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)

Louisburg junior Madisen Simpson drives the lane during a home game earlier this season. Simpson scored a team-high 13 points in the Lady Cats’ 56-43 loss to Frontenac on Tuesday at Frontenac High School.

FRONTENAC – The Louisburg girls basketball team was already young and lacking experience coming into the season, but going into Tuesday’s road contest with Frontenac, the Lady Cats were without one of their more experienced players.

Junior guard Paige Buffington was out with an ankle injury and the Lady Cats had to go deeper into their bench. Louisburg stayed within striking distance, but Frontenac eventually pulled away for a 56-43 victory.

Despite having Buffington out, several Lady Cats stepped up in her absence.

Junior guard Madisen Simpson scored a team-high 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Freshman Carson Buffington finished in double figures again with 11 rebounds to go along with her six points. Junior Emalee Overbay also pulled down seven rebounds.

Freshman guard Kennia Hankinson also had six points on the night, including two 3-pointers. Senior Megan Lemke finished with five points and performed well on the defensive end.

“Our overall play was solid in the first half of last night’s game and with Paige out we had several girls step up their play,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “Carson and Emalee were very strong on the boards and their effort in the post was excellent. Megan Lemke is always tasked with defending the other team’s best player, regardless of size, and I thought she was very good.

“Madisen, Isabelle (Holtzen) and Kennia handled their zone pressure well. There are several younger girls coming off the bench that are gaining more confidence with each experience.”

The Lady Cats (1-7) got off to a good start as they took an 11-9 lead into the second quarter, but Frontenac started to pull away. The Raiders went on a 7-0 run late in the first half to take a 26-21 lead.

Frontenac then opened the third quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers to increase its lead to double digits. The Raiders outscored Louisburg 17-8 in the third quarter to pull away for the win.

It will be tough for the Lady Cats on Friday as they return to Frontier League play at De Soto. The Lady Cats will be without a couple players due to state debate, but Lowry hopes Paige Buffington can return.

“She was getting around better yesterday and we will see how she feels these next couple of days before we make a decision about Friday,” Lowry said.

Tipoff for the Lady Cats game at De Soto is set for approximately 6 p.m.

LOUISBURG       11      10      8      14 – 43

FRONTENAC      9       17     17       13 – 56

LOUISBURG (1-7): Madisen Simpson 5-17 0-0 13; Carson Buffington 3-3 0-0 6; Kennia Hankinson 2-10 0-0 6; Megan Lemke 2-9 0-0 5; Emalee Overbay 2-5 0-0 4; Ryan Caldwell 1-1 1-1 3; Isabelle Holtzen 1-9 0-2 2; Megan Roy 1-1 0-0 2; Bailey Kern 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 16-58 1-3 43. 3-point field goals: 5, (Simpson 3, Hankinson 2).

Louisburg guard Isabelle Holtzen goes up for a shot during Friday’s road contest against Baldwin. The Lady Cats fell 66-35 to the Bulldogs.

BALDWIN CITY – As Shawn Lowry walked out of the locker room following Friday’s game with Baldwin, he had a grin from ear to ear.

He couldn’t stop smiling.

By looking at him, no one could tell that his Louisburg girls basketball team had just lost 66-35 to the Bulldogs. No, it wasn’t about the score to Lowry or to the rest of his players.

It was about what the Lady Cats left on the court – nothing.

“Score isn’t even really an issue for me,” Lowry said. “For what they gave, I will take that any time, any day and with any team that I coach. I couldn’t have asked for them to give any more than what they just did. I loved it.”

Whether it was early in the game, or in the final seconds of their 31-point loss at Baldwin High School, the Lady Cats made Baldwin work for every point. With the game already out of reach in the fourth quarter, the Louisburg players found themselves on the floor for loose balls, going after rebounds – trying anything they could to get something positive to go their way.

The Lady Cats (1-6) also battled foul problems most of the game and had to go deep in their bench on several occasions. Those players did the same thing the starters did – they made things uncomfortable for Baldwin at times.

Senior Megan Roy gets on the floor for a loose ball during Friday’s contest with Baldwin at Baldwin High School.

Baldwin also did the same for Louisburg as the Lady Cats had to go up against a full-court press most of the night.

“That is one of the better pressure teams we will probably face this year,” Lowry said. “They are very quick and athletic. I saw Baldwin play earlier this year and they give everyone a hard time. We got a little wore down at the end, and foul trouble hurt us a little bit, but for what those kids gave, especially the younger ones and even the younger, younger ones. It was awesome.”

It wasn’t the best of starts for the Lady Cats as Baldwin displayed their athleticism early and they jumped out to a 9-0 lead two minutes into the contest. Louisburg didn’t back down, however, as it went on a mini 7-0 run of its own to cut the lead to two on a 3-pointer from Kennia Hankinson and baskets from Madisen Simpson and Isabelle Holtzen.

Baldwin brought the lead back out to 11 going into the second quarter and the Lady Cats had to deal with foul problems as starter Emalee Overbay had three fouls in the first quarter and three other players had two each.

Megan Lemke, Holtzen and Hankinson would also pick up their third foul in the second quarter and the Lady Cats were forced to go to their younger players as freshmen Julianne Finley and Bailey Kern each saw time, along with sophomore guard Lexie Reece.

Still, by the time halftime came around, the Lady Cats found themselves down just nine points.

“I will tell you this, everyone that sat up there and watched that game is talking about how tough those kids are,” Lowry said. “I just told the girls how proud I am of what they just gave. They never backed down and never quit playing. We were pressured the entire game, up until the last minute, which is fine by us. We showed a lot of toughness out there.”

A lot that toughness came in the rebounding department and from freshman Carson Buffington. The Louisburg forward pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with seven points and two steals.

Simpson led Louisburg in scoring with nine points, while Holtzen added seven points in the loss.

“This group is not done working and they showed that,” Lowry said. “That is what I love about this group. Carson Buffington is rebounding the ball like crazy and we are getting to balls that no one else wants to get after. It is really fun to coach that.”

Baldwin started to pull away from the Lady Cats in the third quarter as it went on an 11-2 run to take a 14-point lead going into the third quarter. Louisburg also lost starter Paige Buffington with an ankle and knee injury in the second half.

The Lady Cats continued to fight, but a deeper Baldwin team pulled away in the fourth quarter. Still, Louisburg gave it everything it had until the final buzzer.

“They had nothing left,” Lowry said. “It was great to see and I will take that any day of the week. They showed me a lot out there.”

Louisburg tries to get back on track tonight when it travels to Frontenac. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOUISBURG                11           11           8             5 – 35

BALDWIN                    22           9             18           17 – 66

LOUISBURG (1-6): Madisen Simpson 4-10 0-2 9; Carson Buffington 3-10 1-4 7; Isabelle Holtzen 2-7 3-6 7; Kennia Hankinson 1-11 0-0 3; Lexie Reece 1-1 1-2 3; Paige Buffington 1-4 0-1 2; Megan Roy 1-3 0-2 2; Emalee Overbay 1-4 0-2 2. Totals: 14-55 5-23 35. 3-point field goals: 2, (Hankinson, Simpson)

Junior Emalee Overbay dives onto the floor for a loose ball Tuesday against Ottawa at Louisburg High School. The Lady Cats came close to their second win in a row, but fell 41-36.

The Louisburg girls basketball team may have come up short in a 41-36 loss to Ottawa on Tuesday at Louisburg High School, but the Lady Cats took another step forward in their development.

Louisburg nearly pulled off its second straight victory of the season, but foul trouble and missed shots late hurt the Lady Cats’ chances in their first game back from the holiday break.

“We are growing, the kids are developing and buying in to what we want to do,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “They like each other, care about each other and it is fun to be around. It is not always like that with other teams, especially when freshmen are playing at the varsity level, but I think that speaks to our leadership and they care about each other like that.”

The Lady Cats (1-5) faced adversity from the start as they trailed 13-4 early in the second quarter. Louisburg’s offense picked up in a hurry as it scored 12 points in the final six minutes of the first half.

Junior Madisen Simpson and freshman Kennia Hankinson each connected on 3-pointers and the Lady Cats eventually cut the Ottawa lead to three points after a basket from Emalee Overbay.

Louisburg continued to put the pressure on the Cyclones as it opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run. Baskets from sophomore Isabelle Holtzen, senior Megan Lemke and Simpson put Louisburg up 25-23 with 2 minutes and 50 seconds left in the quarter.

Senior Megan Lemke goes up for a shot during Tuesday’ contest against Ottawa in Louisburg.

The lead changed hands five times after that before Ottawa took a two-point lead going into the final quarter.

The offense came thanks to their defense as the Lady Cats made it difficult on Ottawa. They forced 17 Cyclone turnovers in the final three quarters, including eight in the fourth quarter alone.

“It started with how we play on the defensive end,” Lowry said. “We got on the floor for some loose balls and we got some rebounds offensively that was just effort and ‘want to’ stuff. We talked about that at halftime and they took it to heart. That is what I like about these girls is we talk about doing stuff that is going to be hard and give a lot of effort and they go out and do it.”

Foul trouble began to creep in for Louisburg as starting forwards Carson Buffington and Overbay each fouled out early in the fourth quarter. Ottawa took advantage as it built a six-point lead early on, but both teams would struggle offensively, until Louisburg made one final run.

Simpson hit a 3-pointer with 1:15 left and Paige Buffington connected on a 3-pointer as well to cut the lead to two with 40 seconds remaining. Louisburg was forced to foul and Ottawa connected on three free throws to close out the game.

Simpson scored a team-high 14 points to lead the Lady Cats and Paige Buffington finished with seven on the night. Lemke led the team with 10 rebounds.

“I thought Megan Lemke played really well, especially defensively,” Lowry said. “I think she had 10 boards tonight on top of that. She just gives and gives and she doesn’t come out of the game much, and I thought she gave a lot.

“Kennia came in and did a nice job and Isabelle came in and was working her tail off out there. Our younger kids are learning, and it is tough right now, but we are getting better.”

Louisburg will try and get back on track Friday when it travels to Baldwin. The Lady Cats will be on the road for the rest of the month and won’t return home until their Feb. 2 meeting with Paola.

LOUISBURG                4             12           13           7 – 36

OTTAWA                     11           10           10           10 – 41

LOUISBURG (1-5): Madisen Simpson 14, Paige Buffington 7, Isabelle Holtzen 4, Megan Lemke 4, Kennia Hankinson 3, Carson Buffington 2, Emalee Overbay 2. Totals 14 4-6 36. 3-point field goals: 4, (Simpson 2, P. Buffington, Hankinson)

Freshman Carson Buffington battles for a rebound with two Eudora players Tuesday in Eudora. Buffington and the Lady Cats won their first game of the season 37-34, and in the process, Buffington grabbed a team-high 17 rebounds.

The Louisburg girls basketball team gave itself an early Christmas present of sorts Tuesday in Eudora.

It was one the Lady Cats had at the top of the list for a while now – their first win.

Thanks to a big fourth quarter rally, the Lady Cats defeated Eudora 37-34 to ensure their first victory of the season and it gives them a little life heading into the Christmas break after going winless in their first four games.

“Look at us compared to last year and there are a lot of similarities between the two teams,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “Now, maybe not with wins and losses, but we have kids that are growing and that is what I have said from the start. What I am really proud about is the way so many different kids stepped up at different times. It wasn’t one person doing something unbelievable, it was all of them doing their jobs.”

The Lady Cats (1-4) did have several players come through at key moments of the contest, but maybe none bigger than Madisen Simpson. The Louisburg junior, who started the first four games of the season, came off the bench this time around and gave the Lady Cats a big spark – especially in the fourth quarter.

Down 27-22 with four minutes left in the contest, Simpson hit a pair of 3-pointers and a jumper to give Louisburg a one-point lead with just under three minutes left.

Senior Megan Lemke looks to go up for a shot Tuesday in Eudora.

Sophomore Isabelle Holtzen then stole a Eudora pass and took it down the court herself for the layup and put Louisburg up 32-29.

“I just do it for the team because they mean a lot to me,” Simpson said. “It motivated me to come off the bench, but anything I can do for my team I will definitely do it.”

Louisburg also came through at the free-throw line in the final seconds. Freshman Kennia Hankinson, senior Megan Lemke and Simpson all made free throws to close the game out.

The Lady Cats also got several second chance opportunities thanks to their work on the boards. Louisburg pulled down 30 rebounds for the game and freshman Carson Buffington had 17 of those by herself.

“I can’t remember anything like that,” Lowry said of Buffington’s performance. “Some of the ones I really don’t know how she got to them, but really it was all about effort and wanting the ball more than the other team.”

It was a struggle defensively early for the Lady Cats as Eudora got several open looks on its way to a 15-8 lead after the first quarter. Louisburg would tighten down and allow just 19 points in the final three quarters combined to stay in the game.

Louisburg fought its way back in the game when Simpson hit a 3-pointer, her first of three for the night, with under a minute remaining in the first half and the Lady Cats took 20-all tie into halftime.

After a slow start offensively to the second half, which saw Louisburg manage only two points, the Lady Cats heated up in the second half and scored 15 points in the final four minutes to pull away.

“What I told them at halftime is how they play in the second half is the taste you have in your mouth the next two weeks,” Lowry said. “They took that to heart. We get to build off this now and when we get to practice, the girls are going to do things they haven’t done before. It was big for us.”

Simpson finished the game with a team-high 15 points, while Holtzen and junior Paige Buffington were next with six points each.

Now the Lady Cats will focus their efforts on to getting better over the break. Louisburg will host Ottawa on Jan. 5.

“Our effort was absolutely amazing tonight,” Simpson said. “We never gave up, even when we were down, we never gave up as a team.”

LOUISBURG                8             15           2             15 – 37

EUDORA                      15           5             6             8 – 34

LOUISBURG (1-4): Madisen Simpson 5-13 1-2 15; Isabelle Holtzen 3-7 0-0 6; Paige Buffington 2-7 0-0 6; Megan Lemke 1-7 3-4 5; Carson Buffington 1-5 1-2 3; Kennia Hankinson 0-1 2-4 2. Totals: 12-43 7-12 37. 3-point field goals: 5, (Simpson 3, P. Buffington 2)

Louisburg freshman Kennia Hankinson (middle) gets some help on a loose ball from teammate Carson Buffington during Friday’s fifth-place game of the Wildcat-Bulldog Classic in Louisburg. The Lady Cats fell 50-43.

Many teams that finished a tournament without a win would have left feeling defeated and frustrated.

For the Louisburg girls basketball team, the feeling was completely the opposite. Sure, the Lady Cats would have liked to win a game or two during last week’s Wildcat-Bulldog Classic, but they are looking for more than just wins this early in the season – they want to see progress.

That was something they did accomplish as the young Lady Cat team nearly picked up two victories during the tournament and were tested in some tight situations, including a 50-43 loss to Anderson County on Friday in the fifth-place game.

“It is about getting them as much confidence as possible right now,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “We are getting game experience and more kids are understanding more parts of the game and it is slowing down for them. You see some freshmen that are starting to pick up parts, granted they still have a ways to go, but they are picking up things and the effort is there.”

One of those freshmen, Kennia Hankinson, helped bring the Lady Cats back in the fourth quarter. Louisburg found itself down 10 points with 3 minutes and 20 seconds left in the game when Hankinson hit two 3-pointers in less than two minutes, and after a pair of Isabelle Holtzen free throws, cut Anderson County’s lead to two.

Anderson County would hit five free throws in the final minute to help secure the win, but Lowry liked what he saw from his freshman.

“She has no fear,” Lowry said of Hankinson. “The kid just wants to play. I would still like to see her do a little more things defensively, but I am happy she hit those shots. I push her a lot as a freshman, and getting the opportunity she is, I really challenge her and she is stepping up.

“It wasn’t just those shots, she tried to take two charges, an even though she didn’t get the calls, she put herself in position to be unselfish for her team and I am most proud of that.”

Junior Paige Buffington provided the Lady Cats (0-4) with a lot of big baskets as she scored a team-high 14 points and had five rebounds. Fellow junior Madisen Simpson had 11 points and also pulled down five rebounds.

Junior Emalee Overbay goes up for a rebound against Anderson County on Friday.

Junior Emalee Overbay led the Lady Cats on the glass as she had a team-high eight rebounds and freshman Carson Buffington added seven.

Coach Lowry was proud to see his team battle back when the Lady Cats found themselves in dire straits.

“Those are experiences that these group of players haven’t been through yet,” he said. “That is great for them to be in that spot. To see them during the timeout, see them battle back and they are starting to come together and trust each other. It is great to see.”

Louisburg got off to a good start in its second game of the tournament Thursday when it faced off with Burlington. The Lady Cats had a one point lead after the first quarter, but Burlington’s pressure got to them at times and they fell 46-32.

Holtzen, a sophomore, and Simpson led the Lady Cats with seven points each and senior Megan Lemke added six in the loss. Carson Buffington had a team-high seven rebounds.

“It was a great experience to play in a preseason tournament like this and to play against teams like Burlington, who likes to pressure,” Lowry said. “It is good for us to work on that because we are going to get pressured a lot this year. I thought we handled it fairly well.”

In the tournament opener on Dec. 8, Louisburg faced off with Iola and had the lead four different times in the final quarter before falling 42-37.

The Lady Cats led 26-21 to start the fourth quarter before Iola went on 7-0 run to take a two point lead. Simpson hit a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to give the Lady Cats a 33-32 lead back.

Paige Buffington added another basket with 2 minutes remaining to give Louisburg another small lead, but Iola ended the quarter on an 8-2 run to pull away.

Simpson led the Lady Cats in scoring with 15 points, while Lemke and Paige Buffington each added six points. Carson Buffington pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.

Louisburg returns to action tonight for its first official Frontier League contest. The Lady Cats will travel to Eudora for a 6 p.m. tipoff in hopes to get their first win.

AND. COUNTY           13           15           10           12 – 50

LOUISBURG                10           12           9             12 – 43

LOUISBURG (0-4): Paige Buffington 4-10 4-7 14; Madisen Simpson 1-4 3-6 11; Kennia Hankinson 2-6 2-2 8; Isabelle Holtzen 0-3 4-10 4; Haven Turner 1-1 0-0 2; Emalee Overbay 0-4 2-4 2; Megan Lemke 0-8 1-2 1; Lexie Reece 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 11-47 15-30 43. 3-point field goals: 6, (Simpson 3, Hankinson 2, Buffington).

BURLINGTON            11           12           11           12 – 46

LOUISBURG                12           2             9             9 – 32

LOUISBURG: Madisen Simpson 2-16 2-4 7; Isabelle Holtzen 3-7 1-5 7; Megan Lemke 3-5 0-1 6; Carson Buffington 2-7 0-0 4; Emalee Overbay 1-4 2-4 4; Kennia Hankinson 1-1 0-0 2; Ryan Caldwell 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 13-51 5-14 32. 3-point field goals: 1, (Simpson)

IOLA                             6             7             8             21 – 42

LOUISBURG                3             13           10           11 – 37

LOUISBURG: Madisen Simpson 5-13 3-4 15; Megan Lemke 1-3 3-4 6; Paige Buffington 3-11 0-0 6; Emalee Overbay 1-5 3-5 5; Isabelle Holtzen 2-8 0-2 4; Ryan Caldwell 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 12-43 10-17 37. 3-point field goals: 3, (Simpson 2, Lemke).