’t about to give in, especially on its home floor.

Louisburg got a career-high in points from senior Madisen Simpson and the Lady Cats connected on 10 3-pointers as they put away Spring Hill, 60-49, in front of a large contingent of fans Tuesday at Louisburg High School.

The Lady Cats used a big second half to overcome a halftime deficit and improve their record to 5-4 and are currently 3-1 in Frontier League play.

“This is a big win for us and another one for us to build off of,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “After not playing for a week prior to this, it was good to come back and play well. This was a team that is in our league, in our substate and someone we are going to see in a tournament coming up.

“It was really good to get this win on our home floor. We had a great crowd, a fantastic student section and it felt like substate so that was neat for the girls to play in.”

Simpson provided the Lady Cats with several big baskets down the stretch as she connected of five of the team’s 10-3-pointers and scored 31 points, which was a new career high. Her previous personal best was set last month with a 28-point performance with a win at Ottawa.

Madisen Simpson drives to the basket for two points Thursday against Spring Hill. Simpson scored a career-high 31 points.

“This is her senior year and she put a lot of work in on her own and it is showing for her now,” Lowry said. “Madisen is playing with great confidence and she is playing her tail off all the way around. She is doing it defensively, offensively, she was our point guard in this game and she is taking care of the basketball for us. We are asking a lot of her, but that is why she is a captain.”

The two teams stayed within a few points of each other in the first half, but Louisburg took a three point lead to end the first as Simpson finished the quarter with five straight points and sophomore Kennia Hankinson hit a 3-pointer to overcome a small Spring Hill lead.

Spring Hill found its rhythm offensively in the second quarter as it scored 18 points in the frame. Louisburg’s Tayler Lancaster made a 3-pointer and Emalee Overbay hit a basket to open up a five point lead for the Lady Cats, but Spring Hill went on a 8-0 run to take a 22-19 advantage.

Simpson responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to give Louisburg the lead again, but the Broncos went on mini 7-2 run to take a 29-27 halftime lead.

Spring Hill played several different lineups and Louisburg had to adjust. Sometimes the Broncos would play with two post players in Savannah Leaton and Camie Williams who stand 6-0 and 6-1, respectively, and other times they would play with quicker lineups.

Isabelle Holtzen gets on the floor to tie up a Spring Hill player for a loose ball Thursday.

The Broncos would also try and change defenses to confuse the Lady Cats, but Louisburg was able to shoot itself out of any problem it encountered.

“Spring Hill mixes their defenses up quite a bit and give us different looks with their zone and man,” Lowry said. “I wasn’t sure what lineup they were going to start with, but we were prepared for those differences. We are not a big team, but you see how we play against big teams, and that is with toughness. Our girls will play with anyone no matter how tall they are.”

Lousiburg took the lead right back to start the third quarter and never gave it back to the Broncos. Simpson and Lancaster opened with back-to-back 3-pointers and eventually took a 42-36 lead into the fourth.

Spring Hill caught fire to start the fourth as Spring Hill’s Lauren Delker hit back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 44-all with under five minutes left in the contest.

However, Louisburg’s Paige Buffington and Lancaster answered with two consecutive 3-pointers of their own to stop the Spring Hill run and the Lady Cats were able to pull away from there.

“Those are just two more seniors that basically said there that they refuse to lose on their home floor,” Lowry said. “It is a pride thing for us too. We want to defend this place and we work really hard to make sure we win as many games as we can at home.”

Lancaster ended the game with nine points and was second on the team in scoring. Buffington finished with seven points, six assists and a pair of steals.

On the glass, sophomore Carson Buffington finished with a team-high 13 rebounds and guard Isabelle Holtzen was next with five.

The Lady Cats won’t have to wait long to see Spring Hill again as they will face off with the Broncos Tuesday in the opening round of the Top Gun Tournament at Wellsville High School. Tipoff is set for 6:45 p.m., and if the Lady Cats advance, could meet Piper — the No. 1 team in Class 4A — in the next round.

“It is a fun tournament,” Lowry said. “I would love to have our tournament back, but this one is great to play in. They do a lot of different things for the girls and we will play some great teams. The No. 1 team in the state is sitting there and there is an opportunity that we will get to play them. I know the girls are looking forward to the tournament.”

LOU               14           13           15           18 – 60

SH                  11           18           7             13 – 49

LOUISBURG (5-4): Madisen Simpson 31, Tayler Lancaster 9, Paige Buffington 7, Carson Buffington 4, Emalee Overbay 4, Kennia Hankinson 3, Chloe Renner 2. Totals: 19-49 12-18 60. 3-point field goals: 10, (Simpson 5, Lancaster 3, P. Buffington, Hankinson)

Louisburg sophomore Carson Buffington gets on the floor for a loose ball Tuesday in the Lady Cats’ home game with Frontenac. Buffington finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds in the 50-27 win.

Following Friday’s 30-plus point loss to state-ranked Baldwin, the Louisburg High School girls basketball team walked off the floor with one of the worst feelings possible.

Not only did the Lady Cats lose the game, they were beaten to loose balls, struggled defensively and it was a performance they just wanted to put behind them.

Before they did that, however, they wanted to use that game as motivation. Louisburg didn’t want to experience that feeling again – and four days later – the Lady Cats changed all that.

The Lady Cats were on the right end of a blowout game this time around as they downed Frontenac 50-27 on Tuesday at Louisburg High School.

They were on the floor for loose balls, smothered Frontenac on defense and were aggressive on the glass – a total turnaround from Friday.

“We talked at practice that one game, good or bad, doesn’t define us,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. ‘I said that is all about how we respond and react. That is who they are, that is their character that showed (Tuesday).

“I was really proud of the defensive effort and we got on the floor immediately. Anything that went on the floor we were battling for. They were disappointed in themselves last week and letting someone beat them to loose balls. That won’t be happening with this group and it showed.”

Senior Chloe Renner goes up for a basket Tuesday against Frontenac.

In between all those floor burns, the Lady Cats (4-4) were also efficient offensively, especially in the first half. Louisburg jumped out to a 17-5 lead in the first quarter and outscored Frontenac 16-5 in the second to take a 33-14 halftime lead.

Senior Madisen Simpson provided Louisburg with a big boost offensively, especially from behind-the-arch as she finished with 22 points, including four 3-pointers.

Sophomore Carson Buffington provided the Lady Cats with a presence down low with a double-double. Buffington scored 10 points and pulled down a team-high 15 rebounds to go along with several tussles on the floor for loose balls.

Senior Chloe Renner came off the bench to finish with nine points and six rebounds.

“We took care of the ball against a defense that we don’t see a lot of and only had a couple days to prepare for,” Lowry said. “I thought the girls did a nice job with that and understanding what they were supposed to do. We have some girls that are just flat out battling for everything and I can’t say that enough. From the seniors, on down the line, everyone was just working hard.

“Carson was playing like a crazy woman out there and she was all over the floor for loose balls and rebounds and that was really fun to see.”

Defensively, the Lady Cats frustrated Frontenac and held the Raiders’ best post player, Kaylee Harper, to 13 points. Harper scored nine of Frontenac’s first 11 points before picking up her second foul and the Lady Cats took advantage.

“She is a good player,” Lowry said of Harper. “She is a nice player and we will see some other ones like that here pretty soon. It was a nice challenge for us to get to play someone like that. I thought everyone did a real nice job defensively.”

Louisburg forced 14 steals and turned those into easy baskets in transition. Senior Paige Buffington was especially active as she had a team-high eight steals to go along with seven assists offensively.

The Lady Cats also rebounded well as they pulled down 17 offensive boards, which turned into several second chance opportunities.

“It is contagious in that when someone lays out for a play, it feeds, but it can be contagious the other way,” Lowry said. “The moping and putting your head down is also contagious. We want to start out that we will battle for everything.”

Louisburg will try for its second straight win Friday when it hosts De Soto for homecoming. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

“It is a big game for us and for where the league is at right now,” Lowry said. “It is on our home floor and we are excited to play, especially after Tuesday.”

LOU               17           16           9             8 – 50

FRON            9             5             8             5 – 27

LOUISBURG (4-4): Madisen Simpson 22, Carson Buffington 10, Chloe Renner 9, Kennia Hankinson 3, Haley Cain 2, Tayler Lancaster 2, Paige Buffington 2. Totals: 16-52 13-20 50. 3-point field goals: 5, (Simpson 4, Hankinson)

Louisburg sophomore Kennia Hankinson dives on the floor for a loose ball with a Baldwin player Friday at Baldwin High School. The Lady Cats fell to the No. 4 ranked Bulldogs, 65-26.

BALDWIN CITY – Just a month ago, the Louisburg girls basketball team played state-ranked Baldwin to a six-point game.

At the time, it was a step in the right direction for the Lady Cats.

The two teams saw each other again Friday when Louisburg traveled to Baldwin in its first game back from the holiday break.

It was a totally different contest.

Baldwin, the No. 4 team in Class 4A-Division I, jumped on the Lady Cats early and handed Louisburg a 65-26 loss. It was the first Frontier League loss for the Lady Cats and ended a three-game winning streak.

“It was a different Louisburg team this time around,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “It was that as much as anything. We have some things we need to work on. We are going to get back at it in practice. We have two home games this week and we are going to get back to work. We know this is a process and journey. Baldwin is a really good team, but they didn’t get our best shot.”

Baldwin asserted itself early as it used a full-court press to force several first half turnovers and quick shots. The Lady Cats (3-4) also dealt with foul problems as they were never able to get in any kind of rhythm.

Following a Madisen Simpson 3-pointer that tied the game early in the first quarter, the Bulldogs went on a 19-4 run to take 17-point lead and the Lady Cats were unable to get much closer.

“I think a lot of it was just confidence for us,” Lowry said. “It was mentally more than anything. We had a hard time with their press and our defense wasn’t that great. We just need to get back at it in practice and get better.”

Simpson led Louisburg in scoring with eight points, while senior Paige Buffington and sophomore Kennia Hankinson scored six and five points, respectively. Sophomore Carson Buffington finished with a team-high eight rebounds.

Baldwin’s Abby Ogle led all scorers with 23 points.

Louisburg returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Frontenac and then will play its second home game Friday when it faces off with De Soto for homecoming. Tipoff for both games is set for approximately 6 p.m.

LOU               7             8             7             4 – 26

BAL                22           18           23           2 – 65

LOUISBURG (3-4): Madisen Simpson 8, Paige Buffington 6, Kennia Hankinson 5, Isabelle Holtzen 3, Chloe Renner 3, Emalee Overbay 1. Totals: 7-32 9-21 26. 3-point field goals: 3, (Simpson 2, Hankinson)

Louisburg senior Tayler Lancaster tries to drive around an Ottawa defender during the Lady Cats’ game Monday in Ottawa. The Lady Cats defeated the Cyclones 55-40.

OTTAWA – Madisen Simpson had the type of scoring night only a handful players in Louisburg girls basketball history can relate to.

During Monday’s game in Ottawa, Simpson exploded for a career-high 28 points, including 6-for-8 from 3-point range and the Cyclones didn’t have an answer for the Louisburg senior guard.

More importantly, Simpson’s scoring output helped give the Lady Cats a big boost in their 55-40 win over Ottawa. It was the third straight victory for Louisburg as it heads into the holiday break with a 3-3 record and a 2-0 mark in the Frontier League.

As big as Simpson was for the Lady Cats, it was their defense that propelled them to a fast start as they finished with 15 steals on the night as they kept Ottawa at arm’s length, despite a slow second quarter.

“I challenged some of the seniors at halftime and their response was great,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “They responded like you would have hoped they would. I am really proud of them. I think the thing you are seeing too is that it is a collective effort. Madisen had a great night, obviously, but other girls did good things defensively and rebounding so it was a good team win.”

Louisburg jumped out to a quick start as it took a 21-11 lead into the second quarter, and from there, the Lady Cats had a tough time keeping that same momentum going to finish the half as Ottawa outscored them 9-6.

Louisburg senior Madisen Simpson goes up for two of her game-high 28 points Monday in Ottawa.

The Lady Cats still took a 27-20 lead into halftime, but Lowry wanted to see more and the team responded to his challenge.

“We really came out strong,” Simpson said. “Our defense was high-intensity to start the game, but once the second quarter started we dropped a little bit. We got into a little bit of foul trouble, but we were able to pick it back up and worked hard as a team. Even when the younger players came in at the end, they finished it for us and it really was a good win.”

The players seemed to take to heart whatever their coach said as Louisburg went on to outscore Ottawa 16-8 in the third quarter to go up by double digits and all but seal the win over the Cyclones.

As much as Simpson helped the Lady Cats in the scoring department, she also performed on the defensive end. Simpson, along with sophomore Carson Buffington and senior Tayler Lancaster, led the team with four steals each.

Senior Paige Buffington and junior Isabelle Holtzen also provided a lot of defensive pressure on the perimeter.

“Madisen has taken that point guard role on for us this year and she has not missed a beat there for us,” Lowry said. “However for her, it all starts defensively. When she came in as a freshman, I challenged her a lot. I knew she wanted to be an offensive player, but I am so proud of the defensive player that she is. Yes, she had 28, but her defense is what I am most proud of.

“I thought Paige was really solid too, and she wasn’t feeling really well, but that is why she is a captain for us. She will give whatever her team needs her to give, even when she is not feeling great. Proud of her for that.”

Lancaster almost reached double digits in scoring with nine points, while Carson Buffington led the Lady Cats with eight rebounds and senior Chloe Renner added five.

The win provided the Lady Cats with a big boost heading into the holiday break. They have already matched their win total from a season ago and are looking for several more wins in the season’s final two months.

“I knew that we were going to be better than last year with all the hard work we put in during the preseason and commitment week,” Simpson said. “I didn’t think that our defensive intensity would be this high, this soon. Our defense is absolutely amazing right now, and as we go further into the season, I can’t imagine what it is going to be like later on.”

Louisburg returns to action on Jan. 6 when it travels to Baldwin. Tipoff for the girls game is set for 6 p.m.

LOU               21           6             16           12 – 55

OTT               11           9             8             12 – 40

LOUISBURG (3-3): Madisen Simpson 28, Tayler Lancaster 9, Haley Cain 6, Paige Buffington 4, Isabelle Holtzen 3, Chloe Renner 3, Carson Buffington 2. Totals: 22-48 4-10 55. 3-point field goals: 7, (Simpson 6, Lancaster)

Louisburg senior Madisen Simpson puts up a shot in the lane during Tuesday’s home opener against Eudora. The Lady Cats scored 19 unanswered points to open the game and ran away for 43-23 win. 

It was a rough fourth quarter Tuesday as the Louisburg girls basketball team failed to score in the game’s final eight minutes.

For most teams that would spell doom and gloom, but not Louisburg. Even after that rough patch, the Lady Cats still won – and they did it comfortably.

That should tell you about all you need to know as Louisburg dominated Eudora 43-23 in its home opener at Louisburg High School. The Lady Cats scored 19 unanswered points to jump out to a big lead to start the game and captured their second consecutive win in the process.

“Defense really set the tone for the game and our offense kind of fed off that, especially early,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “The girls have challenged each other hard at practice and we played well.

“It was just a great effort. We were on the floor getting all the loose balls and I think that is our identity. We found that out early on and we are going to have to be a team that fights for every loose ball. We are going to have to be disciplined about how we rebound the ball and how we defend.”

Louisburg senior Chloe Renner goes up for two points Tuesday against Eudora.

Defensively, the Lady Cats (2-3) smothered the Eudora offense as they held the Cardinals scoreless for more than eight minutes and Eudora didn’t score its first field goal until 47 seconds left in the first half.

Louisburg was active defensively most of the night and tallied 12 steals as a team. Five of those steals came from guard Isabelle Holtzen as the Lady Cat junior was one of several players to turn up the pressure on the perimeter.

“They really responded,” Lowry said of his team “After the tournament last week, they responded about some of the things I talked to them about defensively. I think they saw some sparks of that in some of the games that we played in before, and our practices since then have been preparing to do this kind of defensive work and they really embraced that. It is another step for us to become the team that we know we can be later this year.

“I thought Isabelle really sparked us defensively. “She is such a scrappy kid and she is one of the kids that you love to have around because she is going to battle for everything.”

Senior Tayler Lancaster opened the game with five consecutive points to help build a 7-0 lead and senior Madisen Simpson finished the first quarter with seven points to put Louisburg up 19-0.

Free throws from senior Chloe Renner and a basket from senior Paige Buffington gave Louisburg a 20-point advantage to start the second quarter. Holtzen had a steal and a score and Simpson followed with five straight points to put the Lady Cats up 29-2 right before halftime.

Louisburg put together a 43-12 lead going into the fourth quarter and eventually forced a running clock. The Lady Cats also performed well from the free-throw line as they converted 15 of 20 opportunities.

Simpson led the Lady Cats in scoring with 14 points and Holtzen was next on the team with seven points to go along with her five steals. Buffington, Renner and Lancaster all finished with six points.

Sophomore Carson Buffington led Louisburg with seven rebounds and freshman Haley Cain added five.

“We have kids that are growing up and doing more,” Lowry said. “Chloe is starting to feel more comfortable and more confident. You can see that in her play and defensively is where it started for her. Haley is a freshman, and she is still trying to figure out the high school game, but she is getting things as well.”

Louisburg will try for its third consecutive win today when it travels to Ottawa for its final game before the holiday break. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

LOU               19           10           14           0 – 43

EUD               0             5             7             11 – 23

LOUISBURG (2-3): Madisen Simpson 14, Isabelle Holtzen 7, Tayler Lancaster 6, Paige Buffington 6, Chloe Renner 6, Carson Buffington 4. Totals: 12-33 15-20 43. 3-point field goals: 4, (Simpson 2, Holtzen, Lancaster)