Members of the Louisburg girls basketball team celebrate Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal win over Ottawa.

With its season on the line, the Louisburg girls basketball team had to find a way to gut out a win against a physical Ottawa team.

The same two teams had a close matchup about a month ago, and it was much of the same Wednesday in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals.

In a game that featured a fair amount of free throws, the Lady Cats were able to overcome a slow start and pull away for a 44-34 victory over the Cyclones. It puts Louisburg in the sub-state championship Saturday against Fort Scott.

“We are extremely excited to make the finals of substate,” senior Megan Foote said. “We are very grateful for the opportunity to compete every day and every chance we get to play. I can’t express how proud I am of our team for the fight and focus we give everyday. I believe our team played very well on Wednesday. 

“Of course we had our ups and downs, like every team does, but we never gave up. We were on edge at the start of the game but we finally settled down and started playing our game. Once we adjusted to their offense and press, we were good to go.”

Ottawa made things difficult on Louisburg early as the Cyclones pressed the Lady Cats for much of the game and didn’t allow them to get into a flow offensively.

It worked for awhile as Ottawa took a 10-7 lead into the second quarter, but the Lady Cats outscored the Cyclones 13-5 the rest of the first half and took a 20-15 lead at halftime.

Louisburg’s defense came up big as it forced 26 Cyclone turnovers, which led to 20 points. The Lady Cats took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter, but the Cyclones didn’t go away.

Ottawa (8-13) tied the game at 30 midway through the quarter, but the Lady Cats came up big at the free-throw line. Louisburg scored 12 of its final 14 points from the line as Ottawa tried to get back in the game.

“Our free throw shooting is what sealed the win for us,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Making 15 total in the 4th quarter was a huge accomplishment and I felt the girls went to the line with confidence.”

The Lady Cats ended the game on a 14-4 run to earn a spot in the sub-state title game.

“Ottawa is a very well-rounded and good team,” Foote said. “Their record definitely doesn’t show how good they really are. They’re a very physical team filled with athletes. Their offense is tough to guard with all the picks and cutting that they do as well. They have very talented players who are fast and know where the ball is at all times. They’re a well coached team, that I believe will be dangerous in upcoming years. It was a tough battle to the end, but we pulled through and that is what matters most.”

The game was physical from the start as both team had a high number of fouls, which resulted in a combined 49 free throws between the two teams.

Senior Alyse Moore played a big role in the Wildcats’ victory as she scored a team-high nine points and also pulled down 14 rebounds. Foote finished with eight points and four rebounds.

Sophomore Brianne Kuhlman finished with seven points all coming from the free-throw line. Those free throws were important as six of them came late in the fourth quarter.

Louisburg also got good play from its bench as sophomore Adyson Ross provided some key minutes. Ross also hit a big 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to put the Lady Cats up by eight points at the time.

Today, the Lady Cats will try and make history as they host No. 3 seed Fort Scott at 3 p.m. in the sub-state finals. A victory would give Louisburg its first state berth since 1974.

“The girls are so excited to play in the sub-state championship,” Lane said. “We are going into the game with the mindset of winning, we are going to do everything we have to do to win. “

Louisburg defeated Fort Scott 58-24 earlier this season, but the Lady Cats know it will be a tougher game this time around.

“Words cannot describe how happy I am that our team is one step away from state,” Foote said. “We have not been to state in 47 years. That has been our goal since being little kids, to break that streak. The energy and connection this team has right now is unmatched and we truly are ready. We are coming into Saturday with level heads and knowing that it will be a tough battle.”

LOU 7 13 7 17 — 44

OTT 10 5 4 15 — 34

LOUISBURG (17-4): Alyse Moore 3-4 3-10 9; Megan Foote 2-7 3-3 8; Brianne Kuhlman 0-3 7-9 7; Brooklyn Diederich 2-7 1-2 6; Adyson Ross 1-2 2-2 5; Madilyn Melton 2-9 1-2 5; Delaney Wright 0-4 2-2 2; Jordan Mynsted 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 11-42 19-30 44. 3-point field goals: 3, (Ross, Diederich, Foote)

Louisburg senior Konnor Vohs pulls up for a 3-pointer Tuesday against Paola during the Class 4A sub-state semifinals in Louisburg.

For the first half anyway, Louisburg was playing some of its basketball at the right time.

The Wildcats jumped out to an 18-point halftime lead over rival Paola on Tuesday in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals. The next two quarters seemed more like a formality the way Louisburg had dominated the first half.

As it turned out, it was much more than a formality as Paola, with its season on the line, charged to cut the Louisburg lead to just four. Still, the Wildcats were able to make plays down the stretch and pull away for a 51-44 victory.

“We came out with a lot of energy and played great defense,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We pride ourselves on our defense and the first half we executed our defensive game plan and we were playing hard. To hold a team to single digits at halftime is pretty good, and most of the time you are happy if you do that in a quarter. To hold them to eight in the first half was a big accomplishment. 

“It was a good thing we got a good lead because they made a run in the second half. It was kind of a reverse for us in the second half as we struggled offensively and we couldn’t get stops on defense.”

The one constant for the Wildcats was their aggressiveness on the boards, which turned out to be a big difference in the game. Louisburg outrebounded Paola by 14.

Along with its strong defense in the first half, the Wildcats were able to jump out to a 26-8 halftime lead on their rival.

“We just made a point to box out their two big guys and we had the mentality that we were going to go get every rebound,” senior Weston Guetterman said. “We played great pressure defense. With our season on the line, you have to play tough all four quarters. Obviously, we let them back in it a little bit, but we were able to finish strong.

“I was proud of the way we finished and we found a way to win, which is all that matters. Whether it is by 30 or 2, you just have to find a way.”

Louisburg was able to snap Paola’s big rally in the second half with several crucial plays down the stretch.

Paola went on a 15-0 run to get back in the game, a run that started in the third quarter and ended midway through the fourth. The Panthers cut the Wildcat lead to four, but Louisburg junior Julian Margrave stopped the run with a jumper.

The Wildcats kept it a six-point advantage on a floater in the lane from senior Konnor Vohs. After a basket from Paola’s Trey Moala, junior Michael Seuferling calmly knocked down two free throws to keep the Panthers at arm’s length.

Free throws from Margrave and Weston Guetterman, along with a basket from Seuferling, pushed the Louisburg lead to double digits and the Wildcats were able to hold on.

“Our kids played hard and it got to a point where we needed to make some plays,” Pfannenstiel said. “We had a lot of kids make plays for us down the stretch. Konnor’s little floater in the lane was really big and I was happy with how we played defensively overall. At this point in the season, we are going to get everyone’s best shot, no matter what the score is. Everyone is fighting for their seasons and it is all about surviving and advancing.”

Margrave led the Wildcats in scoring with 16 points to go along with eight rebounds. Weston Guetterman also scored in double figures with 10 points, but also had six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Senior Ben Guetterman also had seven points and seven rebounds in the win.

Louisburg (15-6) will now try to advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2017 when the Wildcats will host No. 2 seed Iola (13-7) at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Iola ended the Wildcats’ season a year ago in the sub-state semifinals, despite a 32-point fourth quarter rally from Louisburg that forced overtime. Louisburg hopes it doesn’t have to resort to such heroics this time around.

“We want Iola and we wanted to see them again before we graduate and that was part of our motivation for this game,” Weston said, “We mainly wanted to win because we haven’t won a playoff game yet in high school.

“I am pumped for it. If we come out and play like we did here, I think we have a good chance.”

LOU 12 14 13 12 — 51

PAO 4 4 17 19 — 44

LOUISBURG (15-6): Julian Margrave 6-11 3-4 16; Weston Guetterman 4-11 2-6 10; Ben Guetterman 2-8 2-2 7; Michael Seuferling 2-6 2-2 6; Konnor Vohs 2-2 1-2 6; Dawson Barnes 2-3 0-0 4; Andy Hupp 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 19-43 10-16 51. 3-point field goals: 3, (Vohs, B. Guetterman, Margrave)

Louisburg senior Megan Foote tries to call a timeout after diving on the floor for a loose ball Friday against Paola.

On a night where the offense wasn’t clicking on all cylinders, the Louisburg defense more than made up for it.

Louisburg, which hosted Paola on Senior Night, leaned on its defense as the Lady Cats held the Panthers to just three points in the fourth quarter and pulled away for a 44-26 victory over the Panthers.

It ended the Lady Cats’ regular season with a 16-4 record, which is their best finish since the 2014 season. Louisburg also has the No. 1 seed in sub-state action, but the Lady Cats wanted to make sure they ended on the right note.

“Winning Friday’s game was a goal for the girls,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They set this goal at the beginning of the season and they were very excited to reach that goal and finish the regular season with a win.”

It was also memorable night as the team honored seniors Brooklyn Diederich, Megan Foote, Madilyn Melton and Alyse Moore. Each of the four players played big roles in the victory.

Foote led the Lady Cats with 13 points and also had a team-high six steals to go along with five rebounds.

Melton also had a big performance for the Lady Cats as she recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, three assists and had two blocks.

Moore also scored in double figures with 11 points and had five rebounds and three steals, while Diederich had a team-high four assists and also had two steals.

“Seeing this group of seniors walk out on senior night was very emotional,” Lane said. “They have been big contributors to this program for several years, and they will be missed tremendously by all of us. The team’s grit and constant battle is what won the game for us on Friday, which was a great win for this group of seniors.”

Those 16 wins also have a special meaning for the four Lady Cat seniors. 

The last time they won that many games was when they were seventh-graders and finished with a perfect season, under-then coach Suzanne Reedy.

Reedy would eventually move on to become the principal at Louisburg Middle School, before her untimely passing a year ago.

So following the Lady Cats’ win, the four girls presented a framed picture of the seventh-grade team with Suzanne, to her husband, Jon. It made for an even more emotional evening.

Prior to all the ceremonies, the Lady Cats defended their home court in impressive fashion as they jumped out to a 24-13 halftime lead and never looked back.

Defensively, the Lady Cats never let Paola back in the game as they forced 27 turnovers and held the Panthers to just 22 percent shooting.

“The girls defense was great,” Lane said. “No matter what type of offensive game we are playing, our defense is always strong and the girls will battle and fight every possession. They did a great job pressing Paola and taking them out of their comfort zone.”

It is now postseason time for Louisburg as they Lady Cats are the No. 1 seed and will host No. 4 Ottawa at 7 p.m. tonight in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals.

“Our team is very excited for postseason as this is what we have been working towards all year,” Lane said. “I feel we do match up well against Ottawa and if we stay focused and play together as a team, I do think we can be successful.”

LOU 12 12 6 14 — 44

PAO 9 4 10 3 — 26

LOUISBURG (16-4): Megan Foote 2-6 7-10 13; Alyse Moore 5-7 1-2 11; Madilyn Melton 4-9 2-4 10; Jordan Mynsted 2-9 1-3 5; Delaney Wright 1-5 0-2 3; Brooklyn Diederich 0-6 1-2 1; Brianne Kuhlman 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 14-45 13-25 44. 3-point field goals: 3, (Foote 2, Wright)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week eleven of the winter sports season, sponsored by Vohs Pharmacy.

Alyse Moore, Senior, Girls Basketball

Louisburg senior Alyse Moore put together an impressive week that also included a milestone achievement. Moore helped the Lady Cats to a 2-1 record last week as she combined for 35 points, 23 rebounds and six steals in those three games. Included in that was a 14 point and 10 rebound performance in a loss to Shawnee Mission South.

Also in that game, Moore joined an elite club in Louisburg history. She recorded her 500th career rebound against Shawnee Mission South. Moore has played a key role in helping the Lady Cats to the No. 5 ranking in Class 4A and to the No. 1 seed in sub-state.

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: Jordan Mynsted

Week 2: Julian Margrave

Week 3: Alec Younggren

Week 4: Megan Foote

Week 5: Madilyn Melton

Week 6: Michael Seuferling

Week 7: Cade Holtzen

Week 8: Ryan Owens

Week 9: Aiden Barker

Week 10: Weston Guetterman

Louisburg senior Andy Hupp dives on the floor for a loose ball with Paola’s Trey Moala on Friday during the team’s Senior Night game in Louisburg.

With the game hanging in the balance on Senior Night, who else but a senior to help pull his team through.

Louisburg hosted rival Paola on Friday in hopes of, not only ending its regular season with a victory, but winning for its five seniors.

One of those seniors, Weston Guetterman, came through when his team needed him most.

With under two minutes left in the contest, and the Wildcats only up two points, Guetterman knocked down 5 of 6 free throws help seal a 58-54 victory.

It was the perfect ending to a night that honored seniors Konnor Vohs, Weston Guetterman, Andy Hupp, Ben Guetterman and Dawson Barnes prior to the contest.

“We knew it was going to be a tough,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We played really well the last time we played them and Paola didn’t have a great night. We knew we were going to get a good contest and they are a good team. They have a lot of talent, length and can really jump. Their athleticism is tough, but for our kids to battle was good for us and we had to make some plays down the stretch. A lot of those were at the free-throw line and Weston stepped up and knocked down some shots.”

It was back and forth for much of the contest as the two teams were tied at the end of the first quarter.

Paola actually held a one-point lead late in the first half, but Weston Guetterman got the lead back on a 3-pointer, and Ben Guetterman scored a quick two points to put the Wildcats up 26-22 at halftime.

Louisburg (14-6) struggled to get going offensively in the third quarter and the Panthers used the opportunity to go on a 8-2 run and take a 39-37 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Then it was junior Julian Margrave’s turn to get the Wildcats going. Margrave, who scored a game-high 24 points and had four 3-pointers, hit two back-to-back early in the fourth quarter.

Junior Michael Seuferling followed up with a basket of his own to put the Wildcats up 45-41. Louisburg knocked down 9 of 10 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to keep the Panthers at arm’s length the rest of the way.

“Julian is a good shooter and scorer,” Pfannenstiel said. “He played well for us and we need something offensively to get us going. This is a night that we weren’t great on offense or defense, necessarily. We weren’t bad by any means, but we have to be better. Those shots definitely jump started us for sure.

“Paola played pretty well defensively. They have length inside and they can contest shots, so it was a well-executed game plan by them and we were fortunate to get the win. But we made the plays when we needed to.”

Weston Guetterman also scored in double figures with 15 points to go along with seven assists, four rebounds and three steals. Seuferling just missed double figures with nine points.

Barnes did a lot of the dirty work for the Wildcats as he pulled down a team-high six rebounds and also had three assists and two blocks. Senior Ben Guetterman also played well defensively with a team-high four steals.

It was a bittersweet night for many of the Wildcats. They know the playoffs are still on the horizon, but they do know their time is coming to a close.

“This is a great group of kids,” Pfannenstiel said. “They are the first group that I have had for all four years. At the end of practice the other day in the auxiliary gym, we were reminiscing a little bit and it doesn’t seem like four years ago that as freshmen Ben went for 32 against Paola and Weston would hit a half-court buzzer beater to win the game. 

“Time flies, and it is kind of cliche, but this group works so hard. When you work hard good things happen and they have had a really good season and we hope to be playing basketball for quite a bit longer.”

Louisburg earned the No. 1 seed in substate and will once again play for Paola with their season on the line. The Wildcats, who are also the No. 2 ranked team in Class 4A, will host the Panthers (8-11) at 7 p.m. tonight in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals.

“That is always tough playing a team for a third time, much less playing them twice in less than five days,” Pfannenstiel said. “We will see what happens and our kids will be ready to play. We just have to get ourselves prepared and get ready to play. It is do our die from here on out, but we are looking forward to it.”

LOU 13 13 11 21 — 58

PAO 13 9 17 15 — 54

LOUISBURG (14-6): Julian Margrave 8-12 4-4 24; Weston Guetterman 3-12 7-8 15; Michael Seuferling 4-7 1-2 9; Ben Guetterman 2-11 0-0 4; Konnor Vohs 1-2 0-0 2; Dawson Barnes 1-1 0-0 2; Andy Hupp 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 20-46 12-14 58. 3-point field goals: 6, (Margrave 4, W. Guetterman 2)

Senior Brooklyn Diederich gets on the floor for a loose ball Thursday against Eudora.

When it came to the postseason standings, Thursday’s game with Eudora was meaningless for the Louisburg girls basketball team.

The sub-state brackets have already been set and the game was more of a formality than anything else.

But for the Lady Cats, they needed a win to get back on the winning track after losing two straight games. Louisburg had a battle on its hands with Eudora, but were able to hold on for a 41-38 victory over the Cardinals.

“We needed that big time,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We’ve had a couple rough losses lately and the girls really needed to get this win. Our teamwork was much better and I think you could tell in this one that we had worked on being a better team.”

Eudora showed early on just how much it wanted this game as they were on the floor for loose ball and were playing aggressive defense. The intensity seemed to catch the Lady Cats off-guard early on as the Cardinals jumped out to a 13-2 start.

Instead of backing down, the Lady Cats slowly but surely whittled away at the Eudora lead. In the second quarter, Louisburg buckled down defensively and outscored the Cardinals 11-4 and were down just one point at halftime.

Down five points going into the fourth quarter, Louisburg made one final run. Baskets from Delaney Wright and Madilyn Melton, along with free throws from Alyse Moore helped tie the game at 32-all.

Late in the fourth, Louisburg was down two until Wright drove to the basket, made the basket, was fouled and converted the old-fashioned 3-point play. 

Eudora responded with a basket of its own to take the lead back, but Moore put Louisburg up 39-38 with 1:45 left. A couple defensive stops later, Louisburg senior Megan Foote found herself at the free-throw line with 16 seconds left.

Foote converted both in the 1-in-1 opportunity to put Louisburg up three. Eudora’s Harper Schreiner hit a 3-pointer that would have tied the game, but it was after the buzzer sounded.

“I think we have matured this season and we are at the point where we can win games like this one,” Lane said. “Each person that was out there played an important role and battled every single minute they were out there. 

“I thought the rotation was good and we were able get to girls rest. It was just a battle. We are a physical team, so maybe we play better when it is that physical of a game, but I thought the girls did a great job.”

Louisburg was able to contain one of the state’s best point guards in Schriener as both Foote and Wright took turns guard the all-state guard. They held her to 3 of 19 shooting and she finished with just nine points.

“They did a great job on Harper, and I thought it kept our girls a little more fresh,” Lane said. “Once she got rid of the ball, I thought they did a good job of not letting her get it back and I think that was key for our win.”

Junior Jordan Mynsted led Louisburg in scoring with 10 points and pulled down six rebounds. Moore finished with eight points and eight rebounds, while senior Madilyn Melton and a team-high nine rebounds and two blocks.

Senior guard Brooklyn Diederich also did a good job finding opening teammates as she led the team with seven assists.

Louisburg is back in action tonight when it hosts Paola for its final regular season game, which is also Senior Night. The Lady Cats will honor their four seniors, Foote, Melton, Diederich and Moore.

“It will be emotional, but we know this will not be our last home game,” Lane said. “We are going to keep the emotions in check and remember that we still get to play more games at home this year. Those four have been playing in this program for a long time and have put a lot of minutes in on the varsity court, so I think it will be an emotional night for those girls, their parents and the rest of our team.”

LOU 7 11 7 16 — 41

EUD 15 4 11 8 — 38

LOUISBURG (15-4): Jordan Mynsted 5-9 0-0 10; Alyse Moore 4-6 0-0 8; Delaney Wright 2-6 2-3 6; Brianne Kuhlman 1-2 2-3 5; Brooklyn Diederich 2-7 0-0 5; Madilyn Melton 2-5 1-2 5; Megan Foote 0-8 2-2 2. Totals: 16-43 7-10 41. 3-point field goals: 2, (Kuhlman, Diederich)

Lady Cats lose close game to SM South

Louisburg couldn’t have asked for a better start on the road against a Class 6A program.

The Lady Cats jumped out with eight straight points to start Monday’s game at Shawnee Mission South. The rest of the contest didn’t go as smoothly.

Louisburg, which held a one-point at halftime thanks to a 3-pointer from Megan Foote at the buzzer, fell in a close game to the Raiders, 51-48.

“I thought the girls played hard and battled this entire game,” Lane said. “I felt that we did a good job running offense, but we had a hard time finishing some of our shots.”

Alyse Moore, who recorded her 500th career rebound in the first half, finished the game with a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds. Foote also scored in double figures with 10 points.

Senior Madilyn Melton had six points, but also had 10 rebounds and a team-high three assists.

Louisburg also got a good defensive performance from junior Delaney Wright.

“I thought Delaney did a great job guarding South’s  best guard,” Lane said. “She played very hard and battled. Alyse was awesome on both sides of the ball, she was leading scorer and she did a great job rebounding and helping on defense.

LOU 10 15 10 13 — 48

SMS 8 15 13 15 — 51

LOUISBURG: Alyse Moore 6-16 2-3 14; Megan Foote 4-9 0-0 10; Madilyn Melton 3-11 0-0 6; Brianne Kuhlman 2-5 0-0 5; Brooklyn Diederich 2-8 0-2 5; Delaney Wright 1-3 2-2 4; Jordan Mynsted 1-11 2-2 4. Totals: 19-63 6-9 48. 3-point field goals: 4, (Foote 2, Kuhlman, Diederich)

Louisburg senior Alyse Moore grabbed her 500th career rebound Monday at Shawnee Mission South .

Shortly before halftime of Monday’s game at Shawnee Mission South, jogged to the huddle after a timeout was called.

Moore had just pulled down an offensive rebound and had a putback to pull Louisburg within one of the Raiders. She had no idea just how special that one rebound was.

But everyone else on the team did.

Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane called the timeout and the Shawnee Mission South announcer informed the crowd that Moore had just recorded her 500th career rebound.

“Honestly I had no clue that I was even close,” Moore said. “Brooklyn (Diederich) told me after it all happened that she had found out, but it was hard for her not to tell me. I remember my mom yelling at me to get a rebound and I was like, ‘I’m trying.’  I would have never gotten it if my teammates wouldn’t have been boxing out too, but it was a great feeling for sure.”

Moore, who had a team-high 10 rebounds in Monday’s loss to the Raiders, has been the Lady Cats’ leading rebounder this season. She is currently averaging close to nine rebounds a game and her teammates were happy to see her recognized for her hard work.

“When Alyse got her 500th rebound I called time out and I told her and she was very surprised and humbled,” Lane said. “The team was super excited for her. Alyse achieving this milestone is amazing, she works so hard and is such a great leader for our team.”

It is those rebounds, and work on the inside, that sometimes go overlooked. However, Moore has made a living underneath the basket as she has already eclipsed her rebounding total from last season with one regular season game and postseason remaining.

“For rebounding, the main thing is just giving it your 100 percent all the time and having a team back you up, knowing they are going to be boxing out as well,” Moore said. “I have had people ask me before why I don’t score as much, but honestly that is not my main focus. I would much rather score my points playing good defense and getting rebounds.”

It is not like she doesn’t score. Moore has recorded numerous double-doubles on the season, including a 14 point and 10 rebound effort in her milestone game Monday and is currently averaging seven points a game.

Although the record is nice, the Louisburg senior is more concerned with her team and knows she is fortunate she gets to play in her final year.

“I am just so thankful for this year,” Moore said. “I am definitely going to remember this year the most out of the four years I have played and I feel like this is the cherry on top. I am just thankful that I have gotten the opportunity to play.”

Louisburg junior Michael Seuferling drives to the basket on a Shawnee Mission South defender Monday in Louisburg.

The atmosphere was that of a big postseason game – the Louisburg High School gymnasium was rocking thanks to two opposing sections that wanted to come out victorious. 

The game itself wasn’t that important in the grand scheme of it all, but a pair of ranked teams battled it out Monday. Shawnee Mission South (No. 6 in 6A) and Louisburg (No. 2 in 4A) went back-and-forth at each other in what was close game – at least until the end.

Shawnee Mission South used a late run in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 50-38 win over Louisburg, but all was not lost for the Wildcats.

“This game, I think, gives us a little more confidence that we can go toe-to-toe with anybody, no matter what class they are,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We are disappointed and we had a chance to win that game if we execute a little better, but the guys will have right kind of confidence after this game. I always tell them to be confident and not cocky.”

The Wildcats (13-6) played confident, especially early on. The Raiders took a 10-7 lead in the first, but the Wildcats flipped the script and went on a 10-1 run of their own that went into the second quarter.

Louisburg’s Julian Margrave hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 10-all, then after free throws from Konnor Vohs and Dawson Barnes, Margrave hit another basket to put the Wildcats up 15-10.

Ben Guetterman hit a short jumper and a 3-pointer to put Louisburg up 20-14, but the Raiders ended the first half on a 9-2 run to take a one-point halftime lead.

Margrave hit his second 3-pointer of the game to put the Wildcats up two to start the second half, but South’s defense proved to be too much down the stretch as the Wildcats scored 13 points the rest of the game.

“The second half we were trying to drive the ball, and I think the officials were letting some stuff go on both ends,” Pfannenstiel said. “We had some good looks and some of those didn’t fall. We weren’t as good offensively in the second half, but we always tell ourselves that if we play great defense you are always going to have a shot. The way we defended tonight really made them work on the offensive end. To hold a team like that to 50 is an accomplishment, but we have to score the ball a little bit better.”

Margrave and Ben Guetterman led the Wildcats in scoring with 10 points each, while Margrave also had a team-high eight rebounds. 

Junior Michael Seuferling finished with a team-high four assists.

Despite the loss, the Wildcats had a good time playing in the atmosphere that was helped by the addition of a 40-member Shawnee Mission South student section that had the opportunity to see a live event for the first time all year since the game was held in Louisburg.

“It was just a fun game,” Pfannenstiel said. “The atmosphere was good and I think that will be a sub-state type atmosphere. I thought our guys answered really well to that. That was a great student section that South brought. Good for them to finally be able to watch again because that is what high school is about is to experience those things with their friends. 

“Glad they got to see a great basketball and game and hopefully that will reinvigorate our student section and get more kids here. Our players loved that environment and they were playing hard and played really well.”

Louisburg will now host rival Paola on Senior Night tonight as the Wildcats will honor seniors Weston Guetterman, Ben Guetterman, Konnor Vohs, Andy Hupp and Dawson Barnes. 

It will be the final regular season game for Louisburg before it begins postseason play this Tuesday.

“Whoever we play from here on out, starting with Paola, no one is going to lay over just because they see our record or ranking,” Pfannenstiel said. “The guys need to be confident, go over their preparation in practice, and play hard.”

LOU 13 9 9 7 — 38

SMS 10 13 13 14 — 50

LOUISBURG (13-6): Ben Guetterman 4-9 1-1 10; Julian Margrave 4-13 0-0 10; Weston Guetterman 2-6 2-6 6; Maverick Rockers 2-2 0-0 5; Michael Seuferling 2-7 0-0 4; Konnor Vohs 0-2 2-2 2; Dawson Barnes 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 14-41 6-11 38. 3-point field goals: 4, (Margrave 2, B. Guetterman, Rockers)

Louisburg junior Jordan Mynsted tries to get a shot up past the Piper defense Friday in the Lady Cats’ 48-35 loss.

With the Frontier League championship on the line, the Louisburg girls basketball team hosted Piper in one of its biggest games of the year. 

The two teams were tied atop the league standings with just one loss, and with just a couple games left on the schedule, one had a chance to be in the driver’s seat.

Unfortunately for the Lady Cats, that team was Piper. The Pirates held Louisburg to just five points in the fourth quarter and handed the Lady Cats a 48-35 loss, in a game that was closer than the score indicated.

“The girls were very sad after our loss to Piper,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I felt like the girls were playing not to lose rather than playing to win. I thought they played hard the entire game, and we will get better from playing a team that pressures like Piper did.”

It was a close game throughout, but the Pirate defense turned out to be the difference in the game. Piper pressured the Lady Cats the entire night and made it difficult for Louisburg to get in a rhythm offensively.

Piper finished the game with 13 steals and scored 13 points off those turnovers.

“Piper’s pressure was the most we had seen all year,” Lane said. “They pressed us pretty much the whole game and their pressure did throw us off of our normal game. We had a hard time setting up offense and getting offenses ran. They also did a great job of guarding our 3-point shooters.”

Louisburg played some of defense of its own as Piper struggled to score as it shot just 26 percent for the game. The Lady Cats played their best in the third quarter.

Trailing 27-21 at halftime, Louisburg held Piper to just three points in the third quarter and took a one point lead thanks to five straight points from Megan Foote, free throws from Alyse Moore and a basket by Jordan Mynsted.

The Pirates tied the game going into the fourth quarter, and with under three minutes left, Louisburg trailed by just three points. From there, Piper went on an 8-0 run to end the game and stayed atop the league standings.

“I thought in the fourth quarter we got down after Piper hit a couple of buckets, and we did not recover from that,” Lane said. 

Senior Madilyn Melton helped keep the Lady Cats in the game as she finished with a team-high 13 points and had eight rebounds.

Moore also had a strong game as she recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds to go along with three assists.

LOU 12 9 9 5 — 35

PIP 12 15 3 18 — 48

LOUISBURG (14-3): Madilyn Melton 5-12 3-4 13; Alyse Moore 3-10 4-4 10; Megan Foote 2-9 0-1 5; Jordan Mynsted 2-10 0-0 4; Brooklyn Diederich 1-3 0-0 3. Totals: 13-50 7-9 35. 3-point field goals: 2, (Diederich, Foote)

Lady Cats roll Fort Scott

FORT SCOTT — It was one of those nights where Louisburg could do no wrong from behind the 3-point line.

The Lady Cats knocked down 11 3-point shots and helped them to a 58-24 rout of Fort Scott on Thursday at Fort Scott High School.

In fact, Louisburg made as many three’s as it did 2-point shots as the Lady Cats were able to effectively attack the Fort Scott zone all night.

“The girls’ teamwork was great, they played together and battled the entire game,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I was so proud of all the girls and how hard they played. I love the confidence the girls have. They are not afraid to shoot the 3 and it really paid off.”

After a close first quarter, the Lady Cats really took off as they outscored Fort Scott 20-2 in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 19-point lead.

Louisburg, which forced 18 turnovers, held the Tigers to just 10 second half points and were able to force a running clock in the fourth quarter.

Nine different players scored for the Lady Cats and they were led by 13 points from Megan Foote, who connected on four 3-pointers. Foote also handed out a team-high seven assists.

Junior Jordan Mynsted finished with 11 points, while senior Brooklyn Diederich knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with nine points.

Seniors Madilyn Melton and Alyse Moore led the team in rebounding with eight and seven, respectively.

LOU 13 20 14 11 — 58

FS 12 2 7 3 — 24

LOUISBURG: Megan Foote 4-8 1-2 13; Jordan Mynsted 5-10 1-2 11; Brooklyn Diederich 3-6 0-0 9; Brianne Kuhlman 3-5 0-2 8; Madilyn Melton 3-6 0-0 6; Alyse Moore 1-3 1-6 3; Delaney Wright 1-4 0-0 3; Emma Lohse 1-2 0-0 3; Adyson Ross 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 22-53 3-12 58. 3-point field goals: 11, (Foote 4, Diederich 3, Kuhlman 2, Lohse, Wright)

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

Weston Guetterman, Senior, Boys Basketball

Louisburg senior point guard Weston Guetterman has helped guide the Wildcat basketball team to a No. 2 state ranking and helped Louisburg to a pair of wins over Eudora and Fort Scott last week. Against Eudora, Guetterman scored 15 points and pulled down six rebounds to go along with five steals on Saturday. Against Fort Scott, Guetterman handed out a team-high six assists to go along with eight points.

For the season, Guetterman has averaged 13 points a game for the Wildcats to go along with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

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: Jordan Mynsted

Week 2: Julian Margrave

Week 3: Alec Younggren

Week 4: Megan Foote

Week 5: Madilyn Melton

Week 6: Michael Seuferling

Week 7: Cade Holtzen

Week 8: Ryan Owens

Week 9: Aiden Barker