Louisburg sophomore Zyleigh Melton puts up a shot in the lane last Tuesday at home against Eudora.

The Louisburg girls basketball team put together a strong second half against Eudora last Tuesday at home.

Unfortunately, the Lady Cats didn’t quite have enough to overcome a rough first half. Eudora handed Louisburg a 38-30 loss after the Lady Cats held the Cardinals to just 14 second half points.

Louisburg outscored Eudora 19-14 in the second half, but scored just 11 first half points and committed 25 turnovers for the game.

“We played good in the second half for sure, and if we could figure out the first half I think we would be winning more basketball games,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We beat them in the second half so that was good and I think the girls did fine. It took us a minute to get going, but the girls played hard.”

The Lady Cats were without two players due to illness, so they were playing short-handed, but battled to the end. Louisburg found itself down 15 points midway through the third quarter, but the Lady Cats were to trim the deficit to just five at one point.

Eudora had a 30-15 lead with under three minutes left in the third, but the Lady Cats went on a 10-1 run that went into the fourth quarter.

Addy Stohs started it with a free throw, Zyleigh Melton knocked down a 3-pointer and Ashlyn Kuhlman made a basket and was fouled that ended the third. 

In the fourth, Kuhlman hit a pair of free throws and Sabra Brueggen knocked in a basket to make it a 6-point game. After a 3-pointer by Eudora, the Lady Cats followed with four straight points from Melton, that included her second 3-pointer to cut it to five.

Louisburg could get no closer as it scored just one point in the final four minutes and the Cardinals were able to hold on for the win.

“We obviously cut the turnovers down a little in the second half, but we also started going to the basket more,” Lane said. “I think that opens up more shots for everybody and we were able to hit some shots from the outside. 

“Our defense is getting better and that is why we are getting better. We are playing solid defense, we are rebounding pretty well, but we just need to find some offense somewhere.”

Melton led the Lady Cat offense with nine points on the night. Kuhlman added seven points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists.

Brueggen paced Louisburg on the glass with a team-high 11 rebounds.

Louisburg will try and bounce back Tuesday as the Lady Cats travel to rival Paola. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 6 5 10 9 — 30

EUD 13 11 6 8 — 38

LOUISBURG (4-14): Zyleigh Melton 3-7 1-2 9; Ashlyn Kuhlman 1-9 5-7 7; Sabra Brueggen 1-4 3-6 5; Shylar Whiting 2-3 0-0 4; Sami Lane 2-6 0-0 4; Addy Stohs 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 9-36 10-17 30. 3-point field goals: 2, (Melton 2)

Louisburg junior Jillian Asher drives to the basket and puts up a shot Friday during the Lady Cats’ home game against Spring Hill.

The first half wasn’t exactly what the Louisburg girls basketball team was hoping for Friday against Spring Hill.

Turnovers haunted the Lady Cats as Spring Hill took a double digit lead into halftime. That all changed for Louisburg in the second half.

Louisburg cut down the mistakes and outscored Spring Hill in the final two quarters, but it wasn’t quite enough in a 43-37 loss to the Broncos.

“I thought we played good in the second half, but we just had way too many turnovers in the first half,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We probably had 15-plus going into halftime and we took better care of the basketball in the second half. We also ran some different stuff and the girls handled that well.”

It was a much a different scenario than when the teams met a month ago. Spring Hill won the game by double digits, but the Lady Cats made it more difficult this time around.

“We are a better team than when we played them last, but I think Spring Hill is a better team as well,” Lane said. “Both teams have gotten better, but we played them closer this time around. I think the girls see these things and they know they are getting better.”

Spring Hill led Louisburg by just four going into the the second quarter, but the Broncos went on a 15-5 run to take a 14-point lead. Louisburg junior Shylar Whiting hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first half to give the Lady Cats a little momentum going into halftime.

Louisburg (4-13) was better defensively in the second half and took care of the ball. Although the Lady Cats had 23 turnovers for the game, many of those came in the first two quarters.

They outscored the Broncos 20-15 in the second half, but could never get closer than six. A pair of 3-pointers from Sami Lane helped close the gap in the fourth quarter.

Spring Hill’s Sydney Buscher and Isla Herman had big nights last time around, but the Lady Cats tried to focus more on slowing the Broncos’ two players down. Buscher still had 16 points to lead all scorers, but limited Herman to just nine.

“We guarded Buscher differently,” Lane said. “We wanted to be more physical and keep her away from the basket as much as possible. I thought the girls did a good job with that. We did foul her more, but she didn’t make her free throws so that worked for us. We face-guarded Herman and were able to get couple offensive fouls on her as well. They are fast though and we had a hard time getting back sometimes, especially when we are face guarding a couple different players.”

Louisburg sophomore Morgan Latham had a good night in the post as she finished with a team-high 10 points to go along with five rebounds. Sami Lane and Ashlyn Kuhlman each had eight points, while Kuhlman pulled down five rebounds.

Junior Sabra Brueggen had a team-high seven rebounds to lead Louisburg.

The Lady Cats will try and bounce back tonight as they host Eudora. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 9 8 8 12 — 37

SH 13 15 6 9 — 43

LOUISBURG (4-13): Morgan Latham 5-8 0-0 10; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-6 2-2 8; Sami Lane 3-5 0-0 8; Jillian Asher 1-2 2-2 4; Sabra Brueggen 1-4 2-4 4; Shylar Whiting 1-8 0-0 3. Totals: 13-35 4-6 37. 3-point field goals: 5, (Kuhlman 2, Lane 2, Whiting)

Louisburg junior Shylar Whiting puts up a shot in the lane Tuesday at Tonganoxie. Whiting finished with eight points, with six of those coming in the final quarter.

TONGANOXIE — It wasn’t the best shooting night of the year for Louisburg.

Shots weren’t falling, free throws rimmed out and the Lady Cats lost the turnover battle Tuesday against Tonganoxie. Despite all that going against them, Louisburg found a way a win — on the road.

Against a Tonganoxie team they lost to by double digits in the season opener, the Lady Cats traveled to Tonganoxie and left with a gritty 40-39 victory over the Chieftains.

“They have no quit in them and I think that is the theme for the season,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Our fourth quarters have been awesome, so if we can put together a complete game like we play in the fourth then we would be hard to beat. But the girls hung in there despite a tough shooting night. We couldn’t make anything around the basket. They just did a great job.”

It was looking like a tough road loss with under a minute left and the Lady Cats down by two points. However, junior Ashlyn Kuhlman got a wide open look from 3-point range with 16 seconds left and knocked it down to put Louisburg up one.

Tonganoxie had two different opportunities to try and take the lead in the final seconds, but the Lady Cat defense came up big and Kuhlman’s shot was the game-winner.

“That was a huge shot,” Lane said. “Ash hadn’t had a great shooting night until then and I was very proud of her to have the confidence to shoot it. That would have been a hard spot for anyone and she didn’t hesitate. Shooters have to keep shooting and I am glad that she did. When she shot it I knew it was going in.”

Louisburg did have a difficult shooting night as the Lady Cats converted just 25 percent of their shots and were under 50 percent from the free-throw line. Mix that in with 15 turnovers and it was a recipe for loss.

Instead, the Lady Cats found a way to get an important win that helps them in the postseason standings and to try and get a playoff spot with four games remaining.

It didn’t look promising for Louisburg as it found itself down six points late in the third quarter. With the offense struggling, juniors Jillian Asher and Shylar Whiting gave it a jump start.

Asher hit a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to cut the lead to three, then Whiting hit a pair of jumpers to start the fourth quarter to give Louisburg a 34-33 advantage.

After a Tonganoxie basket that put the Chieftains in front, the Lady Cats answered right back when Asher found Whiting for a layup and Louisburg had a 36-35 lead midway through the fourth.

Tonganoxie had an 39-37 lead late in the contest, but Kuhlman had a wide open look at the top of the key and knocked down what turned out to the be the game-winning 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining.

It was a victory the Lady Cats (4-12) needed and were able to avenge a loss from earlier in the season at the same time.

“Our defense was just a lot better than the last time we played them,” Lane said. “We contained a lot better than we did the first time. The first game it seemed like they were just kicking it out and shooting 3s and I don’t even know that they did a lot of that. Our goal was to contain and not let them kick out and shoot wide open 3-pointers.”

Asher was big offensively for Louisburg as she scored a game-high 13 points, including three 3-pointers and was 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

Kuhlman finished with eight points, but was active on the glass as she recorded a team-high 15 rebounds. Whiting also had eight points and two steals.

Junior Sabra Brueggen and sophomore Zyleigh Melton each had five rebounds, while Brueggen had a team-high three assists.

Louisburg will try for back-to-back wins tonight as the Lady Cats host Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 5 15 10 10 — 40

TON 7 12 14 6 — 39

LOUISBURG (4-12): Jillian Asher 3-4 4-4 13; Ashlyn Kuhlman 3-16 1-2 8; Shylar Whiting 4-14 0-0 8; Morgan Latham 2-7 0-2 4; Sami Lane 1-6 0-0 3; Ally Brown 1-2 1-1 3; Zyleigh Melton 0-2 1-4 1. Totals: 14-56 7-15 40. 3-point field goals: 5, (Asher 3, Kuhlman, Lane)

Louisburg sophomore Zyleigh Melton goes up for a shot Friday during the Lady Cats’ game at Ottawa.

OTTAWA — The Louisburg girls basketball team was riding a mini 2-game winning streak heading into Friday’s contest at Ottawa. 

However, the Cyclones are one of the top teams in the Frontier League and were poised to end that streak. Ottawa used a big second quarter and pulled away to hand Louisburg a 45-29 loss.

Ottawa outscored Louisburg, 18-5, in the second quarter and made it difficult for the Lady Cats to get back in the game.

“Ottawa is a very talented team and playing at Ottawa is always a hard environment to play in,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I thought we played hard and did a good job defending them with different defenses.”

Louisburg trailed by just seven after the first quarter, but an Ottawa run pushed the Cyclones’ lead to 20 points at halftime.

The Lady Cats didn’t give in, however. Louisburg held Ottawa to just 14 points in the second half and outscored the Cyclones, 14-4, in the final quarter.

“This team does not give up,” Lane said. “I love their heart and their grit. They battled the fourth quarter and did a great job running offense and not quitting.”

Louisburg got the opportunities on offense it wanted at times, but couldn’t get the shots to fall as the Lady Cats shot 23 percent from the field. Combined with 23 turnovers, that made it difficult to get the road win.

Junior Sami Lane led Louisburg in scoring with six points on a pair of 3-pointers, while junior Ashlyn Kuhlman had a team-high eight rebonds and three assists.

Jillian Asher and Zyleigh Melton each chipped in five points in the loss, while Sabra Brueggen had five rebounds and two assists.

Louisburg will go on the road tonight as the Lady Cats travel to Tonganoxie for a Frontier League contest. It will be a rematch of the Lady Cats’ season opening loss from back in December.

“The game at Tongie is a big game,” coach Lane said. “We need to get this win to help us get a spot in the postseason. I also think if we could play with Tongie it will show how much we have improved throughout the season.”

LOU 6 5 4 14 — 29

OTT 13 18 10 4 — 45

LOUISBURG (3-12): Sami Lane 2-7 0-0 6; Jillian Asher 2-2 0-0 5; Zyleigh Melton 1-5 3-3 5; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-12 0-0 4; Sabra Brueggen 2-7 0-0 4; Ally Brown 1-3 0-0 3; Morgan Latham 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 11-47 3-5 29. 3-point field goals: (Lane 2, Asher, Brown)

Louisburg sophomore Zyleigh Melton gets on the floor for a loose ball during Tuesday’s home victory over Paola.

For the first time this season, the Louisburg girls basketball team has found itself in the midst of a winning streak.

The Lady Cats hosted rival Paola on Tuesday and came away with a 42-38 victory over the Panthers to record their second straight win on the season.

It may not have been the cleanest or smoothest game on either side, but Louisburg battled through adversity and made the plays it needed to down the stretch.

“It was a very strange game,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I didn’t feel like we could get much going on offense and Paola was a pretty physical team. It made it hard for us to get going. I thought we did a great job holding on and hitting some big free throws there at the end.”

Nine of the 13 points Louisburg scored in the final quarter came at the free-throw line. Sophomore Zyleigh Melton, along with juniors Sabra Brueggen, Ashlyn Kuhlman and Jillian Asher all knocked down crucial free throws in what was a close game throughout.

As a team, the Lady Cats were 17-for-24 from the line. Brueggen was 8-for-8 for the game, as she hit several in the first half, while Melton and Kuhlman combined for seven points from the line in the fourth quarter.

“Those were big for us, even ones that we hit early,” Lane said. “I know Sabra had like four or so early in the game and then hit some late too that were key. It is great that we can make those when we need to. 

“We have definitely been working on them, but when they can do that in a pressure situation it says a lot of them as a basketball player. Those were the difference in the game for sure. They kept putting us at the line and we couldn’t get much going offensively other than those, so they were key.”

Paola jumped out to a 10-4 lead early on, but the Lady Cats were able to battle back and take a 15-14 lead on a 3-pointer from Ally Brown midway through the second quarter.

It was tied at 18-all at halftime before the Lady Cats went on a mini 7-3 run to put them up 29-25 at end of the third quarter thanks to baskets from Kuhlman and Brown.

Louisburg extended its lead to six early in the fourth on a basket from sophomore McKenna Lohse, but Paola went on a mini 5-0 run to make it a one-point game.

The Lady Cats earned their living at the free throw line as two Melton free throws pushed the lead out to three. Kuhlman followed with two more and Melton added another with under 10 seconds left to seal the win.

Brueggen led the Lady Cats in scoring with 10 points, while Latham and Melton each finished with six. Kuhlman led Louisburg with five rebounds and Lohse added four in the win.

It was Melton’s play that Lane said was a difference maker for her team.

“Zyleigh played really hard out there,” Lane said. “I told her after the game that if I had a game ball she would be the one to get it. She played hard, played good defense and made some free throws at the end.”

Louisburg will try and make it three in a row Friday when it travels to Ottawa for a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 8 10 11 13 — 42

PAO 10 8 7 13 — 38

LOUISBURG (3-11): Sabra Brueggen 1-5 8-8 10; Morgan Latham 3-3 0-0 6; Zyleigh Melton 1-4 4-8 6; Jillian Asher 2-5 1-2 5; Ashlyn Kuhlman 1-5 3-4 5; Ally Brown 2-2 0-0 5; McKenna Lohse 1-1 0-0 2; Shylar Whiting 1-4 0-0 2; Addy Stohs 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 12-35 17-24 42. 3-point field goals: 1, (Brown)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week seven of the winter sports season, sponsored by Louisburg Family Dental.

ASHLYN KUHLMAN, JUNIOR, GIRLS BASKETBALL

Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman put together a strong performance for the Louisburg girls basketball team last Friday at home against Bonner Springs. Kuhlman scored a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds in the Lady Cats’ 40-35 win over the Braves, which was their first Frontier League victory. She also had two blocks in the game and has 26 for the season.

Kuhlman leads the Lady Cats in scoring as she averages nearly nine points a contest and has a team-high 19 made 3-pointers. She also leads Louisburg with 61 rebounds on the season.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous Winners:

Week 1: Myles Vohs

Week 2: Andrew Jamison

Week 3: Nathan Parker

Week 4: Elias Pugh

Week 5: Ashton Moore

Week 6: Colin Brown

Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman drives the lane Friday at home against Bonner Springs. Kuhlman finished with a game-high 15 points.

For much of the season, the Louisburg girls basketball team has been forced to play catch up. 

Starting the season with no varsity experience, the Lady Cats had just one win going into Friday’s home contest against Bonner Springs. Louisburg has constantly had to play from behind.

That didn’t have to on Friday.

The Lady Cats played in front from the opening whistle and never trailed as they held off Bonner Springs for a 40-35 victory. It was also the first Frontier League win for Louisburg and it came at a great time.

“We really played as a team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The bench was awesome. Everyone that was in played to their role and no one tried to do anything fancy. It was just a great game all around.”

Louisburg (2-11) kept the Braves at arm’s length for the entire game, despite second and fourth quarter runs by Bonner Springs to try and take the lead. 

Bonner Springs cut the Louisburg lead to 16-13, but junior Ashlyn Kuhlman knocked in a 3-pointer with 3:40 left in the first half to make it a 19-13 game. 

It would be one of four 3-pointers for Kuhlman as she scored a team-high 15 points and also pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.

“A three is awesome cause it gives us a little edge and allows us to set up our defense,” Lane said. “(Ashlyn) had a great shooting night and I thought the whole team did a good job going to the basket at opportune times. We will work on finishing and I think we will only get better.”

Late in the second quarter, Bonner Springs once again cut the lead to two, but Kuhlman hit a runner in the lane to push the lead back out to four. 

The Lady Cats took a 24-21 lead into halftime, but widened the lead again. Junior Sami Lane hit a 3-pointer to start the third quarter to push the lead to six.

Louisburg’s defense also followed suit as Shylar Whiting drew a charge and Sabra Brueggen pulled down an offensive rebound and scored to make it an eight point lead.

Rebounds were a big factor for the Lady Cats as they out-rebounded the Braves 46-33 and pulled down 18 offensive rebounds that led to 11 second chance points.

The Lady Cats also changed up defenses throughout the game to try and slow the Braves down. Louisburg implemented three or four defenses to give Bonner Springs some different looks.

“Bonner was super physical and I thought the girls did a great job matching that,” coach Lane said. “I also think we gave it back to them a little bit. For us, I think switching defense on them so many times, and the girls being able to execute that, is what got us that win. (Bonner) seemed a little confused when we switched and it took them awhile to get stuff set up. I think the girls did a great job being able to switch back and forth and play any defense we threw at them.”

Kuhlman hit a 3-pointer late in the third to put Louisburg up 32-21 and the Lady Cats took an 8-point lead into the final frame.

Bonner Springs cut the Louisburg lead to one with 5 minutes and 30 seconds left in the game, but Kuhlman hit a 3-pointer after an offensive rebound by Brueggen.

Whiting then hit a runner to make it a 6-point game with 2:10 left and the Lady Cats were able to hang on for the win. 

“I think the girls playing more confident is what allowed us to hold off Bonner Springs on their runs,” Lane said. “I told the girls not to play scared and to play to win. Even when we were ahead, we were going to the basket. We had a huge third quarter and I really think that go us going.”

Brueggen finished second on the team in scoring with six points and seven rebounds. Junior Addy Stohs also had a big night on the glass with seven rebounds, while Jillian Asher had a team-high three steals.

Louisburg will try and make it two wins in a row Tuesday when it hosts rival Paola. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 10 14 10 6 — 40

BON 5 16 5 9 — 35

LOUISBURG (2-11): Ashlyn Kuhlman 5-19 1-2 15; Sabra Brueggen 1-4 4-4 6; McKenna Lohse 0-1 4-6 4; Morgan Latham 2-4 0-0 4; Shylar Whiting 2-6 0-0 4; Sami Lane 1-3 1-2 4; Zyleigh Melton 1-2 0-0 2; Jillian Asher 0-6 1-2 1. Totals: 12-50 11-16 40. 3-point field goals: 5, (Kuhlman 4, Lane)

Lady Cats fall to No. 2 Wamego on the road

WAMEGO — Louisburg had a big challenge in front it last Tuesday as the Lady Cats traveled to No. 2 Wamego.

Despite an even first quarter, Wamego pulled away for a 63-24 victory. The game was tied at 9-all after the first quarter, but Wamego outscored Louisburg 23-3 in the second quarter to pull away.

Wamego point guard Lexi Hecht was a handful for the Lady Cats as she scored a game-high 26 points and also had seven assists and six steals.

Louisburg junior Shylar Whiting led the Lady Cats in scoring with a game-high eight points to go along with four rebounds. Sophomore McKenna Lohse also pull down four rebounds in the loss.

LOU 9 3 7 5 — 24

WAM 9 23 22 9 — 63

LOUISBURG: Shylar Whiting 2-5 3-5 8; Morgan Latham 2-5 1-2 5; Sami Lane 1-1 0-0 3; Maddie Yoder 0-1 3-4 3; Ashlyn Kuhlman 0-6 2-2 2; Zyleigh Melton 0-2 2-2 2; McKenna Lohse 0-3 1-2 1. Totals: 5-28 12-17 24. 3-point field goals: 2, (Lane, Whiting)

Louisburg junior Shylar Whiting splits two defenders Friday during the Lady Cats’ tournament game against Girard.

Coming into the Louisburg Invitational winless on the season, the Lady Cats had a chance to finish their home tournament with a pair of wins Friday against Girard.

After winning the tournament opener, and falling to Chanute on Thursday, the Lady Cats played a tight game against Girard and had their chances, Unfortunately, Louisburg came up short in a 42-34 setback to the Trojans.

The Lady Cats had a four-point lead midway through the third quarter, but the Trojans were able to pull away with a 10-0 run.

“The first night was good, Friday was good, but the Chanute game was not the greatest,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I thought we grew as a team throughout the tournament, and even though we lost, I thought the girls got better. Everyone was in it and were playing hard. We are headed in the right direction for sure.”

It was a rough start for the Lady Cats early as Girard jumped out to a 10-1 advantage, but were eventually able to battle back. Louisburg went on a 12-0 run of its own midway through the second quarter.

Ashlyn Kuhlman and Sami Lane had baskets, then Shylar Whiting hit a 3-pointer to put the Lady Cats up 11-10. Kuhlman added another bucket with 4 minutes and 30 seconds left in the second quarter to increase the lead to three.

Girard went on mini 6-1 run to end the first half and took a 16-14 lead into the locker room.

The Lady Cats built another lead midway through the third quarter as junior Ally Brown scored five straight points to put Louisburg up 23-19 with three minutes left in the third.

Girard, once again had another answer, and it was a big one as it went on a 15-2 run to build its lead back up to 11 midway through the fourth quarter.

Brown, who scored a game-high eight points, knocked in a 3-pointer to cut the lead to eight. About 15 seconds later, sophomore Zyleigh Melton then knocked in a pair of free throws to make it a 36-30 game with 2:49 left, but it would be as close as the Lady Cats would get.

“They did great,” Lane said. “We got down nine and then we fought our way back and played good. I thought the girls valued the ball a lot better and we have been talking about that a lot in practice. They played as a team and thought it was much better.

“It makes us more confident as a team when we can come back like that. I know the girls have fight in them. It was good to see them not quit and no one out there gave up. Very proud of them to battle like they did.”

Defensively, the Lady Cats played well as it held Girard to just 23 percent from the field, but the Trojans won the game at the free-throw line.

Girard went to the line 36 times and made 23 of those attempts, compared to a 7-for-12 performance from Louisburg. The Lady Cats also battled some foul trouble.

“I was kind of surprised we got in that much foul trouble,” Lane said. “Girard didn’t get called for as many, but the girls had to battle through that and I thought they did a good job. Even ones that got in foul trouble like Shylar, Ally and Sami, they all still played hard despite having a lot of fouls on them.”

Kuhlman finished second in the team in scoring with six points and also had four blocked shots. Kuhlman, along with Sami Lane, led the Lady Cats with five rebounds each. 

Junior Jillian Asher had a team-high three assists, while Brown led the team with two steals.

Louisburg will have a big challenge in its next game Tuesday as the Lady Cats travel to No. 2 team in the state — Wamego. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 4 10 11 9 — 34

GIR 10 6 15 11 — 42

LOUISBURG (1-10): Ally Brown 3-7 0-0 8; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-6 2-4 6; Jillian Asher 2-9 1-2 5; Shylar Whiting 1-2 2-2 5; Morgan Latham 2-4 0-2 4; Sami Lane 2-3 0-0 4; Zyleigh Melton 0-2 2-2 2. Totals: 12-35 7-12 34. 3-point field goals: 3, (Brown 2, Whiting)

Lady Cats lose tourney game to Chanute

For three quarters, Louisburg and Chanute found themselves in a tight contest.

It was the fourth quarter that one really separated from the other. 

Chanute went on a big run late to pull away from Louisburg and handed the Lady Cats a 53-36 loss.

Louisburg was down 34-33 late in the third quarter, but Chanute went on a 17-0 run to take an 18-point lead to pull away.

Sophomore Morgan Latham had a good game on the inside for Louisburg as she scored a team-high nine points. Juniors Ashlyn Kuhlman and Ally Brown had eight and six points, respectively.

Sophomore McKenna Lohse had a team-high seven rebounds, while sophomore Zyleigh Melton had a team-high three assists.

LOU 12 7 14 3 — 36

CHA 15 8 15 15 — 53

LOUISBURG: Morgan Latham 4-7 1-4 9; Ashlyn Kuhlman 3-5 0-0 8; Ally Brown 2-4 1-2 6; Shylar Whiting 1-6 2-2 5; Sami Lane 2-10 0-0 4; Jillian Asher 1-5 0-0 2; McKenna Lohse 0-3 2-4 2. Totals: 13-40 6-12 36. 3-poin

Louisburg’s (from left) Sabra Brueggen and Shylar Whiting come out to celebrate with Sami Lane following the Lady Cats’ win over Northeast Kansas on Tuesday in the opener of the Louisburg Invitational.

As the Louisburg coaches walked into the locker room following Tuesday’s opening round game of the Louisburg Invitational, the sounds that emitted from beyond the walls were something they haven’t heard all season.

The joyous screams were that of elation, mixed with a little bit of relief.

Their losing streak was over.

Louisburg snapped an eight-game losing skid and picked up its first win of the season as the Lady Cats downed Northeast Kansas, 49-41, to get a victory in the first round of their home tournament.

“This was a really important win for us,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I told them before the game that (Tuesday) was the night and we needed to get this. I really think that this will help us the rest of the week and even into the next week. Hopefully we can get some momentum going from this. We just really needed this so the girls know that they can do it and that we are good enough.”

The Lady Cats entered the 23-24 season with little to no varsity experience and were thrown into the fire of what was mostly a difficult Frontier League schedule.

Louisburg got that first win over Northeast Kansas, a homeschool program based out of Topeka, and the Lady Cats had to overcome some obstacles along the way.

The Lady Cats were down five points with four minutes to go, but they were able to flip a switch as they outscored the Nighthawks 18-5 in the fourth quarter to pull away for an eight-point victory.

“I told the girls that we need to play to win and not be scared with the ball,” Lane said. “We came down and hit a 3, then hit a 2 and then Morgan (Latham) got fouled and hit a pair of free throws. It seemed like the girls took that to heart and did a good job of going to the basket when they were open.

Latham started the run by hitting 3 of 4 from the free-throw line, then Sami Lane hit a 3-pointer with two minutes remaining to give Louisburg a 40-39 lead.

The Nighthawks scored on a runner to take the lead back, but junior Ashlyn Kuhlman knocked down a runner to put Louisburg up on its next possession. 

Northwest was then called for an intentional foul and sophomore Zyleigh Melton hit a free throw to put the Lady Cats up two. Kuhlman would go on to hit four straight free throws to put the Lady Cats up six. 

Melton hit two more free throws late to seal the win for Louisburg. 

“Those were awesome free throws,” coach Lane said. “Mo started it, Zyleigh hit a couple and Ash hit four in a row. If we don’t make those we don’t win and that was a game changer for us. They seemed calm up there and those also helped us reset on defense as well.”

Louisburg had three players score in double figures and it started with Kuhlman as she finished with a team-high 16 points to go along with four rebounds and two blocked shots.

Junior Shylar Whiting gave the Lady Cats a spark offensively, especially in the first half, with 11 points. Lane finished with 10 points to go along with four rebounds.

Latham finished with seven points, while sophomore McKenna Lohse had a team-high six rebounds. Junior Jillian Asher finished with five boards and Melton had a team-high three assists.

The Lady Cats will try for back-to-back wins tonight as they host Chanute in the second round of the Louisburg Invitational. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

Louisburg will end tournament play at 7 p.m. on Friday against Girard.

“Chanute will be a lot different because they like to play at a slower pace, and they will play a zone defense, so we will have to see how that goes,” coach Lane said. “I am glad that we got this one and hopefully it will carry into the final two games of the tournament.”

LOU 5 15 11 18 — 49

NEK 3 18 15 5 — 41

LOUISBURG (1-8): Ashlyn Kuhlman 5-11 4-4 16; Shylar Whiting 5-8 1-4 11; Sami Lane 3-8 2-2 10; Morgan Latham 2-4 3-4 7; Zyleigh Melton 0-1 3-4 3; Jillian Asher 0-5 2-2 2. Totals: 15-45 15-20 49. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kuhlman 2, Lane 2)

Louisburg junior Sabra Brueggen battles for a rebound Thursday at Spring Hill. The Lady Cats fell 59-46.

SPRING HILL — The Louisburg girls basketball team may still be looking for its first win of the season, but the Lady Cats are taking positive steps forward.

Louisburg took a big step Thursday at Spring Hill. The Lady Cats found themselves down just five points at halftime, but the Broncos were able to pull away in the second half and hand Louisburg a 59-46 loss.

“I thought we played pretty well,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I think that was one of the better games we have played all year against one of the best teams we have seen. I do think we are getting better every game. We ran some better offense than we have been and we played some different defenses than we were used to. I thought they did a great job.”

Spring Hill got out to a fast start with a 15-5 lead, but the Wildcats went on a 15-5 run of their own and took a 20-19 lead on a 3-pointer from Ashlyn Kuhlman. The Louisburg junior had eight points during that stretch.

The Broncos batted back and eventually took a 27-22 lead into halftime, but the Wildcats had a lot of positives go their way in the first half. 

“Going into halftime, I think the girls were pretty excited and optimistic knowing that they can play with teams like that,” Lane said. “I think there were times in the second half where our offense was even better. I just keep telling the girls that this is all experience for them after not starting the season with any varsity experience. It hasn’t even been half the season yet, but we are getting better.”

Spring Hill eventually built a double-digit lead in the second half. Junior Sami Lane hit a 3-pointer to make it an eight-point game, but it would be as close as Louisburg would get. 

Louisburg junior Sabra Brueggen was active inside with a team-high 13 points as she got to the free-throw line 12 times. Kuhlman also scored in double figures with 11.

Sophomore McKenna Lohse led the Lady Cats with eight rebounds on the night, while Sami Lane finished with seven points and six rebounds.

The Broncos’ Isla Herman and Sydney Buscher combined for 42 of Spring Hill’s 59 points. Buscher finished with a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds and Herman also scored 21 points.

Louisburg will try for that first win starting tonight as the Wildcats host Northeast Kansas, a home school team out of Topeka, in the first round of the Louisburg Invitational. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. 

LOU 10 12 11 13 — 46

SH 17 10 17 15 — 59

LOUISBURG: Sabra Brueggen 3-5 7-12 13; Ashlyn Kuhlman 4-9 1-2 11; Sami Lane 3-7 0-0 7; Ally Brown 2-7 0-0 5; Jillian Asher 1-5 0-0 3; McKenna Lohse 0-1 3-6 3; Addy Stohs 1-2 0-0 2; Mogan Latham 0-0 1-2 1; Shylar Whiting 0-3 1-3 1. Totals: 14-40 13-27 46. 3-point field goals: 5, (Kuhlman 2, Asher, Lane, Brown)

Lady Cats fall to Baldwin

A rough start sunk any hopes of an upset for the Louisburg girls basketball at home Friday as Baldwin scored 32 points in the first half and ran away with a 52-31 win over the Lady Cats. 

Baldwin took a 32-9 lead at halftime and the Lady Cats struggled to get much going offensively as they shot just 24 percent for the game.

Jillian Asher led Louisburg in scoring with eight points and sophomore Morgan Latham finished with seven.

Junior Ashlyn Kuhlman had a team-high five rebounds to go along with eight blocked shots. 

Baldwin’s Alyssa Reichard had a team-high 19 points to lead the Bulldogs.

LOU 5 4 8 14 — 31

BAL 17 15 17 3 — 52

LOUISBURG (0-8): Jillian Asher 2-5 3-4 8; Morgan Latham 2-5 3-3 7; Ashlyn Kuhlman 1-7 2-2 4; Shylar Whiting 2-9 0-0 4; Sami Lane 1-7 0-0 3; Ally Brown 1-3 0-0 2; Addy Stohs 1-3 0-1 2. Totals: 10-42 9-14 31. 3-point field goals: 2, (Asher, Lane)