Louisburg senior Desmond Doles drives to the basket on an Ottawa defender Friday at Ottawa High School. Doles finished with a team-high 13 points, but the Wildcats fell on the road, 49-39.

OTTAWA – Going up against a state-ranked team is a difficult enough with a full roster, but the Louisburg boys basketball team traveled to No. 10 Ottawa with a thin bench.

The Wildcats were without two of their starting big men in Dalton Ribordy and Dylan DeShazer, who were both out with an illness, and they needed to get big minutes from their bench. Louisburg got some good production and hung with the Cyclones, but couldn’t get over the hump in a 49-39 loss.

Louisburg was able to slow down Ottawa at times, but the Cyclones were still able to shoot 53 percent from the floor and go on the big runs when they needed them.

“Ottawa got seven points really quick to start the game and they were the first team that has really exposed our defense like that,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “They knocked down some shots later in the first half, but I was proud of the way we battled back and competed for four quarters. Hopefully we will get back to full strength soon and keep getting better.”

Seniors Desmond Doles and Ben Minster gave the Wildcats a scoring lift to help keep them in the game as they trimmed a double-digit deficit to four midway through the third quarter, before Ottawa went on another run.

Doles led Louisburg in scoring with 13 points, including three 3-pointers, while Minster finished with 12 points and six rebounds.

Junior Noah Hill came off the bench to start in place of Ribordy and played 23 minutes. Sophomore Madden Rutherford saw an increase in playing time with five points in 16 minutes to go along with a team-high three assists.

Louisburg senior Noah Hill works his way toward the basket Friday against Ottawa.

“We were a little short-handed this week and we have been battling some illness,” Pfannenstiel said. “We were down two bigs tonight and that is Ottawa’s strength and those guys are good. I thought Noah came in and did a really good job and gave us good minutes. He is always going to battle hard and he is tough and plays with a lot of energy. I was proud of our effort.”

Both teams went back and forth at each other early as the game was tied at 7-all midway through the first quarter, but the Cyclones went on 9-0 run that went into the second and eventually went into halftime with a 27-19 advantage.

Louisburg (2-14) made things interesting in the third quarter when Minster scored back-to-back baskets to trim the Ottawa lead to 31-27, but the Cyclones went on another 8-0 run to create more distance from the Wildcats.

A Doles 3-pointer cut the Ottawa lead to 44-37 with 1 minute and 45 seconds left in the game, but the Wildcats could get no closer.

Ottawa’s Krys Johnson led the Cyclones in scoring with 13 points.

Louisburg will try and rebound Tuesday when it travels to Baldwin. The Wildcats have split their two matchups with the Bulldogs already this season as they go for their third win.

Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m.

LOU               7             12           8             12 – 39

OTT               12           15           12           10 – 49

LOUISBURG (2-14): Desmond Doles 13, Ben Minster 12, Justin Sievert 6, Madden Rutherford 5, Kohl Vogel 3. Totals: 15-38 4-4 39. 3-point field goals: 5, (Doles 3, Rutherford, Vogel)

Louisburg junior Carson Buffington dives for a loose ball Friday during the Lady Cats’ home game against Eudora. Buffington finished with 10 points and 16 rebounds in the Lady Cats’ 41-34 loss.

The shots weren’t falling. Turnovers were piling up, as were the foul problems.

It wasn’t exactly the performance the Louisburg girls basketball team wanted to have following its big win over rival Paola earlier in the week. Then, in just a few minutes time, the Lady Cats had life again.

Louisburg rallied to tie Eudora late in the third quarter and it seemed to have all the momentum. Then in a matter of seconds – it was a gone again.

The Cardinals scored the next seven points and took that momentum into the final period for a 41-34 win over the Lady Cats in their homecoming game Friday.

“We just weren’t ready to play,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “You always worry about a letdown after a good showing, then with homecoming added on to that, we just weren’t checked in at all to play and that is on me.”

It was a rough first half for the Lady Cats offensively. They managed just three points in the first quarter, and struggled at times in the second, but still managed to claw back to a 17-13 deficit at halftime.

Louisburg turned up its defensive pressure to start the third quarter and got back in the game. A 3-pointer from freshman Brooklyn Diederich cut it to 18-17 and a free throw from freshman Madilyn Melton tied it up with 3 minutes left in the third.

Eudora grabbed the lead right back with a basket, but another Louisburg freshman, Alyse Moore, drove to the basket and scored to knot it at 20-all.

From there, it was all Eudora.

The Cardinals forced Louisburg into eight turnovers in the third and turned several of those into transition points as they went on an 18-3 run that went into the fourth quarter and built a 15-point lead.

“Eudora just made some plays and some shots,” Lowry said. “To their credit, they worked harder than we did at getting 50-50 balls, which we take a lot of pride in and we didn’t this time. Eudora was ready to come in here and play.”

Sophomore Haley Cain dribbles around a Eudora defender Friday.

The Lady Cats (6-9) tried to get back into the game, as Moore scored three baskets in the final quarter and junior Carson Buffington hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to six late in the game, but Louisburg couldn’t get any closer.

Eudora employed a zone defense for most of the night and the Lady Cats weren’t able to crack it as the Cardinals forced 24 turnovers.

“We weren’t very strong with the basketball,” Lowry said. “We weren’t very strong with our passes, we weren’t strong catching the ball and if you don’t do those two things first, then it doesn’t matter what happens after that. That kind of fed into everything and that kind of goes into the mental side of the game.

“I was concerned about it going into the game, and as a coach, you just kind of get that feeling that maybe not everyone was ready for the game. There is a lot of stuff going on, but that is no excuse. You have to be ready to play a basketball game and we weren’t.”

Buffington recorded another double-double to lead the Lady Cats’ offense with 10 points and team-high 16 rebounds. Moore was next on the team with nine points and Diederich added six in the loss. Melton was second on the team with eight rebounds.

Louisburg will try to bounce back Friday when it travels to Ottawa for another Frontier League matchup.

“This is one that we have to learn from,” Lowry said. “We have to pick ourselves back up and individually they have some things they have to think about and make sure that they are all in and then we go from there.”

LOU               3             10           10           11 – 34

EUD               9             8             12           12 – 41

LOUISBURG (6-9): Carson Buffington 10, Alyse Moore 9, Brooklyn Diederich 6, Bailey Belcher 2, Carlee Gassman 2, Haley Cain 2, Isabelle Holtzen 2, Madilyn Melton 1. Totals: 10-40 10-24 34. 3-point field goals: 4, (Buffington 2, Diederich 2)

Louisburg sophomore Madden Rutherford goes up for a shot and gets fouled Friday during the Wildcats’ game with Eudora in Louisburg. Eudora downed Louisburg 60-43.

Even though it was homecoming, there wasn’t a whole lot to celebrate for the Louisburg boys basketball team Friday against Eudora.

Despite a competitive first quarter in which the Wildcats stayed within striking distance, they couldn’t keep pace with Eudora in a 60-43 loss in Louisburg. It was also Louisburg’s third consecutive loss.

The Wildcats had a hard time getting in a rhythm offensively against the No. 4 team in Class 4A-Division I, as they shot just 32 percent from the field and were 1 for 12 from behind the 3-point line.

“We didn’t shoot the ball well,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “That is not one of our strengths anyway, but it is going to take a night of knocking down our shots to stay with a team like that. Eudora is a really good team. They are very well-coached, disciplined, they play hard and play team basketball. They just do a lot of little things right. It is going to take great game on our end to stay with them and we just didn’t have it. We have to get better, play harder, we have to execute at a higher level and we didn’t do that.”

Louisburg (2-13) stayed with the Cardinals in the first quarter and trailed just 16-12 going into the second period. Unfortunately, the Wildcats managed just eight points in each of the second and third quarters, allowing the Cardinals to build on their lead.

Louisburg’s Scott Murphy and Isabelle Holtzen were crowned winter homecoming king and queen Friday during halftime of the boys game against Eudora.

Eudora outscored Louisburg 16-8 right before halftime, which turned out to be a pivotal moment in the game, as the Cardinals built a double-digit lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

“I was proud of the way we competed in the second half,” Pfannenstiel said. “I think in the second quarter we got kind of mopey. It is like we were defeated already and that has been part of our problems in games is having a bad quarter. We have to continue to keep fighting. I thought in the second half that we had better leadership and guys were being vocal in a positive way.”

Senior Dalton Ribordy and junior Dylan DeShazer led Louisburg in scoring with nine points each and senior Justin Sievert added eight in the loss. Ribordy also added a team-high seven rebounds and DeShazer finished with six.

Louisburg will have some extra time off to practice before the Wildcats return to action Friday when they travel to Ottawa, which is ranked No. 10 in Class 4A-Division I.

“We are down to six guaranteed games from here on out,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have to take advantage of it. It is fun to play the game of basketball when you play it at a high level. We have to get back at having fun on the court and try to find that spark.”

LOU               12           8             8             15 – 43

EUD               16           16           10           18 – 60

LOUISBURG (2-13): Dalton Ribordy 9, Dylan DeShazer 9, Justin Sievert 8, Brayden Gage 7, Madden Rutherford 5, Kohl Vogel 3, Noah Hill 2. Totals: 15-47 12-24 43. 3-point field goals: 1, (Sievert)

Louisburg senior Parker Perentis passes off to a teammate Tuesday during the Wildcats’ game with Paola at Louisburg High School. Perentis finished with a team-high 13 points in the Wildcats’ 69-52 loss.

The Louisburg boys basketball team survived a hot start from Paola on Tuesday and rebounded enough to nearly tie the game at halftime.

The Wildcats just couldn’t survive another Panther run.

Louisburg scored just seven points in the third quarter and Paola did enough to hand the Wildcats a 69-52 loss at Louisburg High School.

“The third quarter was the disappointing part for me,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We just came out flat and I am not sure what it is. We have to be better and we weren’t very good in the second half.”

Paola jumped out to a 20-9 lead in the first quarter behind a barrage of 3-pointers, but the Wildcats responded in the second quarter in an unconventional way.

Louisburg exploded for 25 points before halftime and 18 of those came from the Wildcat bench. Senior reserve guard Parker Perentis scored 11 of his team-high 13 points in the second quarter, including three 3-pointers to help Louisburg get back in it.

Juniors Noah Hill and Kohl Vogel also came off the bench to score a combined seven points to cut the Paola lead to 38-34 at halftime.

“Paola came out hot,” Pfannenstiel said. “I think they hit like five 3-pointers in the first quarter and they took a big swing and a punch at us. I was proud of the way we battled back from that. I thought our energy was really good in the second quarter. Parker came in off the bench and did a good job. He was able to hit some shots and we need that.

“Those are energy guys coming off the bench. They are getting their shot at varsity action and they come in and they play hard. That is what it takes and that is what we need as a team to be able to play against this league because it is so balanced and tough every game.”

The Panthers outscored Louisburg 13-7 in the third quarter, but the Wildcats tried making another run at the Panthers. Senior Justin Sievert hit a pair of jumpers, including a 3-pointer, to cut the Paola lead to 53-46 early in the fourth, but couldn’t get any closer.

Paola ended the game on an 11-1 run and converted at the free-throw line to preserve the win.

Wildcat senior Desmond Doles was second on the team in scoring with nine points and a team-high four steals. Fellow senior Dalton Ribordy finished with seven points after missing the last two games with an injury.

Louisburg will try and get back on track tonight when it hosts No. 10 Eudora for homecoming. Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m.

“We have to be better now for the second half of the season,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have played everyone in the league now, and at times we have been competed well. We have battled hard at times, even though the scores look bad in the end. I think if we play with energy, and execute on both ends of the floor, then I think we will be fine here in the second half.”

LOU               9             25           7             11 – 52

PAO               20           18           13           18 – 69

LOUISBURG (2-12): Parker Perentis 13, Desmond Doles 9, Dalton Ribordy 7, Brayden Gage 5, Ben Minster 5, Justin Sievert 5, Kohl Vogel 4, Noah Hill 4. Totals: 18-46 9-14 52. 3-point field goals: 7, (Perentis 3, Gage, Vogel, Doles, Sievert)

Louisburg freshman Madilyn Melton goes up for two of her team-high 21 points against Paola on Tuesday at Louisburg High School. The Lady Cats downed the Panthers, 69-57, for their first win over the Panthers since 2014.

It has been four years since the Louisburg girls basketball team has left the floor after a victory over Paola.

Since then, there has been a lot of heartbreak and disappointment.

Louisburg got a chance to change all that Tuesday when it hosted its rival and the Lady Cats were able to turn the tables on the Panthers. There was no heartbreak this time around.

Defense and free throws turned out to be the difference as the Lady Cats were able to pull out a 69-57 win over Paola – their first victory over the Panthers since 2014.

“They are excited to win a basketball game, but at the same time they are collectively starting to figure things out,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “Our effort and toughness was really good and Paola was a tough, physical team too. For us to play that way, and match that intensity and toughness, was important and we want to defend our home court with everything we have.”

It all started on the defensive end of the floor for the Lady Cats as they forced 21 Paola turnovers and recorded 15 steals on the night.

Louisburg used a half-court trapping defense that took Paola out of any kind of rhythm offensively and led to several baskets in transition.

“It started defensively for us and that just fed into everything else,” Lowry said. “As a coach, I still see those things that we have to clean up, but it was a good team effort. They were able to respond and battle through adversity when it happened.”

The Lady Cats (6-8) experienced a little adversity in the fourth quarter. Louisburg held a 17-point lead early in the final period, before junior starter Carson Buffington fouled out.

Paola went on a run and cut the lead to seven with 2 minutes and 28 seconds left in the game, but the Lady Cats were able to put the game away at the free-throw line. Louisburg converted 33 or 45 free-throw attempts for the game, including 10 straight makes to end the game by senior Isabelle Holtzen, sophomore Carlee Gassman and freshman Madilyn Melton.

“It is nice to see some of our inexperience go away at the end of the game like that,” Lowry said. “Our kids stood tall, and Isabelle provided some great senior leadership and really took control of things when we were in foul trouble. Other people stepped up and made some good plays as well.

“We work a lot on free throws to win the game and that is what it came down for us. That won us the game.”

Louisburg senior Bailey Belcher gets fouled while driving to the basket Tuesday against Paola.

Louisburg also got a big performance from Melton, who didn’t play like a freshman. With the game tied at 23-all late in the first half, the Lady Cat freshman scored 11 straight point as Louisburg went on an 11-4 run and took a 34-27 lead at halftime.

For the game, Melton finished with a team-high 21 points and 11 rebounds and she converted 12 of her 16 free-throw opportunities.

“I think all the girls did really, really well,” Melton said. “Playing against Paola in middle school was tough, so coming in as a freshman playing varsity, I knew it was going to be even harder. I am just so proud of the girls and I knew we could pull through.

“I just want to go out there, and even though that I am a freshman, I want to be there for my team and help them when they need me.”

The Lady Cats got big performances up and down their lineup. Holtzen was second on in the team in scoring with 18 points, including 9 of 10 from the free-throw line.

Along with Melton, Buffington also finished with a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds to to alon with a team-high four steals. Senior Bailey Belcher also added 10 points and three steals in the win, while sophomore Haley Cain added seven rebounds.

“We were all pretty hyped up for this one, knowing we were going to play our rival,” Holtzen said. “We just played hard as a team and we played together, even though we had some foul problems throughout the game. I think everyone stepped up at the right time and we were able to get a big win.”

Louisburg will hope to build on this win tonight when it hosts Eudora for a homecoming matchup. The Lady Cats hope to exact some revenge after falling to the Cardinals in overtime early in the season.

“We are preparing for this run here,” Lowry said. “Now we are going back through the league teams, and when it is all said and done, we are going to be in Paola for a sub-state tournament. We are going to see them again on their senior night, so I am sure it will be emotional for them and it will be a tough place to play. We will be ready though.”

LOU               12           22           14           21 – 69

PAO               9             18           6             24 – 57

LOUISBURG (6-8): Madilyn Melton 21, Isabelle Holtzen 18, Bailey Belcher 10, Carson Buffington 10, Carlee Gassman 5, Haley Cain 5. Totals: 16-47 33-45 69. 3-point field goals: 4, (Holtzen, Melton, Belcher, Buffington)

Members of the 2018 Louisburg High School winter homecoming court are (front row, from left): Grant Ryals, Scott Murphy, Kai Tinich, Mitchell Drew; (back row) Haven Trageser-Turner, Isabelle Holtzen, Alexa Goodspeed and Tomi Frederes. 

Homecoming week at Louisburg High School kicked off Monday and events are in full swing. With something going on every day this week, it will be a busy time for students. All of it is, of course, centered around the crowning of the 2018 winter king and queen. Eight students were selected as nominees and here are their names and profiles.

The crowning will take place on Friday at halftime of the boys basketball game with Eudora. Tipoff for that game is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. Good luck to all the participants and make sure to come out on Friday to support the Wildcat girls and boys teams against the Cardinals.

Kai Tinich and Alexa Goodspeed

Kai Tinich

Kai is the son of Terry and Susan Tinich. He has been involved with student council for four years. Kai has participated in golf for three years, Leo’s Club for three years, FCCLA for two years, FCA for two years, Spanish Club for two years and basketball for one year. After graduation, Kai plans to attend the University of Arkansas to study international business with a minor in Greek or Italian.

Alexa Goodspeed

Alexa is the daughter of Susan Goodspeed. She has participated in cross country for four years, FFA for four years, softball for two years, Spanish Club for two years. She was a basketball manager for one year and participated in Leo’s Club and choir for one year. After graduation, Alexa plans to attend Pittsburg State University and major in physiology.

Tomi Frederes and Mitchell Drew

Tomi Frederes

Tomi is the daughter Christy and Jerry Frederes. She has participated in FFA for four years, cross country and Leo’s Club for three years, softball and Spanish Club for two years and track and volleyball for one year. After graduation, Tomi plans to attend Pittsburg State University and major in business.

Mitchell Drew

Mitchell is the son of Pat and Shanna Drew. He has participated in baseball for four years and football for four years. After graduation, Mitchell plans to attend Pittsburg State University and pursue a bachelor degree in nursing.

Scott Murphy and Isabelle Holtzen

Scott Murphy

Scott is the son of Gene and Amanda Murphy. He has participated in soccer, band, stage crew, Model United Nations, student council, Scholars Bowl and Technology Student Association for four years. He has also taken part in track and Spanish Club for three years, Jazz Band for two years and National Honors Society, Math Club and Science Olympiad Club for one year. After graduation, Scott plans to attend Cornell University to study mechanical engineering.

Isabelle Holtzen

Isabelle is the daughter of Craig and Michelle Holtzen. She has participated in debate, basketball, cross country, track and Fellowship of Christian Athletes for four years. She has also taken part in choir for three years, National Honors Society and Model United Nations for two years and musical, Leo’s Club and Student Advisory Council for one year. After graduation, Isabelle plans to attend the University of Northern Iowa to major in business and will pole vault for the track team.

Grant Ryals and Haven Trageser-Turner

Grant Ryals

Grant is the son of Janelle Ryals and Jason and Michelle Ryals. He has participated in soccer for four years, student council for three years, National Honors Society and girls soccer manager for two years, and Leo’s Club and golf for one year. After graduation, Grant plans to attend William Jewell College to play soccer and major in biomedical engineering.

Haven Trageser-Turner

Haven is the daughter of Jeff and Katie Trageser and Courtney Turner. She has participate in FFA, student council and musical for four years, basketball and choir for three years, FCCLA for two years and softball, Leo’s Club and Spanish Club for one year. After graduation, Haven plans to attend the University of Kansas and major in nursing.

Louisburg sophomore Haley Cain gets on the floor for a loose ball during the Lady Cats seventh-place game against Anderson County Saturday in the Top Gun Tournament at Wellsville High School.

WELLSVILLE – It would have been easy for the Louisburg girls basketball team to just push its seventh-place game aside Saturday in what was an already tough Top Gun Tournament.

Earlier in the week, the Lady Cats had double-digit losses to state-ranked Piper and Frontier League foe Spring Hill, and they have a game with rival Paola looming on the horizon.

The Lady Cats placed all of that behind them and put together a strong performance Saturday to close out the Wellsville tournament. Louisburg took control of the game from the start against Anderson County and never looked back in a 51-22 victory to finish in seventh place.

“It was an awesome midseason tournament to play in,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “We talked before it started about the caliber of teams that we were going to go up against. It was great to watch some of them and it was great to play some of them.

“The girls could have come out flat in our last game, and have not enough emotion, but they didn’t. They played with a lot of toughness, effort, togetherness, unselfishness – just like they did the first two games. I was really proud of that.”

Louisburg came to life offensively in the second and third quarters as it scored a combined 35 points in the two frames to help pull away thanks to its defense.

The Lady Cats turned Anderson County over many different times during the contest, which led to easy transition points on the other end.

“If we can use some of our athleticism, we would like to,” Lowry said. “It worked for us this time. We have some things that we still need to work on.”

Senior guard Isabelle Holtzen led the Lady Cats in scoring with 12 points and fellow senior Bailey Belcher added 11 in the win. Buffington finished with nine points, including three 3-pointers, and ended the tournament with 27 rebounds in the three games.

Louisburg (5-8) already had control of the game with a 29-10 lead at halftime, but the Lady Cats all but sealed the win with a monstrous start to the second half. They opened the third quarter with a 14-0 run and ended their tournament on a solid note.

“We talked about those first couple minutes of the third quarter, and how important they are,” Lowry said. “Regardless of what is going on in the game score-wise, it seems like those first two or three minutes of the third quarter and so big in determining what is going to happen in that second half. They always respond well with that.”

Freshman Brooklyn Diederich passes off to a teammate Saturday. Diederich finished second in the tournament’s free throw competition.

Following the tournament, two Lady Cat players also earned honors.

Freshman Brooklyn Diederich placed second in the tournament’s free throw competition as she made 22 of 30 over three days, finishing just one behind Wellsville’s Ally Newhouse.

Senior Mikayla Quinn was also named to the tournament’s all-academic team.

For the first time in more than three weeks, the Lady Cats will return home tonight when it hosts Paola in a 6 p.m. tipoff. They will follow that up with another home game against Eudora on Friday for homecoming.

LOU               10           19           16           6 – 51

ANDCO         4             6             4             8 – 22

LOUISBURG (5-8): Isabelle Holtzen 12, Bailey Belcher 11, Carson Buffington 9, Sydni Keagle 5, Alyse Moore 4, Madilyn Melton 4, Brooklyn Diederich 3, Haley Cain 2, Carlee Gassman 1. Totals: 20 6-11 51. 3-point field goals: 5, (Buffington 3, Diederich, Keagle).

LOUISBURG FALLS TO SPRING HILL, NO. 3 PIPER

In what could be called one of the tougher tournaments in the state, that features four state-ranked teams, Louisburg had its hands full from the opening game of the Top Gun Tournament.

The Lady Cats opened play against No. 3 Piper on Jan. 23 and couldn’t keep up with the Pirates in a 72-41 loss.

Louisburg then had to square off with Spring Hill in the consolation semifinals Thursday, and despite keeping it close in the first half, came up short in a 65-40 defeat.

Against Spring Hill, the Lady Cats played the Broncos tough as they trailed just 27-17 at halftime before the Broncos opened the game up in the second half.

“It has been a process from the start and I think the first quarter or first half of the Spring Hill game really showed our development and the continued work that we are getting in with our kids,” Lowry said. “They are learning, growing and getting better. Our younger players are stepping up and I think that first half shows we aren’t that far away come March, but we have a lot of work to do between now and then, but we are getting there.

“The first time we played them (a 30-point loss), it wasn’t much as what they did to us as what we did to ourselves. I think that is part of a young, inexperienced team. The more experience we get, the better we are going to be and I think that showed in that first half.”

Carson Buffington led the Lady Cats with 11 points, while freshman Madilyn Melton finished with seven and sophomore Haley Cain added six.

Piper also proved to be worthy of its ranking as it used a 26-point third quarter to help seal its win over Louisburg. Senior Isabelle Holtzen scored a team-high 13 points in the loss and Cain finished with nine.

LOU               13           4             12           11 – 40

SH                                                                        65

LOUISBURG: Carson Buffington 11, Madilyn Melton 7, Haley Cain 6, Alyse Moore 5, Brooklyn Diederich 3, Isabelle Holtzen 3, Sydni Keagle 3, Bailey Belcher 2. Totals: 14 9-16 40. 3-point field goals: 3, (Buffington 2, Diederich)

LOU               9             12           12           8 – 41

PIP                 19           16           26           11 – 72

LOUISBURG: Isabelle Holtzen 13, Haley Cain 9, Carson Buffington 8, Bailey Belcher 5, Madilyn Melton 5, Alyse Moore. Totals: 10 17-22 41. 3-point field goals: 4, (Belcher, Buffington, Cain, Holtzen)

Louisburg junior Brayden Gage glides to the basket for a layup during Thursday’s game at Spring Hill. Gage finished with eight points in the Wildcats’ 63-53 loss to the Broncos.

SPRING HILL – It is a game that will show up in the loss column, but for the Louisburg boys basketball team, Thursday’s contest with Spring Hill provided the Wildcats with several positives.

The Wildcats showed a competitive nature head coach Ty Pfannenstiel hadn’t seen for four quarters and that allowed them to stay close in a 63-53 loss. Although the defeat was disappointing, Pfannenstiel believes his team can build on it.

“I thought we played with a lot of intensity,” he said. “I think the kids really like competing against Spring Hill and they always seem to get up for them and I really noticed that in football. I could tell in our preparation that our guys really know those kids well, from playing on summer teams with them and stuff like that.

“I was pleased with the way we competed. It seemed we were ready to go for four quarters and we didn’t go through that one bad quarter, even though we started a little slow offensively. Defensively, we were ready to go. (Spring Hill) is a big team and they are very good. They are the No. 1 team in our sub-state for a reason.”

Spring Hill (9-4) jumped out to a 17-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Wildcats stayed within striking distance in the second quarter. Louisburg (2-11) went on an 8-2 run to end the first half and cut the Broncos’ double digit lead to just seven at halftime.

The Wildcats used their defense to get back in the game as they had a pair of steal and scores from senior Ben Minster and junior Brayden Gage toward the end of the first half.

Louisburg senior Parker Perentis drives past a Spring Hill defender Thursday.

“Our defense always leads to our offense,” Pfannenstiel said. “We got some steals and it picks up our offensive play. We scored the ball a little better than we have been. We saw going in that Spring Hill had been playing a lot of zone and they didn’t play zone the entire night, so it was a different look than we were expecting. I was very pleased with the way we played.”

Although the Wildcats scored just seven points in the third quarter, they responded with a 22-point fourth quarter, but couldn’t overtake the Broncos.

Louisburg had to play without senior starter Dalton Ribordy for the second straight game as he sat out with an ankle injury. In his absence, the Wildcats got a big performance from senior Ben Minster.

Minster finished with a team-high 19 points to go along with eight rebounds. Gage and senior Desmond Doles each added eight points, while Gage had a team-high four assists.

The Wildcats will leave the road behind them for a week and return home for a pair of games beginning Tuesday when they host rival Paola. It will be Louisburg’s first home contest since Jan. 4.

“Our kids are ready for the stretch run,” Pfannenstiel said. “We are getting ready to play Paola and this is the first time we have seen them. After that, we are going to go back and play the rest of the league again. If we bring the same type of intensity we did (Thursday), and if we can get healthy and get Ribordy back, we can do some good things.”

LOU               10           14           7             22 – 53

SH                  17           14           12           20 – 63

LOUISBURG (2-11): Ben Minster 19, Brayden Gage 8, Desmond Doles 8, Justin Sievert 6, Dylan DeShazer 6, Parker Perentis 4, Kohl Vogel 2. Totals: 19-46 11-18 53. 3-point field goals: 4, (Gage, Doles, Minster, Sievert)

Louisburg junior Brayden Gage drives to the basket on Friday during the Wildcats’ consolation semifinal game against Harmon at the Baldwin Invitational Tournament. The Wildcats took seventh place Saturday with a 70-42 win over Bishop Ward. 

BALDWIN CITY – The Louisburg boys basketball team was staring a ninth straight loss in the face Saturday when it faced off with Bishop Ward.

If the Wildcats wanted to break the streak, they were going to have to do it without senior starter Dalton Ribordy. who had to sit out with an injury. Louisburg held a slim 3-point lead at halftime against Ward in the seventh-place game of the Baldwin Invitational.

Louisburg had a tough time getting in any kind of rhythm offensively. So in the second half, the Wildcats let their defense do the work.

The Wildcats turned over Bishop Ward several times in the final two quarters and turned that into instant offense in their 70-42 win over the Cyclones, and broke their long losing streak in the process.

“Our defense was better in the second half, no doubt,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Ward didn’t shoot the ball well in the second half and we were very good on the defensive glass. A lot of that had to do with our triangle-and-2 look we threw at them. We did a good job of getting buckets in transition and then when we got into a half court set, we were patient and worked the ball inside. I was pleased with the way we played in the second half.”

With Ribordy out of the lineup, Pfannenstiel was looking for someone else to replace that void and he found it in Ben Minster. The Louisburg senior was all over the floor for the Wildcats as he finished with a game-high 24 points.

Along with his scoring punch, Minster also did it on the glass with a team-high six rebounds and on the defensive end with team-best six steals.

“Dalton is one of our leaders, so not having him out there was a concern,” Pfannenstiel said. “He’s our best rebounder and low post defender so we had to have some other guys step up for us. Ben played with a lot of energy and provided a spark offensively and defensively. He played with a different energy this week. He was aggressive on both ends and kept attacking. He’s an explosive player and needs to continue to play with that mentality from here on out.”

Louisburg (2-10) held a 25-22 halftime lead over Bishop Ward, but Pfannenstiel wanted to change things up in order to spark his team. He decided to employ a triangle-and-2 defense in hopes of confusing Ward.

It seemed to work.

The Wildcats forced 28 Bishop Ward turnovers and scored 23 points off those Cyclone mistakes, which gave them the spark they were looking for. Louisburg recorded 18 steals and were able to score 17 points in transition.

Senior Dalton Ribordy goes up for two of his 12 points Friday against Harmon.

They were also able to hold Bishop Ward leading scorer Clarence Johnson in check in the second half. Johnson, who scored a team-high 16 points, scored most of those in the first half.

“Our defense did a good job of executing in the second half,” Pfannenstiel said. “We went some triangle-and-2 to try and get them out of an offensive rhythm. We did a great job of keeping the ball out of the hands of No. 4 (Johnson). He was a really good player and we were able to make him work harder in the second half.”

Senior starter Desmond Doles gave the Wildcats a big boost himself as he scored in double figures with 12 points and four steals on defense. Junior Kohl Vogel scored nine points and had five rebounds to go along with four steals.

Junior Dylan DeShazer added eight points and five rebounds, while sophomore Madden Rutherford finished with six points and five boards. Senior Parker Perentis added three steals on defense.

“It’s taken us awhile, but I think we are finally playing to our strengths as a team,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have to continue to focus on the things that we do well and capitalize on those moments in games.”

Louisburg returns to action Thursday when it travels to Spring Hill in hopes of getting its second straight win. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU               11           14           25           20 – 70

BW                10           12           11           9 – 42

LOUISBURG (2-10): Ben Minster 24, Desmond Doles 12, Kohl Vogel 9, Dylan DeShazer 8, Madden Rutherford 6, Parker Perentis 4, Justin Sievert 4, Noah Hill 2, Michael Waldron 1. Totals: 25-54 18-32 70. 3-point field goals: 2, (Perentis, Minster)

Louisburg falls to Bonner Springs, Harmon to open tournament

Louisburg had a difficult first-round matchup in the Baldwin Invitational on Wednesday when it faced off with Bonner Springs, the state’s No. 3-ranked team in Class 4A-Division I.

The Wildcats fell to the Braves 75-43, but had a chance to rebound in the consolation semifinals Friday against Harmon. Despite a furious fourth quarter rally, the Wildcats came up short, 64-56.

Against Harmon, the Wildcats trailed by 18 points early in the fourth quarter, but they eventually whittled the lead. Louisburg went on a 17-0 run to cut the lead to one, but couldn’t get over the hump.

Louisburg used full-court pressure to speed up Harmon and those turned into turnovers and easy baskets for the Wildcats.

“We played with a different intensity in the fourth quarter,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our kids have to realize that when we play with that type of intensity and focus, we can be pretty good.”

Ben Minster led Louisburg in scoring with 20 points and Dalton Ribordy added 12 in the loss. Ribordy had to leave the game in the second half with an ankle injury and didn’t return.

Junior guard Brayden Gage finished with nine points and three assists, while Desmond Doles brought down six rebounds. Doles also led Louisburg in scoring with 13 points in the loss to Bonner Springs.

LOU               15           4             12           25 – 56

HAR               14           12           20           18 – 64

LOUISBURG: Ben Minster 20, Dalton Ribordy 12, Brayden Gage 9, Justin Sievert 6, Dylan DeShazer 5, Madden Rutherford 2, Desmond Doles 2. Totals: 23-52 9-17 56. 3-point field goals: 1, (DeShazer)

LOU               8             15           13           7 – 43

BOSP             20           18           24           13 – 75

LOUISBURG: Desmond Doles 13, Ben Minster 11, Dylan DeShazer 7, Dalton Ribordy 4, Brayden Gage 3, Justin Sievert 3, Madden Rutherford 2. Totals: 15-40 12-19 43. 3-point field goals: 1, (DeShazer)

Louisburg senior Bailey Belcher goes up for a layup Wednesday during the Lady Cats’ game at Spring Hill. Belcher scored a team-high 13 points in the 70-37 loss. 

SPRING HILL – It was a game the Louisburg High School girls basketball team wanted to quickly forget.

The Lady Cats had a tough time stopping a Spring Hill team that lived in the paint as the Broncos handed Louisburg a 70-37 loss Wednesday at Spring Hill High School.

It was game that featured mistakes on both ends of the floor for Louisburg, but if there is a positive, those mistakes are all correctable.

“We had breakdowns and those are things we are going to have to get back into practice and work on,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “Part of it is some inexperience, at this point though, we have to start to reduce that. We are no longer a senior, junior, a sophomore or a freshman. We are a group of basketball players and we each have individual jobs to do.

“This is a good group of kids and they are going to work their tails off. They want to do the right things and they care about each other. This bothers them and I am going to be anxious to see how they respond.”

Spring Hill jumped out to a big lead early and never let up and it led Louisburg 36-19 at halftime. After an even third quarter, the Broncos went on a 21-4 run in the fourth to seal the win.

The Broncos were able to run a lot of motion offense, which led to a lot of easy points near the basket, and Louisburg couldn’t get enough stops early on in the game.

“They are a good team, but we didn’t rise to the occasion of playing a good team,” Lowry said. “We have some things to figure out about ourselves and each other. We play in one of the strongest tournaments in the state next week we are going to find out a lot about ourselves and how we will respond to how we played against Spring Hill.”

Louisburg senior Bailey Belcher led the Lady Cats in scoring with 13 points, including three 3-pointers, and also added seven rebounds.

Forward Carson Buffington was one point away from another double-double for Louisburg as he finished with nine points to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore Haley Cain and Madilyn Melton added five rebounds in the loss, and senior guard Isabelle Holtzen had a team-high four assists.

This week will present several challenges for the Lady Cats as they compete in the Top Gun Tournament at Wellsville High School beginning Tuesday. Louisburg is the No. 7 seed and will open with No. 2 Piper, which is currently undefeated on the season. The Lady Cats will also play on Thursday and Saturday.

Along with Piper, which is ranked No. 3 in Class 4A-Division I, is Baldwin (No. 1 in Class 4A-DII), Lansing (No. 1 in 5A) and Nemaha Central (No. 3 in 3A).

“It is a fantastic midseason tournament just looking at the teams that will be there,” Lowry said. “There is one of the best teams in 3A there in Nemaha Central. Baldwin and Piper are undefeated in 4A, then you mix in a Lansing team that is ranked No. 1 in 5A. Wellsville and Spring Hill are really nice teams too. It is an incredible field of teams and it will be a fun one to be a part of.”

LOU               9             12           12           4 – 37

SH                  18           18           13           21 – 70

LOUISBURG (4-6): Bailey Belcher 13, Carson Buffington 9, Carlee Gassman 5, Isabelle Holtzen 4, Haley Cain 3, Sydni Keagle 2, Madilyn Melton 1. Totals: 11-58 10-26 37. 3-point field goals: 5, (Belcher 3, Buffington 2)