Louisburg senior Delanie Tally scored a team-high 14 points Tuesday at home against Tonganoxie. The Lady Cats cruised to a 54-32 win.

From the opening tip, it was clear it was going to be Louisburg’s night.

The Lady Cats scored the game’s first 14 points and held Tongnaoxie scoreless in the first quarter, en route to a 54-32 victory. It was the Lady Cats’ third straight win.

“Tuesday was a great win for our team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “All the girls got to play and contribute to this victory. Our defense was good and we got to work on a couple different defenses, which is always helpful this deep into the season.”

Louisburg, which improved its record to 11-5 on the season and is currently ranked No. 9 in Class 4A, didn’t waste any time to get going against the Chieftains.

Senior Adyson Ross opened the game with back-to-back baskets and then senior Delanie Tally recorded a steal and a 3-pointer. Ross added another score and Tally recorded another 3-pointer to put the Lady Cats up 12. 

Louisburg senior Ava Baker knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Lady Cats a 14-0 lead over Tonganoxie after one quarter. It was all Louisburg the rest of the way as it led 27-7 at halftime.

Tally led Louisburg in scoring with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Ross nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Baker was also in double figures with 12 points and seven boards.

The Lady Cats were strong on the defensive end as they held Tonganoxie to 26 percent shooting and forced 13 turnovers. Tally was active all night with five steals and junior Ashley Branine had four to go along with eight points and six rebounds.

Lane also got the chance to empty her bench in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Ashlyn Kuhlman scored her first varsity basket.

“It is always a lot of fun when all the girls get to play,” Lane said. “The sophomores work so hard every day in practice and when they get to contribute on the varsity team it makes for a happy locker room after the game. The upperclassmen are always encouraging and excited for them.”

Louisburg will go up against one of the Frontier League’s top teams on Friday as the Lady Cats travel to Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. 

The Broncos handed the Lady Cats one of their five losses on the year and Lane knows it will be a challenge on the road.

“Friday will be a tough game for us and we will have to start hard and battle the entire game,” Lane said. “I am excited to play Spring Hill again. I think this game will give us an idea of where we are currently as a team and will also help us see things we need to work on before the postseason. 

“Defense and communication are going to be key for this game. We will also work on getting to the basket, knowing when we are open, and finishing in the lane with tough defense on us.”

LOU 14 13 17 10 — 54

TON 0 7 9 16 — 32

LOUISBURG (11-5): Delanie Tally 5-9 0-0 14; Adyson Ross 6-13 0-1 12; Ava Baker 4-7 2-2 12; Ashley Branine 4-8 0-0 8; Brianne Kuhlman 1-7 0-1 2; Emma Prettyman 1-2 0-0 2; Ashlyn Kuhlman 1-4 0-0 2; Sami Lane 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 23-59 2-4 54. 3-point field goals: 6, (Tally 4, Baker 2)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week eight of the winter sports season, sponsored by Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics.

BRIANNE KUHLMAN, SENIOR, GIRLS BASKETBALL

Louisburg senior point guard Brianne Kuhlman was one of the keys to a pair of victories for the Lady Cat basketball team last week against Paola and Ottawa. Kuhlman finished with 11 points in the two games, but also added with 11 rebounds from her point guard spot. She also recorded a team-high eight assists.

Kuhlman is a 3-year starter for the Lady Cats and has helped lead them to an 11-5 record so far this season.

“Brianne had a great week,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “She has such a big, calm presence on our team. She is very consistent and takes care of the basketball in all situations. Brianne is a leader on our team, and I feel like her stats show that because she has stats in all categories. She is very even across the board.”

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: Adyson Ross

Week 2: Colin Brown

Week 3: Colyer Wingfield

Week 4: Kaven Bartlett

Week 5: Trace Eslinger

Week 6: Jay McCaskill

Week 7: Andrew Jamison

Louisburg point guard Brianne Kuhlman passes it to an open teammate Friday during the Lady Cats’ homecoming game against Ottawa.

After losing to Ottawa earlier in the season, the Louisburg girls basketball team wanted to make a statement.

The Lady Cats wanted to prove they were better than what they showed a month ago and they got that chance Friday when they hosted the Cyclones. 

Louisburg took full advantage.

The Lady Cats held Ottawa to just eight first half points and cruised to a 50-35 homecoming win over the Cyclones. It was also the second straight win for Louisburg as it improved to 10-5 on the season.

“The team was very excited to get the win on Friday,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We have worked very hard over the past several weeks to get better and be able to beat them.”

Defense was at the top of the list of priorities for the Lady Cats and they made their presence felt. Louisburg held Ottawa to just 25 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers.

Louisburg turned those Ottawa mistakes into 17 points and the Lady Cats also pulled down 13 offensive rebounds to account for 10 second chance points.

“Defense was key for us on Friday,” Lane said. “We practiced defense a lot last week leading up to the game. Ottawa does a great job of getting into the lane, so we focused on not letting the offense cut in front of our faces and weakside help.”

Offensively, the Lady Cats also got scoring from up and down its lineup as three players scored in double figure. It all started with senior Adyson Ross.

Ross recorded a double-double as she led the Lady Cats with 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Senior guard Delanie Tally was also in double figures with 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Another senior, Ava Baker, added 10 points and a pair of 3-pointers.

“Adyson was great on Friday, and she does a fantastic job of creating shots for herself and movement in the offense and her rebounding has been great the whole season,” Lane said. “Her offensive rebounding has given us several second chances and they have paid off.

“Having three players score in double digits is great for the team. It’s hard for other teams to guard us when we have so many scoring threats. And we have had several different leading scorers throughout the season.”

Senior point guard Brianne Kuhlman also had a big night as she was second on the team with six rebounds and led Louisburg with four assists, along with Tally. Kuhlman also had five points in the win.

Louisburg took control of the game early as the Lady Cats jumped out to a 14-4 at the end of the first quarter. They then scored the first eight points of the second quarter to go up 18, before leading 22-8 at halftime.

The Lady Cats kept the Cyclones at arm’s length the rest of the way as Ottawa wasn’t able to trim the lead to under 10 as the Lady Cats were able to empty their bench in the final minute.

Louisburg will try and make it three straight wins Tuesday when it hosts Tonganoxie in a rematch from the season opener. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

“I feel the team is strong right now,” Lane said. “We have been playing well together as a team and I think we will continue to get better and better each week. We have to keep battling and fighting until the last game.”

LOU 14 8 16 12 — 50

OTT 4 4 14 13 — 35

LOUISBURG (10-5): Adyson Ross 5-13 6-6 17; Delanie Tally 4-13 0-0 11; Ava Baker 4-11 0-0 10; Brianne Kuhlman 2-8 1-1 5; Ashley Branine 2-5 0-0 4; Emma Lohse 1-3 0-0 3. Totals: 18-55 7-9 50. 3-point field goals: 7, (Tally 3, Baker 2, Lohse, Ross)

Louisburg junior Ashley Branine goes up for a shot in the lane Tuesday during the Lady Cats’ 53-37 win at Paola High School.

PAOLA — Nothing like a road win against your rival to help get things right again.

That is exactly what the Louisburg girls got Tuesday at Paola. After back-to-back losses to state-ranked teams, the Lady Cats put together a strong performance on the road as they knocked off the Panthers, 53-37.

Louisburg used its defense and timely shots to get back on the winning track.

“We played well overall.” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We moved the ball well, which I really thought was key in this game. We needed to keep it moving, cut back door, get it inside and throw it back out if we needed to. The girls did a really good job.

“They were very excited for this game. We needed this one for sure and the girls played well. They played smart and it was good to see.”

Defensively, the Lady Cats turned the Panthers over 21 times, which included 18 steals. Senior Emma Lohse made things difficult on Paola with a team-high five steals and senior Delanie Tally added four.

Louisburg took a 30-19 lead at halftime and the Lady Cats held Paola to just five points in the third quarter to balloon their lead to 19.

“I thought we did well defensively,” Lane said. “Paola is a pretty big team and I think they outsized us at almost every position. We did a good job holding our own and boxing out on missed shots.”

Senior Adyson Ross hit several big shots throughout the night for Louisburg as she finished with a team-high 18 points and a team-best nine rebounds.

Senior Ava Baker added nine points, while senior Emma Prettyman had eight on the inside to go along with seven rebounds — six of those coming on the offensive end.

The Lady Cats will try to avenge a loss from earlier in the season as they host Ottawa on Friday for their homecoming game. Tipoff its set for 6 p.m.

“I am excited for Friday,” Lane said. “It is a long week with homecoming and everything going on. We get to play Ottawa again and we are going to have to be ready. We are going to have to play physical and we have to finish in the lane for sure. We are excited for the opportunity.”

LOU 14 16 13 10 — 53

PAO 11 8 5 13 — 37

LOUISBURG (9-5): Adyson Ross 7-16 2-5 18; Ava Baker 4-12 0-0 9; Emma Prettyman 2-8 4-4 8; Delanie Tally 3-10 0-0 7; Ashley Branine 2-8 0-0 4; Brianne Kuhlman 2-3 0-0 4; Mackenzie Rooney 1-1 0-0 3. Totals: 21-64 6-9 53. 3-point field goals: 5, (Ross 2, Tally, Baker, Rooney)

Louisburg senior Emma Prettyman goes up for one of her team-high nine rebounds Friday at Bonner Springs.

BONNER SPRINGS — For almost the entire 32 minutes, the Louisburg girls found themselves within striking distance of Bonner Springs.

Bonner Springs senior Mariyah Noel made sure the Lady Cats never got too close.

Noel, a University of Mississippi commit, finished the game with 26 points and pulled down 17 rebounds as she led Bonner Springs to a 52-45 win over the Lady Cats.

“Mariyah is a great player and she always had an answer for our runs,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Anytime she rebounded she would go full court and make a shot. She is super talented.”

Bonner Springs led by just three points after the first quarter and the game stayed that way as the Braves led the Lady Cats 22-19 at halftime. 

Louisburg’s Ava Baker knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Lady Cats a little momentum going into the locker room.

The Lady Cats (8-5) got out to a little run to begin the second half as senior Delanie Tally hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Louisburg up 25-22 just a couple minutes into the third quarter.

Bonner Springs then went on a mini 6-0 run to put the Braves back up by three and they never relinquished the lead. The Braves extended their lead by as many 12 points in fourth quarter to seal the win.

Seniors Emma Prettyman and Baker did their best to keep the Lady Cats in the contest. Baker finished with a team-high 18 points to go along with eight rebounds. As for Prettyman, she tallied 10 points and nine rebounds in the loss.

“Ava and Emma both played well against Bonner,” Lane said. “They both played very smart on the inside and did a great job being a threat when they got the basketball. They hit some big shots to keep us in the game and did a great job rebounding.”

Senior point guard Brianne Kuhlman tallied a team-high five assists and five rebounds, while senior Emma Lohse added four assists.

Louisburg will try and bounce back tonight as it travels to rival Paola. The Lady Cats will also host Ottawa this Friday as they try for a revenge win on homecoming.

“This is a huge week for us and we for sure are looking for some wins this week,” Lane said. “We are very excited to play our rival Paola, and get a second chance at Ottawa. This week will continue to be hard for the team with it being homecoming, but I think we will be able to hold our own and play some great basketball.”

LOU 7 12 14 12 — 45

BON 10 12 14 16 — 52

LOUISBURG (8-5): Ava Baker 6-13 4-4 18; Emma Prettyman 5-9 0-2 10; Delanie Tally 2-9 0-0 6; Adyson Ross 2-14 0-0 5; Emma Lohse 1-4 0-0 3; Brianne Kuhlman 1-7 0-0 3. Totals: 17-58 4-6 45. 3-point field goals: 7, (Baker 2, Tally 2, Lohse, Kuhlman, Ross)

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross goes up for a shot during a tournament game last week in Tonganoxie. Ross and fellow senior Delanie Tally were each named to the Tonganoxie Invitational All-Tournament Team.

TONGANOXIE — Normally a matchup of two top 10 teams is reserved for the semifinals or championship game of a tournament.

That wasn’t the case Saturday when No. 10 Louisburg faced off with No. 3 Wamego in the fifth place game of the Tonganoxie Invitational. Still, it was an opportunity for the Lady Cats to measure themselves against one of the state’s best.

The Lady Cats found themselves in a battle with Wamego and even had the lead in the second half. Unfortunately, turnovers and missed free throws haunted the Lady Cats in their 52-42 loss at Tonganoxie High School.

“I thought the girls played a tough and smart game against Wamego,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We battled with them the whole game. Wamego hit a couple threes down the stretch that pulled them ahead. Then we shot just 33 percent from the free-throw line and that really hurt us in the end.”

Louisburg got out to a good start with a 16-11 lead after the first quarter, but Wamego held the Lady Cats to just four second quarter points and took a 21-20 halftime advantage.

The Lady Cats came out of halftime on fire as it scored the first seven points and eventually took a 31-26 advantage late in the third quarter. Wamego ended the period on a 13-2 run to grab a six point lead it would never relinquish. 

Mistakes hurt Louisburg as it committed 16 turnovers, which led to 18 points for Wamego. The Lady Cats also hit 8 of 20 from the free-throw line, compared to 17 of 23 attempts for the Red Raiders.

Even with a losses to a talented Wamego team, and a bigger school in Blue Valley West earlier in the week, Lane believes her team improved against some challenging competition.

“This was a very tough week for the girls, but I feel like we got a lot better throughout the week,” Lane said. “We played some really good teams, but we played with them. Moving on from this tournament, I think we will be a stronger and smarter team.”

Seniors Adyson Ross and Delanie Tally both finished in double figures in scoring for the Lady Cats. Ross led the team with 14 points and four rebounds, while Tally added with 11.

The two players were rewarded for their efforts as they were both named to the all-tournament team on Saturday.

“I am very proud of Adyson and Delanie for making the all-tournament team,” Lane said. They both had three very good games in the tournament. They played hard and fought on both sides of the basketball. 

“Delanie has done a great job looking to score and being confident in herself. She made some big baskets throughout the week, not only 3’s, but she did a great job of getting to the basket. Adyson had a great week. She does a great job of rebounding and finishing in the lane and she also hit some big shots. I felt like all the girls played very well in this tournament, we played great as a team and work well as a team.”

The Lady Cats will have a difficult challenge as they get back into Frontier League play Friday as they travel to Bonner Springs, which is currently the No. 7 team in Class 5A. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 16 4 13 9 — 42

WAM 11 10 18 13 — 52

LOUISBURG (8-4): Adyson Ross 4-8 4-6 14; Delanie Tally 4-4 2-4 11; Ava Baker 3-7 0-0 7; Ashley Branine 1-4 1-2 3; Brianne Kuhlman 1-2 1-2 3; Emma Lohse 1-5 0-0 2; Emma Prettyman 1-4 0-6 2. Totals: 15-34 8-20 42. 3-point field goals: 4, (Ross 2, Tally, Baker)

Louisburg senior Brianne Kuhlman dribbles around a couple Eudora defenders Thursday thanks to a screen from sophomore Mackenzie Rooney. The Lady Cats cruised to a 50-28 win over Eudora in Tonganoxie.

TONGANOXIE — The last time the Louisburg girls basketball team faced Eudora was a little more than two weeks ago. 

Louisburg squeaked out a win and now the Lady Cats had to see them again in the consolation semifinals Thursday in the Tonganoxie Invitational. This matchup was nothing like the last.

The Lady Cats connected on seven 3-pointers and used a big first half to propel them to a 50-28 victory over the Cardinals and advanced to the tournament’s fifth place game Saturday.

“The difference was I think we just made outside shots,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We only made two the last time we played them so that was a lot better. Our intensity was really good and we switched our defense up with a 1-3-1 and I thought the girls did a good job with that.”

It didn’t look promising to start the game as Eudora jumped out to a quick 6-0 advantage, but the Lady Cats had an answer. Louisburg put together a 14-0 run to finish the first quarter to go up eight.

The Lady Cats then used a quick 7-0 run to end the first half and took a 27-16 lead at halftime.

Louisburg got consistent scoring up from and down its lineup. 

Seniors Adyson Ross and Delanie Tally each had 11 points to lead the way, while fellow seniors Brianne Kuhlman and Ava Baker each added eight. Tally also knocked down three 3-pointers and Baker had two.

Ross led the Lady Cats with six assists on the night and junior Ashley Branine finished with five.

Baker also found herself in the starting lineup as senior Emma Lohse was out with an illness and she made an immediate impact.

“Ava did a great job,” Lane said. “I was going to start her anyway as I wanted her to guard Sawyer Schriener as I thought that was a good matchup for her. She did a really good job and she has played well the last few games and really brought us a spark.

“When we can all be consistent scorers, that is obviously a good thing for us. I mean Brianne had like 8, Adyson and Delanie were in double figures and Ava gave us good points as well. When we do that, we are hard to guard. They have to worry about all of us.”

The Louisburg (8-3) defense came up big in the second half as the Lady Cats held Eudora to just five points in the third quarter and forced 18 turnovers for the game. They scored 15 points off those Eudora mistakes.

All that allowed Louisburg to empty its bench as seven sophomores saw playing time. Jillian Asher hit a 3-pointer, while Sami Lane also knocked down a shot to give them their first varsity field goals.

“That is very exciting to see them all get some time on the varsity level,” Lane said. “It has been a minute since they have gotten into a game and they deserve it. They all work so hard in practice and are making us better. Glad they all got to get out there.”

It will be quite the fifth place game Saturday as the Lady Cats, who are currently No. 10 in Class 4A, will square off with No. 3 Wamego. Tipoff is set for 10 a.m.

“I am excited to play them because I think this will give us a chance to see where we are at,” Lane said of Wamego. “From just the stuff I have watched, and from playing them over the summer, they never quit. Any ball at all times is their basketball. 

“It will probably be a rough game, but it will be a fun one that is up and down and fast. I think we match up with them well and hopefully we can give them a good go.”

LOU 14 13 13 10 — 50

EUD 6 8 5 10 — 28

LOUISBURG (8-3): Adyson Ross 5-12 0-0 11; Delanie Tally 4-9 0-0 11; Brianne Kuhlman 4-7 0-0 8; Ava Baker 3-8 0-0 8; Ashley Branine 2-3 0-0 4; Jillian Asher 1-4 0-0 3; Mackenzie Rooney 1-4 0-0 2; Sami Lane 1-4 0-0 2; Shylar Whiting 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 21-59 1-2 50. 3-point field goals: 7, (Tally 3, Baker 2, Ross, Asher)

Lady Cats lose tourney opener to Blue Valley West

Louisburg had a big test Tuesday in the opening round of the Tonganoxie Invitational.

Not only did the Lady Cats have to go up against Class 6A Blue Valley West, they also had the challenge of guarding one of the tallest girls they will see all season.

The Jaguars’ Lily Ba, a Tulane commit, was a force in the middle at 6-foot-3. Despite the big obstacle, the Lady Cats had the lead in the final quarter.

Unfortunately, Blue Valley West put together a big run late as the Jaguars handed Louisburg a 51-45 loss.

Ba was a factor in the game as she scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds. She also banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give her team a 22-21 lead at halftime.

“I thought the girls played well against Blue Valley West,” Lane said. “We played solid on both sides of the ball. Emma (Prettyman) did a great job guarding and boxing out Lily Ba, and the rest of the girls did well helping. If we got a couple different bounces we could have won that game. I thought it was a great match up for us.”

Louisburg held 40-38 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Jaguars went on a 9-0 run and the Lady Cats weren’t able to catch back up.

Delanie Tally led Louisburg in scoring with 14 points, including four 3-pointers and Adyson Ross also scored in double figures with 12. Ava Baker finished with nine.

Emma Prettyman tallied a team-high five assists, while Brianne Kuhlman had six points and a team-best five rebounds. 

LOU 6 15 14 10 — 45

BVW 9 13 10 19 — 51

LOUISBURG: Delanie Tally 4-9 2-2 14; Adyson Ross 4-13 1-2 12; Ava Baker 3-9 2-2 9; Brianne Kuhlman 3-6 0-0 6; Emma Lohse 1-3 0-0 2; Emma Prettyman 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 16-47 5-6 45. 3-point field goals: 8, (Tally 4, Ross 3, Baker)

Louisburg senior Delanie Tally goes up for two points and gets fouled Friday during the Lady Cats’ 44-27 victory at Baldwin.

BALDWIN CITY — For the second time in less than a month, the Louisburg girls basketball team put together one of their better performances of the season against Baldwin.

The Lady Cats jumped out to a double digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back in a 44-27 victory over the Bulldogs on Friday in Baldwin City. The win came at a perfect time as it ended a two game losing skid for Louisburg.

“The win against Baldwin was a needed win for our team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The girls were very excited to get this win. They played with confidence and they played together.

“Starting off with some quick scores definitely set the tone for the game. When we score quickly, the rest of the game is smoother.”

Louisburg (7-2) got out to the start it was looking for as the Lady Cats outscored Baldwin 16-4 to begin the game and they built on their lead from there. The Lady Cats held a 27-10 halftime advantage before the two teams played even in the second half.

Offensively, Louisburg was also able to overcome its recent struggles as the Lady Cats shot 39 percent from the floor and connected on six 3-pointers.

Senior guard Delanie Tally had a big night for Louisburg she scored a game-high 14 points and connected on three 3-pointers.

“The girls played very smart on offense,” Lane said. “If our play was not working, they would reset and we would run something different. This made a huge difference with how our offense was ran and how we moved the ball. Delanie did a great job on Friday. She played with confidence and she made some great plays on both sides of the ball.”

Another senior, Adyson Ross, did a little bit of everything for Louisburg. Ross finished with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four assists.

Senior forward Ava Baker also provided big scoring off the bench with nine points, while senior Emma Prettyman was second on the team with seven rebounds.

Defensively, the Lady Cats held Baldwin to just 21 percent shooting and held one of the league’s top players — Karly Neufeld — to just four points. Louisburg also outrebounded Baldwin, 36-23.

“The girls did such a great job on defense,” Lane said. “Every player did their job and guarded their person exactly how we practiced. The girls who guarded Karly did fantastic. Our team is so lucky to have some many girls who can and will face guard when asked.”

Louisburg will try for back-to-back wins starting today as it squares off with Blue Valley West in the first round of the Tonganoxie Invitational. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m.

The Lady Cats will also play on Thursday and Saturday. The tournament features teams such as state-ranked Wamego, along with 5A schools in Bonner Springs and Piper.

“Our team is very excited to play in this tournament,” Lane said. “It will be good to play some different teams and to get some great experience against some really good opponents.” 

LOU 16 11 8 9 — 44

BAL 4 6 8 9 — 27

LOUISBURG (7-2): Delanie Tally 5-7 1-1 14; Adyson Ross 4-13 1-2 11; Ava Baker 4-5 0-1 9; Brianne Kuhlman 2-3 0-1 4; Emma Lohse 1-4 0-0 2; Ashley Branine 1-4 0-0 2; Emma Prettyman 1-7 0-0 2. Totals: 18-46 2-5 44. 3-point field goals: 6, (Tally 3, Ross 2, Baker)

Louisburg senior Ava Baker goes up for a shot Tuesday during the Lady Cats’ home contest against Spring Hill.

Louisburg found itself down by as many as 15 points to Spring Hill on Tuesday at Louisburg High School.

Still, the Lady Cats didn’t let that bother them.

Instead, they put together a big run in the second half to cut the Bronco lead to just two points. However, Louisburg couldn’t get over the hump in a 47-39 setback as the Broncos handed the Lady Cats their second straight loss on the season.

“The girls did a great job fighting back after halftime,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They showed a lot of heart and hard work. Once we got back into the game, we had a hard time pulling ahead. But I was very proud of them not to give up.

“Overall, I thought we played not to lose versus playing to win. We had some really good moments, but we also had some moments that showed areas that we need to improve in.”

Both teams got out to a good start offensively as the two squads combined for 32 points in the first quarter, but the Lady Cats had a hard time slowing Spring Hill senior Jenna Weber.

Weber scored 12 of the Broncos’ 19 points and finished with a game-high 23. Spring Hill sophomore Sydney Buscher also added a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

“Jenna is a great player,” Lane said. “She is hard to guard and does a great job getting herself open in the offense. She had a great game and I think she will continue to thrive throughout her season.”

Defensively, the Lady Cats thrived in the third quarter as they whittled an 11-point Spring Hill lead at halftime, to just three going into the fourth.

Senior Brianne Kuhlman knocked down a pair of free throws at the end of the third and Spring Hill led 34-31. Adyson Ross made it a 2-point game with an offensive rebound and a lay-up with 6:42 left in the game.

It would be as close as the Lady Cats could get as they struggled to hit shots, and free throws, down the stretch.

Louisburg shot 26 percent for the game and converted 7 of 16 free-throw attempts. Still, the Lady Cats used their defense to stay in it as they forced 16 Bronco turnovers.

The Lady Cats also did well on the glass with 17 offensive rebounds, which led to 13 second chance points.

Ross led the Lady Cats in scoring and rebounding. She finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, including six on the offensive end.

Delanie Tally also scored in double figures for Louisburg with 10 points, while senior Emma Prettyman added seven rebounds and three assists in the loss. Tally and Emma Lohse each finished with a team-high three steals.

Louisburg will try and snap its two-game losing skid tonight as the Lady Cats travel to Baldwin. The Lady Cats defeated the Bulldogs by double figures last month and Lane knows it will be a difficult test on the road.

“It is going to be tough, Baldwin will for sure be looking for some revenge and overall our team has been very inconsistent on offense since we played Baldwin last,” Lane said. “I am hoping we can have another great offensive game and get some of our confidence back.”

LOU 13 6 12 8 — 39

SH 19 11 4 13 — 47

LOUISBURG (6-2): Adyson Ross 5-15 0-3 11; Delanie Tally 4-12 0-0 10; Brianne Kuhlman 1-2 3-8 5; Emma Prettyman 1-4 2-2 4; Emma Lohse 1-5 0-1 3; Ashley Branine 1-2 0-0 2; Ava Baker 0-10 2-2 2. Totals: 13-50 7-16 39. 3-point field goals: 4, (Tally 2, Lohse, Ross)

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross goes up for a shot and gets fouled Thursday at Ottawa High School. Ross finished with 15 points in the loss.

OTTAWA — After a successful start to its season, the Louisburg girls basketball team experienced its first hiccup of the 22-23 campaign.

The Lady Cats couldn’t overcome a rough second quarter as they fell to Ottawa, 47-31, on Thursday at Ottawa High School.

Whether it was a tough shooting night, or struggles on defense, Louisburg had a difficult time with a more physical Cyclones team.

“This was a tough game overall for us,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “It felt like we couldn’t get anything accomplished on the defensive or offensive side of the ball. It felt like we were almost a half-second behind Ottawa on both ends of the floor.”

Louisburg (6-1) took a one-point lead going into the second quarter, but the Cyclones came to life offensively as they outscored the Lady Cats, 18-7, and took a 26-16 lead at halftime.

The Cyclones’ lead ballooned to 19 in the second half as the Lady Cats shot 22 percent from the floor.

“Ottawa was very physical and tough, and we had not seen a team that played that physical yet,” Lane said. “They did a great job pushing us out of our offense and we had a hard time getting get looks at the basket because of this. They were also very physical on the boards, Ottawa did a great job keeping us off the offensive boards.”

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross provided a bulk of the Lady Cats’ scoring as she finished with a team-high 15 points. Another senior, Emma Prettyman, had a team-best seven rebounds, while senior Delanie Tally led Louisburg with five steals.

The Lady Cats will try and bounce back tonight as they host Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

“Losing is tough and never the outcome we want, but we always try to learn and get better after we lose,” Lane said. “I can get better and I can help the team get better because of the loss.

LOU 9 7 9 6 — 31

OTT 8 18 13 8 — 47

LOUISBURG (6-1): Adyson Ross 6-15 1-1 15; Brianne Kuhlman 2-5 0-0 4; Emma Prettyman 1-7 2-4 4; Emma Lohse 1-8 0-0 2; Ashley Branine 1-6 0-2 2; Delanie Tally 1-9 0-2 2; Ava Baker 0-3 2-2 2. Totals: 12-55 5-11 31. 3-point field goals: 2, (Ross 2)