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 sophomore Gavin Lohse goes up for a shot and gets fouled Friday during the Wildcats’ homecoming game against Ottawa.

It was a night and day difference for the Louisburg boys basketball team Friday against Ottawa.

The last time the Wildcats faced off with the Cyclones, they fell on the road by 16. It was a lot closer this time around.

Louisburg had a four-point halftime lead on Ottawa, and had a chance to tie in the game’s final seconds, but the Wildcats came up short in a 50-46 loss.

As disappointing as the setback was for Louisburg, Wildcat coach Ty Pfannenstiel saw several good things from this team.

“The three keys going into the game for us was energy, energy and energy,” Pfannenstiel said. “I just wanted to emphasize how important it was for us to come out and play with energy. We started off pressing and wanted to play more up-tempo. We started off really well. We played with energy all night, but when they switched to their zone, we struggled against it a little bit.”

The Wildcats (7-8) got out to a strong start as it scored the first six points of the game and took a 12-9 lead after one quarter. 

Ottawa made a run late in the first half to take a one-point lead, but Wildcat freshman Luke Schultz answered with a 3-pointer. Senior Colyer Wingfield ended the half with a steal and a breakaway dunk to put Louisburg up 27-23 at halftime.

In the second half, Ottawa turned the tables as the Cyclones went zone to slow down the Wildcats and they heated up on offense. Ottawa hit four 3-pointers in the frame to take the lead midway through the third and wouldn’t relinquish it.

The Wildcats trailed by four late in the fourth when junior Nathan Parker knocked down a 3-pointer to cut it to one. Ottawa went on to hit two free throws to stretch its lead to three.

Louisburg had one final chance to tie it, but a 3-pointer from the corner wouldn’t go down and the Cyclones left win a win.

“We just had bad stretches,” Pfannenstiel said. “That third quarter was a really bad stretch. There was a moment in the fourth that was a bad stretch. We need to find ways to eliminate those, and if we don’t have those, we would have been in a lot better position at the end.

“We had the play drawn up that we beat them on last year at the buzzer. They saw that coming, so we had to change what we wanted to do. They had some fouls to give too, so they were trying to foul and makes it tougher to run a play. We still got a good look on the inbounds play, but we just couldn’t get it to fall.”

Wingfield led the Wildcats in scoring on the night with 15 points and four assists, while Parker connected on four 3-pointers and finished with 12. Senior Mason Dobbins had a team-high nine rebounds

The Wildcats will try and end its 3-game losing skid tonight as they host Tonganoxie. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 12 15 9 10 — 46

OTT 9 14 16 11 — 50

LOUISBURG (7-8): Colyer Wingfield 6-16 2-2 15; Nathan Parker 4-6 0-0 12; Conlee Hovey 2-3 0-0 4; Mason Dobbins 2-4 0-2 4; Luke Schultz 1-1 0-0 3; Cade Gassman 1-3 0-0 2; Myles Vohs 1-1 0-0 2; Gavin Lohse 1-3 0-2 2; Isaiah Whitley 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 19-40 2-6 46. 3-point field goals: 6, (Parker 4, Wingfield, Schultz)

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 senior Colyer Wingfield goes up for a shot Tuesday during the Wildcats’ game at Paola. Wingfield scored a team-high 17 points.

PAOLA — The Louisburg boys made several plays down the stretch Tuesday to put them in position to leave Paola with a win.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Paola made one more than they did.

With three seconds remaining in a tie game, Paola ran an out of bounds play and Panther senior Landon Taylor scored close to the basket with .8 seconds left and handed Louisburg a 43-41 setback.

“That was a tough way to lose for sure,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “It was a back and forth game all night. In the end, they made one more play than we did. And it wasn’t just the last play, that’s the one that gets magnified because it was the final play, but there are so many possessions in the game that are equally as important as the last one.”

The two teams stayed within striking distance of one another through the entire game and Paola held a one point lead over Louisburg at the end of each of the first three quarters.

Louisburg (7-7) made a run to start the fourth quarter and took the upper-hand. The Wildcats went on a mini 6-0 run to take a five-point advantage thanks to free throws from Colyer Wingfield and Conlee Hovey, along with a 3-pointer from Cade Gassman.

Paola then had an answer of its own. The Panthers went on a 9-0 run to take a 40-36 lead with under a minute left. The Wildcats went close to six minutes without scoring during that stretch.

“Going on a drought like that makes it tough,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our effort was good all night, but in the end it wasn’t enough.”

Wingfield hit a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to two, and the Wildcats fouled Taylor with 34 seconds left to keep their hopes alive. Taylor hit 1 of 2 and left the door open for Louisburg.

Louisburg junior Nathan Parker took advantage of the opportunity. Parker, who hadn’t hit a 3-pointer all night, knocked it down from the corner to tie the game with 20 seconds left.

“Nathan didn’t have a good night shooting, but he has that shooter’s mentality and hit another big one to tie it up for us, much like the Frontenac game,” Pfannenstiel said. “He’s a good shooter, so we lean on him to make shots from the perimeter.”

That set up Taylor’s late-game heroics with .8 seconds left. The Wildcats tried a full-court pass to get a shot off, but the Panthers intercepted it. Taylor scored nearly half of his team’s points as he finished with 18.

The Wildcats lost by two, but they gave the Panthers plenty of chances on what was an off-shooting night. Paola pulled down 22 offensive rebounds and got up 17 more shots than the Wildcats.

On offense, Louisburg had a tough time scoring on Paola’s zone defense and struggled getting good shots. 

Wingfield led Louisburg in scoring with 17 points — nine of which came from the free-throw line. He also added six rebounds and four assists.

“We were down a couple of our best shooters so it was hard to stretch out their zone,” Pfannenstiel said. “Finally in the second half we started getting some better movement, but struggled to be consistent.  

“Colyer was solid again. He’s been pretty consistent with his scoring all year. We definitely need to find a couple more scoring options to open things up for us.”

Gassman was second on the team in scoring with six points and Hovey finished with five. Senior Mason Dobbins pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.

Louisburg will try and bounce back today as the Wildcats host Ottawa for homecoming. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 10 11 9 11 — 41

PAO 11 11 9 12 — 43

LOUISBURG (7-7): Colyer Wingfield 4-9 9-13 17; Cade Gassman 2-4 0-0 6; Conlee Hovey 1-2 3-4 5; Nathan Parker 1-8 0-0 3; Isaiah Whitley 1-7 0-0 3; Mason Dobbins 1-4 1-2 3; Myles Vohs 1-1 0-0 2; Gavin Lohse 0-0 1-2 1; Brock Vohs 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 11-36 15-23 41. 3-point field goals: 4, (Gassman 2, Parker, Whitley)

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 junior Brock Vohs goes up for a shot between two Bonner Springs defenders Friday at Bonner Springs High School.

BONNER SPRINGS — In its first game in a week, the Louisburg boys basketball team squared off with Bonner Springs on Friday in hopes of building on its 3-game winning streak.

The Braves had other ideas.

Bonner Springs scored the game’s first 14 points and the Braves never looked back as they handed Louisburg a 72-45 loss at Bonner Springs High School.

“Bonner is a top 2 or 3 team in the Frontier League,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “They have a lot of athleticism on the floor and have a lot of scoring options, which makes them tough to stop.  They were hot from 3 early and our struggles offensively got us down to start the game. 

“I told our guys at half that if we can get some of our shots to fall, and they come back to reality with their shooting, then we will be ok. We never did get into any kind of rhythm to make a run.”

The Braves pushed the pace early and often as it was an up and down game and they took advantage of their fast break opportunities. Bonner Springs forced 19 turnovers and turned those into 26 points.

Bonner Springs also got hot from the outside with 10 3-pointers and took a 40-23 halftime advantage.

As for Louisburg, the Wildcats (7-6) couldn’t get much to fall as it shot 30 percent for the game and connected on just one 3-pointer.

“Against a team like that, you can’t bring your C or D game, you have to bring your A game,” Pfannenstiel said. “We definitely didn’t have that tonight and that’s why the score was so lopsided. Basketball is a long season, so you have to learn from games like that, correct the mistakes, and continue to make improvements. Our guys will be excited to get back on the floor.”

Senior Colyer Wingfield led the Wildcats in scoring with 19 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Senior Mason Dobbins and sophomore Conlee Hovey each added six points in the loss.

The Wildcats will try and bounce back tonight as they travel to Paola for a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 9 14 12 10 — 45

BON 17 23 24 8 — 72

LOUISBURG (7-6): Colyer Wingfield 4-19 10-16 19; Conlee Hovey 3-3 0-0 6; Mason Dobbins 1-3 4-10 6; Nathan Parker 0-3 3-4 3; Cade Gassman 1-4 0-0 2; Myles Vohs 1-3 0-0 2; Gavin Lohse 1-1 0-1 2; Luke Schultz 1-1 0-0 2; Brock Vohs 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 13-44 17-31 45. 3-point field goals: 1, (Wingfield)

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)

Members of the Louisburg boys basketball team, who won the Pleasanton Tournament title are (front row, from left) Luke Hill, Myles Vohs, Brady Hickey, Cade Gassman, Nathan Parker, Josh Holtzen, Isaiah Whitley; (back row) Brock Vohs, Gavin Lohse, Luke Schultz, Conlee Hovey, Mason Dobbins, Trey Myers, Jaymes Melton and Colyer Wingfield.

PLEASANTON — Down 10 in the championship game of the Pleasanton Tournament on Friday, Louisburg needed a spark.

The Wildcats got it from some of the unlikeliest of places — their bench. Rarely used players Gavin Lohse and Luke Schultz, along with guard Nathan Parker, combined for 32 points and helped Louisburg to a 69-53 win over Northeast Kansas of Topeka.

Louisburg outscored the Nighthawks 46-20 in the second half and left with a tournament title and three straight wins.

“That is why you play for four quarters,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We just kind of seemed flat to start. We had nine turnovers in the first half and shots just weren’t falling. In the second half, we said we were going to bring energy. Defense is what really sparked us and there was definitely a different body language and energy in that second half.

“Sometimes as a coach that is concerning because it shouldn’t be that way, but our kids responded well. All our kids contributed and we got some good production off the bench. All weekend was really good and all our kids contributed to this tournament win.”

Parker, who didn’t play in the first half, came off the bench to score 12 points in the second half to give the Wildcats the scoring spark they were looking for. 

Lohse and Schultz, a sophomore and freshman, respectively, also were big in the rally. Schultz scored in double figures with 11 points and had four rebounds, while Lohse added nine points.

“This week has been tricky as we had a JV tournament as well, so the kids only get 20 games in a year we were trying to work around that where they can play in both tournaments,” Pfannenstiel said. “We had like 3 or 4 guys designated each night and Nathan wasn’t supposed to play in this one. He was a big difference for us and he really stretches the floor and he shot the ball well. He played really good defense as well and took a couple charges. 

“Gavin and Luke hadn’t seen a lot of varsity time yet and they were huge for us. They were both close to double figures and they just played hard and pretty smart. They brought a lot of energy out there, and hats off to those guys for taking advantage of their opportunity.”

Senior Colyer Wingfield was the steady hand for the Wildcats as he led all scorers with 17 points to go along with a team-high seven assists and six rebounds.

Sophomore Conlee Hovey also played strong down low as the Wildcat forward finished with a double-double — 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Down 33-23 at halftime, the Wildcats used their defense to help get them back in it. For the game, Louisburg forced 21 turnovers and scored 16 points off those mistakes.

The Wildcats improved their record to 7-5 on the season as they prepare to get back into Frontier League play. Louisburg will travel to Bonner Springs this Friday for a league matchup.

“We talked going into this tournament that we needed to get our confidence back,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have played good basketball this year, but we kind of went through a stretch where we were struggling offensively. This was a good week for us to get that confidence and swagger going. A win is a win and to win three in a row is a good accomplishment.”

LOU 13 10 22 24 — 69

NEK 14 19 10 10 — 53

LOUISBURG (7-5): Colyer Wingfield 6-15 4-6 17; Conlee Hovey 5-11 2-2 12; Nathan Parker 4-5 2-2 12; Luke Schultz 3-3 4-4 11; Gavin Lohse 4-9 1-2 9; Mason Dobbins 2-4 1-3 5; Cade Gassman 0-3 3-4 3. Totals: 24-57 17-23 69. 3-point field goals: 4, (Parker 2, Schultz, Wingfield)

Wildcats get out to quick start in win over Pleasanton

In its journey to the championship, Louisburg first had to get by Pleasanton on Thursday in the second round of tournament play.

The Wildcats jumped out to an 18-point halftime lead and never looked back in a 74-39 win over the Blu-Jays.

Louisburg built on that halftime lead as it outscored Pleasanton 25-10 in the third period to seal the win for the Wildcats.

Colyer Wingfield led the Wildcats in scoring with a game-high 21 points to go along with nine rebounds and four assists. He also finished with five steals.

Senior Trey Myers scored well from the outside as he finished with 15 points, including three 3-pointers. Sophomore Conlee Hovey just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine boards.

Senior Mason Dobbins had a big day on the glass with a team-high 13 rebounds to go along with nine points and three blocks. Senior Isaiah Whitley had eight points and six boards, while junior Jaymes Melton came off the bench to score six points and he also pulled down 10 rebounds.

“Against Pleasanton, our defense was good and I think our length gave them some problems,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our kids definitely played well this week and was good to see them play a little more consistent. Hopefully this is the momentum we need as we get back into the Frontier League.”

LOU 18 22 25 9 — 74

PLE 8 14 10 7 — 39

LOUISBURG: Colyer Wingfield 6-15 6-8 21; Trey Myers 6-8 0-0 15; Conlee Hovey 6-9 1-2 13; Mason Dobbins 4-10 1-5 9; Isaiah Whitley 3-4 2-4 8; Jaymes Melton 2-4 2-4 6; Myles Vohs 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 28-59 12-23 79. 3-point field goals: 6, (Myers 3, Wingfield 3)