Louisburg junior Madisen Simpson puts up a shot in the lane during Friday’s home contest against Spring Hill. The Lady Cats rallied from 14 points down in the third quarter, but came up just short in a 49-44 loss.

For the first 24 minutes, things looked bleak for the Louisburg girls basketball team.

During Friday’s home contest against Spring Hill, the Lady Cats scored just 23 points through three quarters and were down 14 points going into the final eight minutes of the game.

Nothing foretold what was going to happen next.

Louisburg’s offense came to life in the final period as it scored 21 points in the frame and cut a double-digit deficit to just two with under two minutes remaining. Despite the furious comeback, the Lady Cats couldn’t quite get over the hump in the 49-44 loss.

Still, the comeback left a positive impression in the Louisburg locker room.

“This was probably one of our most unselfish efforts on offense and defense,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “Everyone was doing their job and it was fun to watch.”

A lot of things came together in the fourth quarter for Louisburg. Defensively, the Lady Cats held the Broncos to just one field goal, and offensively they saw shots start to fall thanks to work on the offensive glass.

The Lady Cats (3-15) pulled down 15 offensive rebounds on the night, including several in the fourth. Freshman Carson Buffington led the Lady Cats with 15 total rebounds for the game and senior Megan Lemke added seven.

Louisburg junior Emalee Overbay stretches out for a rebound during Friday’s home game against Spring Hill.

Louisburg also shot well from the outside, which started the Lady Cats’ comeback. Junior Madisen Simpson hit two 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the quarter and sophomore Isabelle Holtzen also made key shots late in the game.

“We had some big boards,” Lowry said. “Carson having 15 rebounds and Megan had seven and all of those were big for us and keeping balls alive. Isabelle really made some key shots for us there toward the end. She has been struggling with her shot recently, so to see her hit those was great. She has worked a lot on that. Emalee (Overbay) also did some great things defensively and did a better job rebounding as well.”

Three minutes into the fourth quarter, the Lady Cats trimmed a 14-point deficit to six after Simpson’s two 3-pointers and a jumper from Holtzen.

Down eight points, Overbay went to the free-throw line for Louisburg and made the first. The second attempt rolled off, but Buffington pulled down the offensive rebound and Lemke hit a shot to make it 42-36, Spring Hill.

Holtzen hit another jumper at the 2 minute and 40 second mark, then Buffington followed with a putback with 1:47 left to cut it to two. The Lady Cats could get no closer as they sent the Broncos to the line and they converted free throws down the stretch.

Louisburg had to play from behind from the start as Spring Hill opened the game with a 12-3 run to take a 16-7 lead after the first quarter. The Lady Cats were able to stay with the Broncos for the final three quarters, which set up the fourth quarter comeback.

“After the first quarter, I think we were able to settle down and figure some things out defensively,” Lowry said. “We talked a lot more and we were helping each other out in getting people where they were supposed to be. Once they did that, they started to click. It was good to see.”

Simpson led the Lady Cats in scoring with 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Lemke was next with nine points to go along with her seven rebounds and Holtzen finished with eight.

Louisburg will play in its final regular season home game Tuesday when it hosts De Soto. The Lady Cats will also honor seniors Megan Lemke and Megan Roy during senior night ceremonies.

Tipoff for the game is set for 6 p.m., and Lowry hopes his team can show the same kind of fight to finish out the year.

“That is what this group is – they don’t ever quit,” Lowry said. “They are going to keep playing and battling. Especially at this point in the season, games are getting fewer and they are going to make it count.”

LOUISBURG                7             10           6             21 – 44

SPRING HILL               16           13           8             12 – 49

LOUISBURG (3-15): Madisen Simpson 4-16 2-2 13; Megan Lemke 3-8 2-2 9; Isabelle Holtzen 4-11 0-0 8; Emalee Overbay 2-7 2-6 6; Carson Buffington 1-6 2-3 4; Paige Buffington 1-4 2-2 4. Totals: 15-59 8-15 44. 3-point field goals: 4, (Simpson 3, Lemke)

Louisburg sophomore Isabelle Holtzen dribbles past a Baldwin defender during Tuesday’s contest at Louisburg High School. The Lady Cats fell to No. 5 ranked Baldwin 62-34.

The Louisburg girls basketball team knew Baldwin was one of the better teams in the state coming into Tuesday’s contest.

Baldwin didn’t do anything that changed the Lady Cats’ mind.

The Bulldogs, the No. 5 team in Class 4A Division II, showed why they had the high ranking as they defeated Louisburg 62-34 at Louisburg High School.

“They are a good team,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “They have some really nice players, but they work really hard and give a lot of effort. It is hard to not watch them and like how they play the game. Hats off to (Baldwin coach) Bob (Martin) and those guys, they do a really nice job.”

Louisburg (3-14) had a tough time breaking Baldwin’s full-court press, and in turn, the Bulldogs were able to score several points off Lady Cat turnovers. Baldwin jumped out to a 13-3 lead after the first quarter and scored 24 points in the second to build a 37-12 halftime.

Baldwin was also able to connect from the outside as it hit eight 3-pointers on the night.

“We weren’t very strong with the ball and you have to give credit to Baldwin,” Lowry said. “They made some adjustments to their press since the first time that we played, so that flustered us early on a little.”

The Lady Cats offense was able to get going in the third quarter as they scored more points in the one frame than they did the entire first half. Louisburg put up 14 points in the third to finish out the game with some positives.

Junior Madisen Simpson led the Lady Cats in scoring with 12 points and sophomore Isabelle Holtzen added seven in the loss. Freshman forward Carson Buffington led Louisburg with 11 rebounds on the night to go along with six points.

Louisburg will try and get back on track Friday when it hosts Spring Hill in its next-to-last home game. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

“We are going to keep working hard and come back to practice and work on some things,” Lowry said. “I need some of our leaders to step up and set the tone for the rest of this season, which they will do. I believe in these girls.”

LOUISBURG                3             9             14           8 – 34

BALDWIN                    13           24           17           8 – 62

LOUISBURG (3-14): Madisen Simpson 3-13 4-4 12; Isabelle Holtzen 2-3 1-2 7; Carson Buffington 3-5 0-2 6; Emalee Overbay 2-2 0-0 4; Julianne Finley 1-1 0-0 2; Bailey Kern 0-3 2-3 2; Paige Buffington 0-4 1-2 1. Totals: 12-38 7-11 34. 3-point field goals: 3, (Simpson 2, Holtzen)

Louisburg freshman Kennia Hankinson drives to the basket during Friday’s road contest in Ottawa. Hankinson led the Lady Cats with 16 points, but Louisburg fell to the Cyclones despite a season-high 54 points.

OTTAWA – It was the highest scoring output the Louisburg girls basketball team had posted all year.

The Lady Cats connected on 18 field goals Friday against Ottawa, including 12 3-pointers, which was 10 more points than it had scored all season. As impressive as those numbers were, Ottawa had the stat of the night.

The Cyclones converted on 26 of 35 free-throw attempts, which was good enough to get past Louisburg in a 64-54 victory as the Lady Cats nearly pulled off the road upset at Ottawa High School.

“It was a really good free-throw shooting night for them,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “I can’t say anything about the officiating, but it is what it is. A lot of credit to Ottawa to step up and hit those free throws like that. We put them on the line, but they made them. It made it really tough for us to get back in the game.”

Ottawa hit a bulk of its free throws in the fourth quarter as Louisburg tried to make a run to get back in it. The Cyclones made 16 of 21 free throws in the final period, which all but sealed the win.

It was the Lady Cats’ long range game that kept them in it. The 12 3-pointers were a season-high for Louisburg and it helped them take a lead in the second quarter.

Freshman Kennia Hankinson opened the second with back-to-back 3-pointers, and after a pair of free throws from senior Megan Lemke and a 3-pointer from Paige Buffington, the Lady Cats had a 22-16 lead with five minutes left in the first half.

However, Ottawa would go on a 9-2 run to end the quarter and take a 25-24 advantage into halftime. Five of those nine points came from the free-throw line.

The Cyclones kept the momentum to start the third quarter as it built a double-digit lead. Junior Madisen Simpson kept the Lady Cats close as she scored all seven of the team’s point in the frame, but Ottawa took a 40-31 lead into the fourth.

Isabelle Holtzen rises up for a shot Friday during the Lady Cats’ league game in Ottawa.

The Lady Cats (3-13) made one final run at it as Hankinson and Simpson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the quarter and cut the Cyclone lead the lead to five. However, Ottawa went on an 8-0 run and Louisburg could get no closer.

“Scoring wise, I thought it was pretty good,” Lowry said. “They have some nice players and we had some breakdowns defensively. We also have some kids that aren’t 100 percent right now, and everyone is dealing with this, not just our team. I liked a lot of stuff that the girls did, though.”

Hankinson, who had missed several games with an illness, quickly regained her shooting form in her first game back. She connected on five 3-pointers and tied a team-high with 16 points to go along with six rebounds.

Simpson made four 3-pointers and also finished with 16 points for the Lady Cats. Lemke added nine points and seven rebounds, while freshman Carson Buffington had seven points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

“We had four days to prepare for this one and we got a lot of shooting in this week,” Lowry said. “I was glad to see the girls step up and hit those shots.”

Louisburg will have another tough test Tuesday when it hosts Baldwin, the No. 5 team in Class 4A, Division II, for its first of three consecutive home games. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

LOUISBURG                11           13           7             23 – 54

OTTAWA                     14           11           15           24 – 64

LOUISBURG (3-13): Madisen Simpson 6-21 0-2 16; Kennia Hankinson 5-11 1-2 16; Megan Lemke 2-7 4-4 9; Carson Buffington 3-4 1-1 7; Paige Buffington 2-11 0-0 6. Totals: 18-59 6-9 54. 3-point field goals: 12, (Hankinson 5, Simpson 4, P. Buffington 2, Lemke)

Louisburg junior coaches (from left) Sienna Finch, Kenna Cooley, Jenna Cauthon and Megan Quinn pose with the Louisburg girls basketball team in the locker room Friday following their homecoming victory over Eudora.

In the life of a high school athlete, there never seems to be enough time to do everything.

After a full day of school, there is practice, then back home for dinner and homework – or in some cases it is off to a part-time job. Then you get up and start it all over again.

It is a vicious cycle.

But for the Louisburg High School girls basketball team, the players have given up some of that precious time to give back to the Louisburg community.

Whether it was a trip to a skilled nursing facility to help put up Christmas decorations or talking to a group of elementary school girls, the Lady Cat players and coaches want to make sure they are seen more than in just a gymnasium.

“What’s great about the kids in our program, school and community is that they genuinely care about helping others and take a great deal of pride in doing it together,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said.

The Lady Cats’ most recent activity was on Feb. 2 when they met with the fourth-grade girls at Broadmoor Elementary School. Lowry asked his players to prepare presentations to give to the students.

Lady Cat players (from left) Megan Roy, Paige Buffington and Mikayla Quinn teach a group of fourth-graders the LHS fight song on Feb. 2 at Broadmoor Elementary School.

The presentations included what their game days are like and what it means to be a part of a team. Lowry wanted his players to tell the girls what playing basketball meant to them and what it was like to be a Lady Cat.

They also taught the fourth-graders the school fight song and signed autographs as the players handed out their own playing cards.

“It was such an eye opening day because I realized how badly I want to go back and do it all over again as a fourth grader looking to the future,” senior Megan Lemke said. “I loved visiting with them, answering their questions and giving them motivation to commit to basketball. I love the legacy Lady Cat basketball has built.”

The day wasn’t done as the players picked a student from each fourth-grade class to serve as a junior coach for last Friday’s homecoming game against Eudora. Jenna Cauthon, Sienna Finch, Kenna Cooley and Megan Quinn were selected to sit behind the bench during the game.

Life as a junior coach was a busy one as all four girls went into the locker room before the game and they stood with the team captains during the official’s meeting. They were then introduced before the game and stood in the team circle as the starters were announced.

As luck would have it, the junior coaches also got to go into the locker room following the contest and celebrate after the Lady Cats’ 27-25 win. The final step was to go out with Lowry for the post-game interview with the media.

“The best part was watching them come together as a team and get a win,” Quinn said.

“I really liked that they showed a lot of teamwork,” Cooley added.

Although everyone was happy about the win, the team will always remember the celebration in the locker room.

“Having the junior coaches with us was very special and I don’t think any of us will soon forget the smiles on their faces in our locker room after the game,” Lowry said.

“This was a really great experience for our girls and they had a blast doing it. I was impressed with how attentive and interactive the fourth-grade girls were and what a great job our girls did with them. This process also helped our girls better understand my comments about those young girls that watch them to see how they act because they want to be them when they get to high school.”

Speaking to elementary students was just one of a few different things the Lady Cats have done this past two months.

The LHS girls basketball team poses together after they helped decorate Louisburg Healthcare and Rehab for Christmas in December.

Around the holidays, the team made the trip to Louisburg Healthcare and Rehab to put up Christmas decorations and visit with residents. In January, the Lady Cats also helped run the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest.

“Giving back to the community brings us closer to each other and closer to the people who live in Louisburg,” Lemke said. “When we put up decorations at the nursing home we get to bond as teammates and visit with the residents. It makes us all grateful to be able to help.”

Although the Lady Cats didn’t realize it at the time, they would get rewarded for their efforts later. On Thursday, the team was informed that it was chosen as the KCTV5 and Hy-Vee Team of the Week.

The Kansas City television station taped the short award ceremony later that afternoon to the excitement of everyone on the team.

The LHS girls basketball team lets out a scream Thursday when they were presented with the Hy-Vee Team of the Week award.

It was quite the week for the Lady Cats. One that started talking with a gym full of fourth-grade girls, then received an award, picked up a big win Friday with the help of their four junior coaches and then watched as their teammate, Megan Roy, was crowned as homecoming queen.

Even if they didn’t get the team honor earlier in the week, the Lady Cats realized they have already been rewarded – and then some.

“I think it’s very important to give back because it shows that being a team player goes beyond the court,” Lemke said. “We get to apply our hard work and dedication by giving back to others. Then we get to share those memories together.”

Louisburg freshman Carson Buffington gets on the floor for a loose ball Friday during the Lady Cats’ homecoming game against Eudora at Louisburg High School. Buffington pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds in the 27-25 win.

Homecoming week always presents its fair share of distractions for coaches and players alike.

For the Louisburg High School girls basketball team, however, most of those distractions turned out to be good ones. Whether it was teaching a group of fourth-graders, winning an award or supporting teammate Megan Roy for homecoming queen, it was a week full of positives.

Those positives continued Friday night as the Lady Cats ended a memorable few days with a 27-25 victory over Eudora at Louisburg High School. The win also provided the Lady Cats with their second win in a week.

“It has been a great week,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “Just everything that the girls have done and gone through this week, and with it being homecoming, it was great to see them get a win. You could definitely tell it was homecoming this week with the way the game started out, but it is not always how you script it out to be. The girls played well, different girls stepped up and they are excited about the win.”

It was a rocky start for both teams, at least offensively. The two teams combined for six points in the first quarter and Louisburg took a two-point lead into the second.

In fact, the Lady Cats (3-12) held a two-point advantage for much of the contest and had the lead for all but one possession. Louisburg extended its lead on different occasions, but Eudora always narrowed the gap.

The Louisburg bench leaps into the air with excitement as the buzzer sounds in the Lady Cats’ 27-25 win over Eudora.

Louisburg played with a bend, but don’t break mentality.

“We stepped up defensively when we needed to and we took care of the ball when we needed to,” Lowry said. “That was good to see us close out a game like that.”

The Lady Cats opened the second quarter on an 8-2 run thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers from Madisen Simpson and Paige Buffington, and Carson Buffington added another basket to push the lead to 12-4.

Eudora went on a 6-0 run of its own to end the half and the Lady Cats took a 12-10 lead at halftime.

Paige Buffington began the second half with a 3-pointer, but the Cardinals went on another mini 5-0 run to tie the game. Simpson broke the tie with a 3-pointer and Megan Lemke added a basket to widen the lead out to four points.

In times when shots weren’t falling, the Lady Cats got a boost of energy from forward Carson Buffington. The Louisburg freshman racked up a lot of hustle points as she pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds and kept several possessions alive.

“It feels really good because we put a lot of hard work and effort into it and it feels awesome to get a win,” Carson said. “We came out in the second half and gave it our all. We really pushed and it worked out for us.”

Louisburg junior Emalee Overbay leaps for a rebound during Friday’s homecoming game against Eudora.

Lowry saw a lot of good things out of Carson, who has racked up double-digit rebound totals in nearly every game this season.

“I thought a spark for us was Carson,” Lowry said. “Some of the things that she does is just amazing. She got several offensive rebounds and that was all from effort. She just comes flying out of nowhere to get those and she has been doing that all year.”

The fourth quarter was much of the same as the two teams traded baskets before the Lady Cats held off a late charge from the Cardinals to seal the win.

Simpson and Paige Buffington led the Lady Cats in scoring with eight points each and Carson added five points in the win. Junior Emalee Overbay pulled down five rebounds, while sophomore Isabelle Holtzen had a team-high three steals to help the Lady Cat defense.

The victory capped off what was as busy week for the Lady Cats, one that included a special award. On Thursday, the Lady Cats were honored with the KCTV5, Hy-Vee Team of the Week Award.

“I have enjoyed this group as much as any other group I have been around because of how hard they work together,” Lowry said. “They do it in practice and then they come out and do it in the game. This week was really great because of the character of these kids and they do everything that is asked of them. Coaches only hope they can coach a group of girls like what I have. I am very proud of them.”

LOUISBURG                4             8             10           5 – 27

EUDORA                      2             8             8             7 – 25

LOUISBURG (3-12): Madisen Simpson 2-9 2-3 8; Paige Buffington 3-6 0-1 8; Carson Buffington 2-4 1-2 5; Megan Lemke 1-5 0-0 2; Isabelle Holtzen 1-7 0-0 2; Emalee Overbay 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 10-34 3-6 27. 3-point field goals: 4, (Simpson 2, P. Buffington 2)

Louisburg junior Paige Buffington drives past three Paola defenders to go up for a shot during Tuesday’s home contest against the Panthers. The Lady Cats fell 62-34 to the No. 5 ranked Panthers.

For the second time in a week, the Louisburg girls basketball team found itself against a top five team in the state.

The Lady Cats faced off with rival Paola, the No. 5 team in Class 4A-Division I, on Tuesday at Louisburg High School and decided to hang around for a while. Louisburg stayed within striking distance for the first three quarters, but the final one turned out to be too much to handle for the Lady Cats.

Paola held Louisburg to four points in the fourth quarter and the Lady Cats fell 62-34.

“We have been playing even-keeled or with no pressure for most of the season,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “We played a ranked team in Piper last week, and some other tough teams throughout the season, so we knew what to expect from Paola.

“I thought we rebounded the ball fairly well, but Paola hit some big shots in the fourth quarter and really widened that gap.”

Louisburg (2-12) tried to keep pace with Paola and did so through three quarters. Paola built a 10-2 lead early, but Louisburg junior Madisen Simpson hit a 3-pointer and freshman Carson Buffington hit two free throws to make it 10-7.

Louisburg senior Megan Lemke (right) dives for a loose ball Tuesday against Paola.

Paola got those points right back as Panther senior Morgan Laudan scored five points on back-to-back possessions to put them up 15-7.

Louisburg again cut the lead to six early in the second quarter on a basket from junior Emalee Overbay and two free throws from senior Megan Lemke. Paola answered with a 14-5 run to end the first half and take a 31-16 lead.

The Lady Cats came out with a vengeance to start the second half as they went on an 8-0 run. Simpson hit two 3-pointers in a minute and a half and Buffington added a basket to make it 31-24.

“At halftime, we just told the girls to take their shots and believe in them,” Lowry said. “We put the work in for those to start falling. I think it is just a mentality thing for the most part. The first three minutes of the third quarter for us is the most important part of the game so we want to get out and get after it.”

Like the two quarters before, however, Paola had an answer for every run with one of its own. The Panthers went on a 12-6 spurt to take a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter.

The run didn’t stop there.

Paola saw its outside shots start to fall and outscored the Lady Cats 19-4 in the final period to shore up the win. The Panthers connected on nine 3-pointers for the game.

“There are some really good shooters in that group,” Lowry said. “We tried to extend the zone a little bit to at least contest them, but eventually they were going to hit some of those and they did.”

Simpson led the Lady Cats in scoring with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Buffington added six points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds and junior Paige Buffington added five points in the loss.

Louisburg will try for a win today when it hosts Eudora for homecoming. The Lady Cats defeated Eudora earlier in the year for one of their two wins as they hope to sweep the series. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

LOUISBURG                7             9             14           4 – 34

PAOLA                         15           16           12           19 – 62

LOUISBURG (2-12): Madisen Simpson 4-17 2-3 14; Carson Buffington 2-4 2-2 6; Paige Buffington 2-10 0-1 5; Megan Lemke 1-6 2-2 4; Emalee Overbay 2-3 0-0 4; Ryan Caldwell 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 11-50 7-12 34. 3-point field goals: 5, (Simpson 4, P. Buffington 1)

Homecoming week at Louisburg High School kicked off Monday and events are in full swing. With something going on every day this week, it will be a busy time for students and faculty alike. All of it is of course centered around the crowning of the 2016 winter king and queen. Eight students were selected as nominees and here are their names and profiles.

The crowning will take place on Friday inside the LHS gymnasium in between the varsity boys and girls games against Eudora. The boys game is scheduled to tip at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Cale Schneider

Cale is the son of Scott and Danna Schneider. Cale has been involved in soccer for four years, baseball for four years, Leo’s Club for two years, Spanish Club for two years and Math Club for one year. Cale is currently undecided on what college he will be attending, but he will major in civil engineering.

Makenzie Kallevig

Makenzie is the daughter of Eric and Kara Kallevig. Makenzie has been involved in volleyball for four years, track for four years, Letterman’s Club for three years, Leo’s Club for one year and basketball for one year. Makenzie plans to attend the University of Kansas and major in nursing with a minor in psychology.

Mitchell McLellan

Mitchell is the son of Wade and Angi McLellan. Mitchell has been involved in football for four years, basketball for four years and debate for one year. Mitchell plans to attend Hutchinson Community College to play football and then transfer to a four-year school and pursue a degree in law.

Makenzie Richardson

Makenzie is the daughter of Kelly and Mary Margaret Richardson. Makenzie has been involved in Student Council for three years, Letterman’s Club for three years, SADD for three years, National Honor Society for two years, volleyball for two years, cheerleading for one year and FCA for one year. Makenzie plans to attend Kansas State University and pursue a degree in the medical field.

The 2016 Louisburg High School winter homecoming candidates are (front row, from left) Makenzie Kallevig, Makenzie Richardson, Riley George, Megan Roy; (back row) Cale Schneider, Mitchell McLellan, Spencer Rogers and Cole Kramer

Spencer Rogers

Spencer is the son of David and Genni Rogers. Spencer has been involved in band for four years, jazz band for three years, Scholar’s Bowl for three years, Spanish Club for three years, Math Club for two years, Model United Nations for two years, cross country for two years, National Honor Society for two years, track for one year, debate for one year and forensics for one year. Spencer plans to attend the University of Kansas and major in molecular biology and then transfer to Dartmouth to earn a PhD in genetics.

Riley George

Riley is the daughter of Chris George and Denise Ellison. Riley has been a football manager for four years, she has been involved in debate for four years and forensics for four years. Riley plans to attend Kansas State University and pursue a degree in political science.

Cole Kramer

Cole is the son of Rob and Marcy Kramer. Cole has been involved in football for four years, baseball for four years and Letterman’s Club for two years. Cole plans to attend Johnson County Community College for two years and then transfer to Pittsburg State to major in automotive engineering.

Megan Roy

Megan is the daughter of Craig and Laura Roy. Megan has been involved in FFA for four years, Student Council for four years, volleyball for three years, SADD for two years, basketball for two years, FCCLA for one year and cheerleading for one year. Megan plans to attend Johnson County Community College and then transfer to the University of Kansas to pursue a degree in nursing.

Madisen Simpson puts up a shot in the lane for the Louisburg girls basketball team Friday during the Top Gun Tournament in Wellsville. Simpson finished with 10 points in the Lady Cats’ 40-36 victory over Anderson County and was selected to the all-tournament team.

WELLSVILLE – The Louisburg girls basketball team left the floor with the same feeling only one other time this season.

The sweet taste of victory has alluded the Lady Cats quite a few times this year, but not on Friday. In the final game of the Wellsville Top Gun Tournament, Louisburg picked up its second victory of the season when it downed Anderson County 40-36 to finish sixth.

However, had it not been for a couple key hustle plays, it might have been a different story.

“I can’t say enough about our effort,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “I can’t tell you how many times we were on the floor for loose balls and that really sets the tone for what we do. I think that helped us in the fourth quarter.”

The Lady Cats found themselves down six points with five minutes left in the contest, but junior Paige Buffington dove on the floor for two loose balls, including one in front of the Louisburg bench. Those plays coincided with an 11-1 run to end the game and seal the win.

“We played our hearts out,” Buffington said. “We have been working hard all season and it is really rewarding to get another win. That is how our team has been. If we get down, we know that we can come back if we keep working hard and that is what we did.”

It happened again in the second quarter as the Lady Cats trailed by five points before they hit the boards hard. Junior Emalee Overbay was fouled on a shot, hit her first free throw, but missed the second before freshman Carson Buffington got the offensive rebound.

Sophomore Isabelle Holtzen gets fouled while going up for a shot Friday in Wellsville.

The rebound led to a shot from senior Megan Lemke, who was also fouled– and just like Overbay – made one of two free throws before Carson again pulled down the rebound. After another missed shot and rebound from Carson, her teammates found her open in the corner for a jumper and made it.

That effort sparked the Lady Cats (2-11) to go on a 13-5 run to end the half and take a 24-21 lead into halftime. All this while several players were a little under the weather.

“That was just an amazing effort by her and those are the types of things that sparks our team and that is what it did for us there in the second quarter,” Lowry said of Carson. “It was a team win and everyone participated in it. Carson is as sick as she can be and she goes out and does what she does and that is special. Emalee wasn’t feeling all that well either and she battled through it and gave us some good minutes.”

Junior guard Madisen Simpson gave the Lady Cats a good offensive presence, especially in the second quarter when she scored eight of her game high 10 points during that run to give Louisburg the halftime lead.

During the fourth quarter spurt, Louisburg got production from up and down its lineup. Carson and Paige Buffington each made baskets early in the quarter.

However, Carson fouled out with four minutes left in the contest, which brought on sophomore forward Ryan Caldwell in her place. She quickly contributed as she made a basket to tie the game at 35-all after a pass from Simpson.

Sophomore guard Isabelle Holtzen did the same. Following a Paige Buffington steal, Holtzen hit a jumper to give the Lady Cats their lead back with 2 minutes and 45 seconds left.

Senior Megan Lemke (10) was named to the Top Gun Tournament’s all-academic team.

Simpson hit a pair of free throw and Lemke hit one in the final minute to wrap up the victory.

“They continue to impress with how much they give,” Lowry said. “They continue to say that this is how they are going to play and this is our identity. We may not have the best shooters, best post moves, but no one is going to outwork us.”

After Simpson’s 10 points, Paige Buffington was next on the team with eight points and three steals. Lemke had seven points and six rebounds, while Carson Buffington added six points, a team-high 11 rebounds and three steals.

Louisburg returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Paola. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

POST-TOURNAMENT HONORS: For her effort in the three-game tournament, Madisen Simpson was named to the Top Gun Tournament all-tournament team. Simpson averaged just more than 10 points a game to lead the Lady Cats.

Senior Megan Lemke was also awarded a spot on the tournament’s all-academic team. Freshman Bailey Kern participated in the free-throw contest and finished fourth overall.

LOUISBURG                10           14           5             11 – 40

AND. COUNTY           14           7             8             7 – 36

LOUISBURG (2-11): Madisen Simpson 3-12 2-4 10; Paige Buffington 3-10 0-0 8; Megan Lemke 2-11 2-7 7; Carson Buffington 3-3 0-0 6; Isabelle Holtzen 1-3 2-4 4; Emalee Overbay 1-4 1-2 3; Ryan Caldwell 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 14-47 7-17 40. 3-point field goals: 5, (Simpson 2, P. Buffington 2, Lemke 1).

Lansing downs Louisburg in consolation bracket

Louisburg faced an uphill battle in its second game of the Top Gun Tournament on Thursday.

The Lady Cats, who were scheduled to face Veritas Christian, instead faced off with Lansing after Veritas dropped out of the tournament. The tournament had to pool out the back side of the bracket therefore Louisburg had to play both Anderson County and Lansing in back to back days.

Lansing, a Class 5A school, proved to be too much for Louisburg as it downed the Lady Cats 63-37. Madisen Simpson led Louisburg in scoring with 15 points, including five 3-pointers. Freshman Kennia Hankinson added nine points in the loss.

Carson Buffington was big on the boards for Louisburg as she finished with a team-high 12 rebounds.

LOUISBURG                8             8             11           10 – 37

LANSING                     17           16           13           17 – 63

LOUISBURG: Madisen Simpson 5-11 0-0 15; Kennia Hankinson 2-9 2-4 9; Paige Buffington 1-8 3-5 5; Emalee Overbay 1-2 1-5 3; Carson Buffington 1-5 0-1 2; Megan Lemke 0-4 2-2 2. Totals: 10-44 10-20 37. 3-point field goals: 7, (Simpson 5, Hankinson 2)

State-ranked Piper beats Lady Cats in opener

Louisburg had its toughest test of the Wellsville Top Gun Tournament first as it opened with Piper, the No. 4-ranked team in Class 4A.

Piper showed why it was ranked so high as it outscored Louisburg by 24 points in the first half on its way to a 54-23 victory over the Lady Cats on Jan. 26.

Carson Buffington nearly finished with a double-double for the Lady Cats. Buffington had a team-high eight points and 14 rebounds in the loss.

Piper held Louisburg scoreless in the second quarter and jumped out to a 32-8 halftime lead.

LOUISBURG                8             0             8             7 – 23

PIPER                           18           14           12           10 – 54

LOUISBURG: Carson Buffington 4-7 0-0 8; Madisen Simpson 2-5 0-0 6; Isabelle Holtzen 1-5 2-2 4; Megan Lemke 0-12 2-4 2; Emalee Overbay 1-5 0-2 2; Paige Buffington 0-3 1-2 1. Totals: 8-39 5-10 23. 3-point field goals: 2, (Simpson 2)

Louisburg senior Megan Lemke drives around a Spring Hill player Wednesday during the Lady Cats’ game in Spring Hill. Louisburg fell 58-44, but the Lady Cats outscored Spring Hill in the second half.

SPRING HILL – The Louisburg High School girls basketball team made its way to Spring Hill on Wednesday for a league matchup and left with some positives to take away from it.

Although the Lady Cats fell to Spring Hill 58-44, they put together a strong second half performance on both ends of the floor. Louisburg outscored the Broncos in the second half and improved on the defensive end.

“We weren’t as disciplined on defense as we needed to be in the first half,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “However, the girls responded by playing much better in the second half. Despite a big size disparity these last couple of games, this group continues to play with great toughness and effort.”

Spring Hill used a late first quarter spurt to help pull away from Louisburg. The Broncos went on a 12-1 run to end the frame and go up 19-7 to start the second quarter.

It turned out to be the difference in the game as the Lady Cats played Spring Hill even for the remaining three quarters. Louisburg (1-9) trailed 29-13 at halftime, but came back out inspired and came alive offensively – especially in the fourth quarter.

Louisburg scored 23 points in the fourth, with a lot of those coming from the free-throw line thanks to its rebounding efforts and aggressive play. For the game, the Lady Cats were 16 of 21 from the free-throw line.

“I really like that our offensive rebounding and free throw shooting was much improved,” Lowry said. “That speaks to their hustle in crashing boards and the shooting work they have all put in.”

Juniors Madisen Simpson and Paige Buffington each led the Lady Cats in scoring with 10 points each and senior Megan Lemke added eight, despite dealing with foul problems for most of the game.

Freshman Carson Buffington continues to lead the Lady Cats in the rebounding department. Buffington pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds to go along with seven points and also added two steals.

It will be a busy week for the Lady Cats as they take part in the Top Gun Tournament in Wellsville, beginning Tuesday. Louisburg, the No. 8 seed, will face No. 1 seed Piper at 5:15.

Win or lose, the Lady Cats will play again Thursday and Saturday. Teams in the tournament include Lansing, Baldwin, Wellsville, Veritas Christian, Anderson County and Spring Hill.

2016 Top Gun Tournament

LOUISBURG                7             6             8             23 – 44

SPRING HILL               19           10           10           19 – 58

LOUISBURG (1-9): Madisen Simpson 3-10 2-2 10; Paige Buffington 2-8 5-7 10; Megan Lemke 2-8 3-4 8; Carson Buffington 2-7 3-4 7; Emalee Overbay 2-4 1-2 5; Julianne Finley 1-1 0-0 2; Bailey Kern 0-1 2-2 2. Totals: 12-47 16-21 44. 3-point field goals: 4, (Simpson 2, P. Buffington 1, Lemke 1)

Louisburg senior Megan Lemke fights a De Soto player for a loose ball Friday during the Lady Cats’ 50-29 loss against De Soto. Lemke led Louisburg with 12 points on the night.

DE SOTO – The Louisburg girls basketball team was a little short-handed during Friday’s contest in De Soto.

The Lady Cats had just 13 players suited up for both the varsity and junior varsity games due to injury or prior commitments. It wasn’t an ideal situation going up against a bigger De Soto squad that can score from all over the floor.

Lack of depth wasn’t the only reason, but Louisburg couldn’t keep up with De Soto in a 50-29 loss. De Soto used its size inside to build a 33-14 halftime lead and it never looked back.

“De Soto has some nice players and they have some big girls,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “Size hurt us early, and add that size to the fact that they have some shooters too, it is a tough group to face.”

Louisburg did get one player back from injury as junior Paige Buffington worked her way back from a sore ankle to start as the team’s point guard. Buffington finished with 11 points and played a majority of the minutes.

“Paige is so unselfish,” Lowry said. “She is hurting right now. She is better, but she is not 100 percent. She is the heart of our team and it was evident on the first day of practice when she wasn’t there. She is that glue for us and when she is not there you can tell.

“She is that kid they look to settle things down. I trust her and she did a nice job. Hopefully she will be able to continue that the rest of the season.”

Louisburg’s Emalee Overbay (left) and Carson Buffington go up for a rebound Friday in De Soto.

De Soto jumped on Louisburg early as it went on a 15-0 run to start the game, but the Lady Cats were able to settle down some thanks to Megan Lemke. The Louisburg senior scored six of her team-high 12 points in the final two minutes of the first quarter to cut the De Soto lead to 20-7.

“I will say this after every game, but our kids give so much and are so tough,” Lowry said. “They are very unselfish. You have a kid like Megan Lemke who tries to get her team going by driving to the basket and if she missed the shot, she is the first back on the other end. You could tell she was just so exhausted, but she busted her tail. We are going to keep working hard to get better as a team.”

Although she didn’t score, freshman Carson Buffington did a lot of her work on the defensive end. Carson led Louisburg with nine rebounds on the night, including three steals. Junior Emalee Overbay also had three steals in the loss.

Louisburg returns to action Wednesday when it travels to Spring Hill. The Lady Cats will take part in the Wellsville Top Gun Tournament next week.

LOUISBURG                7             7             8             7 – 29

DE SOTO                     20           13           11           6 – 50

LOUISBURG (1-8): Megan Lemke 4-11 2-5 12; Paige Buffington 2-6 6-8 11; Julianne Finley 1-1 0-0 2; Emalee Overbay 1-7 0-0 2; Madisen Simpson 0-4 1-2 1; Bailey Kern 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 8-41 10-17 29. 3-point field goals: 3, (Lemke 2, P. Buffington)