Wildcats fall to Spring Hill after tough second half
Louisburg senior Luke Schultz scored 10 points and pulled down six rebounds in the Wildcats’ loss on Feb. 14 at Spring Hill.
SPRING HILL — For most of the season, the Louisburg boys basketball team hasn’t been able to put their full team on the floor, whether due to injury or illness.
It has been a tough stretch at times for the Wildcats to battle through and Louisburg was faced with that again on Feb. 14 when they traveled to Spring Hill.
Louisburg was without one of its top scorers and rebounders in senior Gavin Lohse, while another senior, Luke Schultz was limited with an injury himself.
Still, the Wildcats made the best of a tough situation as they fought the Broncos on their home floor, but fell short in a 57-41 loss.
“Yes, being without Gavin again put us in a bind,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “He has been our most consistent producer in the games he has played, but just snake bitten with injuries and other stuff all season. Luke wasn’t 100 percent but did a great job with some scoring and on the glass.”
Louisburg got out to a good start as it took a 13-12 lead after one quarter and trailed by just one points at halftime. Unfortunately, the Broncos picked up the pace offensively as they outscored Louisburg 34-19 in the second half, including a 17-7 run in the fourth to pull away.
Wildcat senior point guard Myles Vohs led the way for Louisburg with a team-high 11 points and also had seven rebounds and three assists. Schultz also had 10 points to go along with six rebonds.
The Wildcats (3-14) did get some reinforcements however as senior Will Goode played his first game for Louisburg as a late season transfer. Goode, a 6-foot-10 forward, will give the Wildcats a boost they need on the inside as he led the team with nine rebounds to go along with seven points.
“Adding Will into the mix really helped that night,” Doll said. “We made things basic and let him try to fit in the best he could. It is unusual to get a transfer that can play right away this late in the season, but we believe he will help us a lot, especially when Gavin is in the lineup.”
Louisburg will try and get back on the winning track Tuesday as the Wildcats travel to Blue Valley Southwest. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
Strong offensive showing not enough for Wildcat girls in loss to Spring Hill
Louisburg senior Ashlyn Kuhlman connects on one of her five 3-pointers last Friday in Spring Hill. Kuhlman and the Wildcats fell to the Broncos, 72-60.
SPRING HILL — The Louisburg girls basketball team put together one of their better offensive showings of the season on Feb. 14
The Wildcats shot better than 43 percent from the floor and knocked down 10 3-pointers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite good enough against one of the Frontier League’s top teams.
Louisburg ventured to Spring Hill, and while the Wildcats shot well, they couldn’t keep up with a bigger Bronco team in a 72-60 loss.
“I thought overall we played Spring Hill tougher than the first time we played them,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I felt like we gave them a great game.”
The Wildcats (5-12) played right with Spring Hill (14-2) for much of the first half and trailed just 31-26 at halftime.
Louisburg couldn’t keep Spring Hill off the glass as the Broncos pulled down 24 offensive rebounds, which led to 21 second chance points.
A bulk of those points and rebounds came from Spring Hill senior Sydney Buscher, who scored a game-high 27 points and had 11 rebounds. Buscher also scored her 1,000th career point in the second half.
“Spring Hill is a great rebounding team,” Lane said. “They are tough and they outsize us at every position, so rebounding is always hard when we play them. Sydney is a great all-around player and she is very hard to keep off the glass and she does a great job reading the rebounds.”
Despite all that, the Wildcats still tried to keep pace with the Broncos from behind the 3-point arch and Louisburg senior Ashlyn Kuhlman was a big part of that.
Kulhman scored a team-high 19 points, which included five 3-pointers, and also had a team-high five rebounds.
Junior McKenna Lohse was second on the team with nine points, while junior Morgan Latham finished with eight. Senior Ally Brown also had eight points and a team-high two steals.
Seniors Sabra Brueggen and Sami Lane had seven and six points, respectively, while senior Jillian Asher led the team with four assists.
Louisburg will have a busy final week with three games and that begins Tuesday with an out-of-league game against Blue Valley Southwest. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
LOU 12 14 18 16 — 60
SH 19 12 22 19 — 72
LOUISBURG (5-12): Ashlyn Kuhlman 7-19 0-0 19; McKenna Lohse 3-5 3-4 9; Morgan Latham 4-8 0-1 8; Ally Brown 3-5 0-0 8; Sabra Brueggen 2-6 3-4 7; Sami Lane 2-5 0-0 6; Jillian Asher 1-3 0-0 3. Totals: 22-51 6-9 60. 3-point field goals: 10, (Kuhlman 5, Lane 2, Brown 2, Asher)
Tonganoxie snaps Louisburg’s winning streak with big fourth quarter
Louisburg senior Shylar Whiting goes up for a shot Tuesday at Tonganoxie High School.
TONGANOXIE — For three quarters, the Louisburg girls basketball team was well on its way to a fourth straight victory.
Louisburg took an 8-point lead — its biggest of the game — going into the fourth quarter and had a chance to avenge a loss from earlier in the season.
Tonganoxie had other ideas as the Chieftains went on a big run in the final period and handed the Wildcats a 42-39 loss. The Chieftains went on an 18-3 run to begin the fourth quarter and took a 7-point lead midway through the fourth.
The Wildcats did battle back and cut the deficit to one with under 30 seconds left, but couldn’t get over the hump.
“Losing to Tongie was tough,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We had a very hard time guarding their quick guards and rebounding versus their tall players. This loss was hard because we had a pretty good lead going into the fourth quarter and I felt like we should have gotten that win.”
Louisburg had a tough time slowing down Tonganoxie guard Alyssa Schoeneck, who was a big reason for the Chieftains’ comeback.
Schoeneck scored 16 of her game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter and the Wildcats didn’t have much of an answer. She also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
“She is a great player,” Lane said of Schoeneck. “She is super quick, she does a great job finishing in the lane, and she is a great shooter. She was also very active on the boards in the fourth quarter. She is hard to guard. Her first step is super quick and she finished well in the lane even with pressure on her.”
For the first half, the Wildcat defense held strong as it held the Chieftains to just 13 first half points and just 20 points through three quarters.
Offensively, the Wildcats couldn’t take advantage and build a big lead as they were up just 17-13 at halftime, but did eventually take an 8-point lead late in the third. Louisburg shot 20 percent from the field.
The Wildcats had success getting the ball inside, especially in the first half. Junior McKenna Lohse provided Louisburg with a nice scoring punch inside as she scored 11 points and had six rebounds.
Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points and had five rebounds, while senior Sami Lane was next with five points.
Senior Sabra Brueggen led Louisburg with nine rebounds on the night and senior Ally Brown had a team-high three steals. Seniors Jillian Asher and Shylar Whiting had six and five rebounds, respectively.
“I felt like we did a good job taking care of the basketball when we were pressured throughout the game,” coach Lane said. “We also did a good job running the floor and scoring some transition points early in the game.”
Louisburg will try and bounce back tonight when it travels to Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
Louisburg boys drop league road game at Tonganoxie
Louisburg senior Ethan Kush splits the Tonganoxie defense Tuesday as he goes up for a shot at Tonganoxie High School.
TONGANOXIE — Tuesday’s road contest at Tonganoxie was an important one for the Louisburg boys basketball team.
Not only would a win stop a four-game losing streak, but it would give the Wildcats a leg up on getting into the state playoffs. Both teams had the same amount of wins and are vying for spots in the top 16.
Neither of those came to fruition for Louisburg. Tonganoxie used a big third quarter to separate itself and hand Louisburg a 55-48 loss.
Tonganoxie earned its fourth win of the season, while the Wildcats are 3-13 with four games remaining and a game back of earning a playoff spot.
Of all things, it was the free-throw line that made a big difference in the game as Tonganoxie made 18 of 25 attempts to just 8 of 13 for Louisburg.
“That was a tough one due to the substate standings and the fact that we had plenty of chances to win the game,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “In the end we just fouled too much. They took 25 free throws to our 13. That makes a big difference in a tight game.”
Louisburg got out to a good start as it scored 17 points in the first quarter and held a one-point lead at halftime. It was the third quarter where the Chieftains began to pull away.
Tonganoxie outscored Louisburg 19-10 in that third period as the Wildcat struggled to get much going offensively. The Wildcats shot 30 percent from the floor, compared to 50 percent for Tonganoxie.
The Wildcats were also down starter Luke Schultz, one of the team’s top rebounders and scorers, as he was out with an injury.
Senior Gavin Lohse tried to fill that void for the Wildcats as he made it tough on the Chieftains with a team-high 13 points and 18 rebounds.
Unlike the first matchup between the two teams, the Wildcats were just 4-for-24 from behind-the-arch as they couldn’t get those shots to fall from the outside.
Senior Ethan Kush, who started in place of Schultz, made two 3’s and finished with eight points. Senior Myles Vohs and junior Derek Frederick also each scored eight and each had a team-high four assists.
“Gavin had another strong night for us in the paint and grabbing rebounds,” Doll said. “He was a warrior for sure. Also, it was nice to see Ethan Kush hit a couple big shots from 3 when we needed them.”
Louisburg will try and break that losing skid Friday when it travels to Spring Hill in another Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
LOU 17 9 10 12 — 48
TON 14 11 19 11 — 55
LOUISBURG (3-13): Gavin Lohse 6-11 1-2 13; Derek Frederick 4-9 0-0 8; Myles Vohs 2-10 3-4 8; Ethan Kush 3-10 0-1 8; Billy Vohs 1-4 0-0 3; John Guetterman 0-1 3-4 3; Owen Marsh 1-8 1-2 3; Lance Callahan 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 18-60 8-13 48. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kush 2, B. Vohs, M. Vohs)
Wildcats win third straight in homecoming victory over Ottawa
Louisburg senior Sami Lane pulls down one of her team-high nine rebounds Friday against Ottawa.
If you were to look at the stat sheet, the Louisburg girls had one of their tougher shooting performances of the season.
The Wildcats shot just 22 percent for the game and trailed Ottawa for much of the night Friday during Louisburg’s homecoming contest. Not exactly the recipe for success.
They needed a spark.
Louisburg got it from many different players as the Wildcats pulled away in the fourth quarter to get a 46-40 win over the Cyclones and avenged a loss from earlier in the season.
Whether it was a 3-point shot, a big rebound, a steal or making key free throws, the Wildcats got production from several different players.
It was also the third straight victory for the Wildcats (5-10) and they have also won four of their last five games.
“I think this win was the biggest of the season so far,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I feel like this will help the girls see what they are capable of as a team and this will also help their confidence moving forward.”
Ottawa held the lead for the entire first half, but the Wildcats were able to jump in front late in the third quarter. Senior Jillian Asher knocked down a 3-pointer with just over a minute left in the third to give Louisburg its first lead at 32-29.
The Cyclones didn’t back down as sophomore Leah Askins-Dietrich put her team on her back and led them on a 9-2 run into the fourth quarter that gave them the lead back at 38-34.
Louisburg senior Ally Brown hit a 3-pointer with 5 minutes left to cut the Ottawa lead to one and start a Wildcat run. Asher then nailed a 3 of her own with 4:32 left to put Louisburg up 40-38 and the Wildcats wouldn’t relinquish the lead.
The Louisburg bench celebrates a big basket late in the game in Friday’s homecoming win over Ottawa.
Brown and Asher scored eight and seven points, respectively in the game, and all came in the second half.
“The shooting was great in the second half and we hit the shots that we needed to,” Lane said. “Ally and Jill’s confidence really showed when they were finishing their shots down the stretch.”
The Wildcat defense held strong as they allowed just two points in the final four minutes.
“We did have a rough start, but I felt like our defense kept us in the game and we came out the second half running a different play and having girls play in different positions, and the girls capitalized on this,” Lane said. “We did a great job rebounding offensively second half and keeping the ball alive, and our second effort was fantastic.”
Ottawa was forced to foul down 41-38, and was called for an intentional foul, which gave Louisburg free throws and the ball.
Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman stepped to the foul line and made of 5 of 6 attempts in the final 40 seconds to help give the Wildcats the victory. Kuhlman also scored in double figures for the game with 12 points, including 8-for-9 from the line.
“Free-throws win games and we had some big ones to go ahead in the fourth quarter,” Lane said. “Kenna (Lohse) hit two big ones to tie us up in the third. Jill hit one big one to put us up by 3 and Ashlyn finished the game by making several at the end. Great effort by all of them.”
Louisburg senior Sabra Brueggen drives to the basket Friday against Ottawa. Brueggen scored a team-high 14 points.
Another senior, Sabra Brueggen was an important piece on the inside for Louisburg as she scored a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds. She was also 6-for-9 from the free-throw line.
Senior Sami Lane was all over the floor for the Wildcats as she led the way with a team-high nine rebounds and also paced Louisburg with three assists.
“Sabra and Sami both had a great game for us as well,” coach Lane said. “These two kept the ball alive on several different occasions and gave us second chances to score.”
The Wildcats also put together a strong effort on defense as they held Ottawa to just 29 percent shooting. Senior Shylar Whiting had a team-high four steals on the night and Brown had two.
Louisburg will try to make it four in a row Tuesday as the Wildcats travel to Tonganoxie. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
LOU 4 12 16 14 — 46
OTT 12 8 11 9 — 40
LOUISBURG (5-10): Sabra Brueggen 4-11 6-9 14; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-15 8-9 12; Ally Brown 3-7 0-0 8; Jillian Asher 2-7 1-2 7; Sami Lane 1-3 0-0 3; McKenna Lohse 0-3 2-2 2. Totals: 12-53 17-24 46. 3-point field goals: 5, (Asher 2, Brown 2, Lane)
Wildcats fall to Paola in overtime, lose to Ottawa on homecoming
Louisburg junior Derek Frederick drives past a Paola defender during the Wildcats’ Feb. 4 game in Paola.
PAOLA — The Louisburg boys basketball team was well on its way to stealing a game from its rival on Feb. 4 at Paola.
The Wildcats had a 3-point lead late in the contest and were hoping to get their second league win of the season. Paola had other ideas, however.
Paola forced overtime and then hit free throws down the stretch to hand Louisburg a 58-56 loss in a game where the Wildcats led for much of the second half.
“It’s a hard loss because we’re obviously struggling in a lot of ways,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “At the same time, I think we took a big step forward in a lot of ways. I thought we shot the ball well and our defense was fairly good. We are not looking for moral victories this late in the season, but it was a hard fought game that we played pretty well all the way through it. We just didn’t get the calls and situations we wanted in the end.”
The Wildcats shot 34 percent from the field, but had three players score in double figures. Louisburg led by two points at halftime and the game remained close throughout. Louisburg’s largest lead of the game was seven midway through the third quarter.
Paola put together a mini run, and even took the lead midway through the fourth, but the Wildcats responded to take it right back.
Louisburg senior Myles Vohs gets to the basket for two of his team-high 18 points on Feb. 4 against Paola.
Louisburg junior Derek Frederick hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 48-all with four minutes left in regulation, then with 2:42 remaining, junior Owen Marsh hit a pull-up jumper to give Louisburg a 50-48 lead.
Senior Myles Vohs knocked in a free throw at the 1:50 mark to make it a 3-point game, however Paola’s Caden Cohee nailed a 3-pointer to tie the game again.
Paola got the ball back with under a minute left and settled for the final shot, but the Wildcat defense held strong as it forced a fade-away 3-pointer from Steven Bassett that missed and forced overtime.
The Panthers jumped out to a four point lead in overtime, but free throws from Vohs and Luke Schultz cut it to two with 19 seconds left. However, Cohee knocked in two free throws to make it a four-point lead again and the Wildcats ran out of time.
Cohee was big for the Panthers all night as he finished with a game-high 22 points and was 10-for-17 from the free-throw line.
“In overtime Paola’s defense tightened up a little bit, but we were battling foul trouble and we didn’t have Gavin (Lohse) and he would have been a difference maker in there for us, but the guys who were out there really battled,” Doll said. “Paola got the right calls and hit the free throws when they needed to.”
Vohs had a big night for the Wildcats as he paced Louisburg with a team-high 18 points, along with a team-high four steals and four assists.
Schultz also finished in double figures with 11 points and had eight rebounds. Frederick had 10 points, while Marsh had seven points and five rebounds.
As a team, the Wildcats shot well from behind-the-arch as they knocked in seven 3-pointers, including five combined from Vohs and Frederick.
“Myles really stepped up and hit some clutch shots for us all night,” Doll said. “Both Myles and Derek hit big shots for us a different times. Derek had been in a slump as of late, so it was good to see those shots go through the hoop and hopefully that will carry over to the rest of the season.”
There was no more difficult task for the Louisburg boys to play than taking on the No. 1 team in the state Friday on homecoming.
For the first half, the Wildcats held their own and tried to slow the game down. Louisburg trailed by just 12 points at halftime, but a big third quarter from Ottawa changed the game.
The Cyclones scored 26 points right after halftime and pulled away to hand Louisburg a 66-34 loss. Ottawa outscored the Wildcats 26-11 in the third quarter to all but seal the win.
Louisburg senior Gavin Lohse scored 15 points to lead the Wildcats against Ottawa.
Louisburg senior Gavin Lohse led the Wildcats in scoring with 15 points to go along with eight rebounds. Luke Schultz finished with eight points, but had to leave early in the second half with an injury.
The Wildcats will try and bounce back this Tuesday as they travel to Tonganoxie. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Wildcats roll rival Paola to earn back-to-back victories
Louisburg senior Ally Brown pulls up for a shot Tuesday at Paola. Brown was one of four Wildcats to score in double figures in their 65-42 win over the Panthers.
PAOLA — The Louisburg girls basketball team had hopes of starting a winning streak for the first time this season on Tuesday in Paola.
The Wildcats took full advantage of the opportunity against their rival.
Louisburg used a big fourth quarter to pull away for a 65-42 victory at Paola High School as the Wildcats won their second consecutive game.
“It was a great feeling to get a win on the road as the girls battled and played to win,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The fourth quarter was big for the girls. They got into a great streak and I felt like we finally wore Paola down. It was very nice to see the girls not get down on themselves and play through Paola’s run.”
The Wildcats used a 23-7 run in the fourth quarter to end the game after Paola chipped away at the Louisburg lead in the third. The Panthers cut the Wildcat advantage to five late in the third quarter.
Louisburg opened the fourth on a 12-2 run and never let the lead get back under single digits.
Balanced scoring was also big for the Wildcats as they had four players score in double figures.
Louisburg senior Ashlyn Kuhlman goes up for a runner in the lane Tuesday in Paola. Kuhlman finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Senior Jillian Asher led Louisburg with 15 points and two steals, while senior Ashlyn Kuhlman had 14 points to go along with a team-high seven rebounds and two steals of her own.
Senior Ally Brown had 10 points and four rebounds as she was 4-for-5 from the field. Junior Morgan Latham also had 10 points to go along with five rebounds.
Latham was joined by junior McKenna Lohse on the inside as she tallied seven points, six rebounds and two steals. Senior forward Sabra Brueggen had six points and senior Sami Lane had a team-high four assists.
“Having multiple girls score was great to see,” Lane said. “If we have multiple scorers we are harder to guard and it makes the offense execution easier.”
The game was tied at 14-all after the first quarter, but the Wildcats went on a run to start the second. Louisburg outscored Paola, 19-7, in the period and took a 33-21 lead at halftime.
Paola got back into the game with its play on the inside and was led by senior Brylynn Wicker, who scored a game-high 25 points and pulled down 18 rebounds for the Panthers.
The Wildcats were able to slow down Wicker late in the third quarter and Louisburg went on another run on offense to pull away.
“I think we finally figured out the correct defense to run against Paola at the end of the third quarter and throughout the fourth,” coach Lane said. “We focused in on their forwards and we doubled them to try and prevent them from catching and finishing in the lane.”
Louisburg will try for three straight wins Friday as the Wildcats host Ottawa for homecoming. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
Louisburg freshman Herschel Strumberger battles for a rebound Friday against Bonner Springs.
The Louisburg boys basketball team hosted Bonner Springs on Friday in hopes of getting back in the win column in Frontier League play.
Unfortunately, Bonner Springs got out to a fast start and the Wildcats weren’t able to recover in a 71-41 loss at Louisburg High School.
Louisburg (3-10) did battle back and won the second quarter, but couldn’t get much rhythm going offensively in the second half.
“We did come out ready to go early, but had a really bad last few minutes of the first quarter that was hard to come back from,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “Their pressure caused us to speed up and we had too many turnovers in that stretch. They are good team that really can get out and pressure the ball which hurt us all night.”
The Wildcats found themselves down 22-8 at the end of the first quarter, but responded in the second quarter as they tried to whittle away at the Brave lead.
Sophomore Lance Callahan and senior Billy Vohs combined for three 3-pointers in the quarter and the Wildcats trailed just 37-25 at halftime.
The second half was a struggle offensively for Louisburg as it scored just 16 points in the final two quarters.
Senior Luke Schultz led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points and a team-high six rebounds. Senior Myles Vohs also finished in double figures with 10 points, while Callahan added eight.
Louisburg is back in action tonight as the Wildcats travel to Paola for a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
LOU 8 17 10 6 — 41
BON 22 15 18 16 —71
LOUISBURG (3-10): Luke Schultz 5-10 2-2 12; Myles Vohs 5-14 0-0 10; Lance Callahan 3-6 0-0 8; Gavin Lohse 2-4 0-1 4; Billy Vohs 1-1 0-0 3; Herschel Strumberger 1-1 0-0 2; Owen Marsh 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 18-49 2-3 41. 3-point field goals: 3, (Callahan 2, B. Vohs)
Wildcats suffer road loss at Eudora
Louisburg and Eudora were deadlocked in the first half and the Wildcats were right where they wanted to be.
The second half, however, didn’t go the Wildcats’ way. Eudora held Louisburg to 19 second half points and pulled away for a 65-47 win over the Wildcats on Jan. 28 in Eudora.
“The boys fought hard, but we just lost track of our game plan on them a little bit,” Doll said. “We left some of their really good guys open in the second half and we didn’t do a good job of helping. They also took advantage of the free-throw line.
“There was a time where we were battling back in the third quarter and we got to the line, but we just didn’t make our free throws. We were down eight at the end of the third, and if we hit our free throws it is probably a little tighter game.”
Louisburg’s Parker Stanfield goes up for a basket last week against Eudora.
Senior Luke Schultz led the Wildcats in scoring with 11 points and nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds. Myles Vohs and Billy Vohs each had nine points, while Billy finished with three 3-pointers.
Junior Owen Marsh led the team with five assists and three steals.
Big second quarter, defense lift Wildcat girls past Bonner Springs
Louisburg senior Jillian Asher led the Wildcats with a game-high 12 points Friday in their home win over Bonner Springs.
The Louisburg girls basketball team had yet to pick up a home victory this season, but that all changed Friday against Bonner Springs.
Louisburg used a big second quarter to get a lead, and the Wildcats were able to hold on for a 36-28 victory over the Braves as they got their third win on the season.
“The girls played hard and together on Friday and they were super excited to get the win,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Our defense was great. We played zone and man to man and I felt like the girls executed and communicated well. I didn’t think Bonner got a lot of looks to score and they didn’t get many second chances.”
The Wildcats outscored the Braves, 17-0, in the second quarter and took a 25-9 lead at halftime. It was a nice bounce back victory for the Wildcats after losing to the Braves in the final game before the holiday break.
Defensively, the Wildcats set the tone as they held the Braves to just 25 percent shooting and only three second chance points.
Bonner Springs didn’t go away, however, as the Braves outscored Louisburg 11-2 in the third quarter. Bonner Springs cut the lead to three early in the fourth, but the Wildcats hit key shots down the stretch and got stops when they needed it.
Louisburg junior Morgan Latham pulls up for a jumper Friday against Bonner Springs.
With five minutes left in the game, Ally Brown hit a jumper to push the lead back to five and end the Louisburg drought as it was just the fourth point of the second half at the time. Junior Morgan Latham followed with a pair of free throws to increase the lead to seven.
After that, the Wildcats got the stops they needed and sealed the win at the free-throw line. Louisburg finished the game with a 10-for-14 performance at the line to hold off the Braves.
Senior Jillian Asher led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points, while Latham added nine points and five rebounds. Both players finished 5-for-6 from the line.
Brown added seven points to go along with six rebounds, while senior Ashlyn Kuhlman had six points and a team-high seven rebounds and three assists.
However, it was the team effort on defense that helped the Wildcats prevail to their first home win of the season.
“I thought Jill (Asher), Sami (Lane) and Shylar (Whiting) did a great job guarding Bonner’s scorers in the fourth quarter,” coach Lane said. “They stepped up and played tight and tough defense. Ashlyn (Kuhlman), Mo (Latham), and Ally (Brown) did a great job reading Bonner’s plays and helped when needed in the fourth quarter as well. It was fun to watch our defense work together.
“Down the stretch our goal was to take care of the basketball and go to the basket and finish if we had wide open looks. I thought the girls played smart and they played to win verses playing not to lose. They did a good job taking care of the ball on offense and then getting stops on defense.”
Louisburg is back in action Tuesday as the Wildcats travel to Paola for a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
It isn’t easy to play a ranked team on the road and Louisburg had its fair share of challenges on Jan. 28 at Eudora.
The Wildcats got out to a rough start against No. 4 Eudora and left with a 61-34 loss. Eudora jumped out to a 19-4 lead after the first quarter to pull away.
Louisburg senior Sabra Brueggen led the Wildcats with six rebounds against Eudora.
Junior McKenna Lohse led the Wildcats with nine points to go along with a team-high three assists. Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman had eight points and three blocks.
Senior Sabra Brueggen had a team-hight six rebounds, while junior Morgan Latham added six points and three blocks.
LOU 4 14 11 5 — 34
EUD 19 19 14 9 — 61
LOUISBURG: McKenna Lohse 3-4 3-4 9; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-10 2-2 8; Morgan Latham 3-4 0-0 6; Sami Lane 1-6 1-1 4; Ally Brown 1-3 0-0 3; Sabra Brueggen 1-9 0-0 2; Addy Stohs 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 12-44 6-7 34. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kuhlman 2, Lane, Brown)
Week 6 Athlete of the Week: Ashlyn Kuhlman
Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week six of the winter sports season, sponsored by Landmark National Bank.
ASHLYN KUHLMAN, SENIOR, BASKETBALL
Louisburg senior Ashlyn Kuhlman helped lead the Wildcat girls to their first wins of the season last week and it started on Jan. 20 against Harrisonville. Kuhlman scored a game-high 21 points to help the Wildcats to a victory over Harrisonville, which was their first of the season. She was also 9-for-10 from the free-throw line in that game.
Kuhlman also played well in the Ralph Miller Classic as she scored a team-high 12 points against Goddard-Eisenhower in a loss Friday in the consolation semifinals. She also helped the Wildcats to a win over Wichita West in the seventh place game. On the season, she leads the Wildcats in scoring at just over 10 points a game and also has a team-high 29 blocks on the year. She is second in rebounding with 53.
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.
