Louisburg senior Grant Harding drives to the basket Tuesday during the first round of the Baldwin Invitational Tournament at Baldwin High School. Harding scored a team-high 16 points in the 57-50 overtime loss.

BALDWIN CITY – All signs were pointing to a Louisburg victory in its first round contest Tuesday in the Baldwin Invitational.

The foreshadowing appeared in the form of a shot from Jayce Geiman. The Louisburg senior hit a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game with Wellsville into overtime and all the momentum swung over to the Wildcat bench.

That momentum quickly raced back to the other side of the floor.

Wellsville opened the extra period with a basket and the Wildcats were on the wrong end of two charging calls that took away possessions and they couldn’t recover in a 57-50 loss.

“The guys couldn’t have been more disappointed,” Louisburg coach Jason Nelson said. “Did they know that they didn’t play their best game? Absolutely. Our on-ball defense was subpar, our help defense was abnormally weak and we missed a lot of bunnies. They battled as best they could through it and for that, I’m proud. But that is a game we should have won.”

Louisburg (3-6) had to battle back from a fourth quarter deficit to send the game to an extra period. The Wildcats were down five points with under five minutes remaining, but senior Sam Guetterman hit a jumper and a 3-pointer to cut the Eagle lead to one.

Fellow senior T.J. Dover responded to give the Wildcats a one-point lead with three minutes left in regulation and senior Grant Harding followed that up with a steal and a breakaway dunk to put Louisburg up three.

Wellsville answered back with a quick 6-0 run to take a 48-45 lead with 12 seconds left. The Wildcats got the ball back with one last chance and Geiman answered with a 3-pointer from several feet behind the 3-point line at the buzzer to tie it.

Senior Jayce Geiman connects on a 3-pointer at the buzzer Tuesday to send the Wildcats’ game with Wellsville to overtime.

“Coach (Drew) Harding drew up a double screen for Grant curling off of it with Jayce as a secondary option,” Nelson said. “Wellsville’s defensive rotation was fantastic, and credit to Jayce for sliding until he found an opening. I felt like that was great momentum going in to overtime, and was confident, but we picked up a few early fouls in overtime and it switched the momentum.”

That it did.

Wellsville scored a quick basket to take the lead in overtime, and as the Wildcats tried to answer on their next possession, were called for a charge — one of six for the game — and two in the overtime.

The charges gave the Eagles extra possessions and they took advantage either at the free throw line or at the basket.

“I’ve never seen a game where charges were so numerous,” Nelson said. “To their credit, the boys were never discouraged by the calls, and never voiced displeasure and I’m proud of them for that. I don’t necessarily think it took away from our aggression, but it did alter our play to where we were trying to avoid contact at all and consequently some of our shots were altered a bit.”

Both teams traded leads in the first half and the Wildcats had to rally from five points down in the second quarter and eventually took a one-point lead at halftime. Down 20-15 with three minutes left in the first half, junior Dalton Ribordy scored a basket and Geiman followed it up with five straight points, including a 3-pointer to tie the game with a minute remaining.

Junior Dalton Ribordy (right) gets on the floor for a loose ball Tuesday against Wellsville.

Guetterman added a free throw with one second left and the Wildcats had a 23-22 lead in the locker room at halftime.

Harding was one of two Wildcats in double figures as he led the way with 16 points and Geiman finished with 12. Ribordy and Dover each had five rebounds to lead Louisburg.

The Wildcats return to action Friday when they face off with Bishop Ward in the consolation semifinals. Bishop Ward fell to Bonner Springs in their contest, 63-20. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.

Louisburg will either play Baldwin or Anderson County for fifth or seventh place Saturday.

“These next two games are most definitely important, but more important is what did we learn from Tuesday’s game?” Nelson said. “We are focused on improving and peaking for substate, and to that end, these upcoming games are quite important.”

LOU               11           12           11           14           2 – 50

WEL              9             13           13           13           9 – 57

LOUISBURG (3-6): Grant Harding 16, Jayce Geiman 12, Sam Guetterman 8, T.J. Dover 6, Dalton Ribordy 6, Desmond Doles 2. Totals: 18-45 11-18 50. 3-point field goals: 4, (Geiman 2, Harding, Guetterman).

Louisburg sophomore Carson Buffington gets on the floor for a loose ball Tuesday in the Lady Cats’ home game with Frontenac. Buffington finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds in the 50-27 win.

Following Friday’s 30-plus point loss to state-ranked Baldwin, the Louisburg High School girls basketball team walked off the floor with one of the worst feelings possible.

Not only did the Lady Cats lose the game, they were beaten to loose balls, struggled defensively and it was a performance they just wanted to put behind them.

Before they did that, however, they wanted to use that game as motivation. Louisburg didn’t want to experience that feeling again – and four days later – the Lady Cats changed all that.

The Lady Cats were on the right end of a blowout game this time around as they downed Frontenac 50-27 on Tuesday at Louisburg High School.

They were on the floor for loose balls, smothered Frontenac on defense and were aggressive on the glass – a total turnaround from Friday.

“We talked at practice that one game, good or bad, doesn’t define us,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. ‘I said that is all about how we respond and react. That is who they are, that is their character that showed (Tuesday).

“I was really proud of the defensive effort and we got on the floor immediately. Anything that went on the floor we were battling for. They were disappointed in themselves last week and letting someone beat them to loose balls. That won’t be happening with this group and it showed.”

Senior Chloe Renner goes up for a basket Tuesday against Frontenac.

In between all those floor burns, the Lady Cats (4-4) were also efficient offensively, especially in the first half. Louisburg jumped out to a 17-5 lead in the first quarter and outscored Frontenac 16-5 in the second to take a 33-14 halftime lead.

Senior Madisen Simpson provided Louisburg with a big boost offensively, especially from behind-the-arch as she finished with 22 points, including four 3-pointers.

Sophomore Carson Buffington provided the Lady Cats with a presence down low with a double-double. Buffington scored 10 points and pulled down a team-high 15 rebounds to go along with several tussles on the floor for loose balls.

Senior Chloe Renner came off the bench to finish with nine points and six rebounds.

“We took care of the ball against a defense that we don’t see a lot of and only had a couple days to prepare for,” Lowry said. “I thought the girls did a nice job with that and understanding what they were supposed to do. We have some girls that are just flat out battling for everything and I can’t say that enough. From the seniors, on down the line, everyone was just working hard.

“Carson was playing like a crazy woman out there and she was all over the floor for loose balls and rebounds and that was really fun to see.”

Defensively, the Lady Cats frustrated Frontenac and held the Raiders’ best post player, Kaylee Harper, to 13 points. Harper scored nine of Frontenac’s first 11 points before picking up her second foul and the Lady Cats took advantage.

“She is a good player,” Lowry said of Harper. “She is a nice player and we will see some other ones like that here pretty soon. It was a nice challenge for us to get to play someone like that. I thought everyone did a real nice job defensively.”

Louisburg forced 14 steals and turned those into easy baskets in transition. Senior Paige Buffington was especially active as she had a team-high eight steals to go along with seven assists offensively.

The Lady Cats also rebounded well as they pulled down 17 offensive boards, which turned into several second chance opportunities.

“It is contagious in that when someone lays out for a play, it feeds, but it can be contagious the other way,” Lowry said. “The moping and putting your head down is also contagious. We want to start out that we will battle for everything.”

Louisburg will try for its second straight win Friday when it hosts De Soto for homecoming. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

“It is a big game for us and for where the league is at right now,” Lowry said. “It is on our home floor and we are excited to play, especially after Tuesday.”

LOU               17           16           9             8 – 50

FRON            9             5             8             5 – 27

LOUISBURG (4-4): Madisen Simpson 22, Carson Buffington 10, Chloe Renner 9, Kennia Hankinson 3, Haley Cain 2, Tayler Lancaster 2, Paige Buffington 2. Totals: 16-52 13-20 50. 3-point field goals: 5, (Simpson 4, Hankinson)

Louisburg senior Jayce Geiman gets the ball across half-court thanks to a screen from teammate Dalton Ribordy on Tuesday during the Wildcats’ home game against Frontenac. The Wildcats fell 71-59.

The Louisburg High School boys basketball team hoped to get its second consecutive win when the Wildcats returned home for the first time in three weeks.

Frontenac had other plans.

The Raiders scored a lot of points in transition and limited the Louisburg offense with their zone defense as they handed the Wildcats a 71-59 loss in what was up-and-down game that featured a lot of free throws.

“We knew we had to do coming in and we didn’t assert ourselves very well,” Louisburg coach Jason Nelson said. “We didn’t stick to the script the entire time and that hurt us. When we did do that in the second half, we started getting to the line and getting some weak side buckets, stuff that we should have started doing all along.”

The two teams combined for 55 free throws and Frontenac made more free throws (23) than Louisburg (20) attempted. While that was a big difference in the game, Louisburg also struggled from the field against the Raiders’ zone defense as it shot just 32 percent for the contest.

Louisburg and Frontenac went back-and-forth in the first half as the lead changed hands seven times and had seven more ties.

Frontenac pulled away in the third quarter as it outscored Louisburg 20-10 to build a 12-point lead going into the fourth quarter. The Raiders’ lead expanded to 15 before the Wildcats cut it to nine on Jayce Geiman’s 3-pointer with less than four minutes left in the game.

The Raiders stopped Louisburg’s mini-run to put the lead back up to 17 with two minutes left and sealed the win. Frontenac got those points in transition off Wildcat misses and from the free-throw line.

Junior Desmond Doles goes up for two points Tuesday against Frontenac.

“All that was a manifestation of our lack of communication,” Nelson said. “I don’t know remember the last time that our rotation was that slow, but when we don’t communicate or assert ourselves then stuff like this happens.

“When our shots were falling, it can carry over to the defensive end and guys hang their heads a little bit. But maybe that is on me for not motivating them enough.”

Geiman led the Wildcat scoring with 17 points, including five 3-pointers against the Frontenac zone. Senior Grant Harding also finished in double figures with 16 points, while junior Desmond Doles came off the bench to add eight points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Senior T.J. Dover added six rebounds in the loss, while junior Dalton Ribordy and senior Sam Guetterman had five a piece.

Louisburg will try and get a Frontier League win Friday when it hosts De Soto for homecoming. Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m.

“If we come out and set the tempo then good things are going to happen,” Nelson said. “If we are too reactive then we leave ourselves open to bad things happening. These kids know how to do it, we just have to be consistent and play through adversity.”

LOU               11           16           10           22 – 59

FRON            14           15           20           22 – 71

LOUISBURG (3-5): Jayce Geiman 17, Grant Harding 16, Desmond Doles 8, Sam Guetterman 6, T.J Dover 6, Dalton Stone 3, Dalton Ribordy 2. Totals: 20-62 12-20 59. 3-point field goals: 6, (Geiman 5, Stone)

Louisburg senior Sam Guetterman saves the ball from going out of bounds Friday against Baldwin. The Wildcats defeated Baldwin on the road with a 68-58 victory.

BALDWIN CITY – Playing back-to-back games against the top two teams in the Frontier League gave the Louisburg boys basketball team some perspective going into the holiday break.

The Wildcats had a chance to right those wrongs in practice from those two losses against state-ranked Eudora and Ottawa, and learn from their mistakes to prepare them for the grind of the next two months.

The first challenge was against Baldwin on the road Friday and the Wildcats passed it with flying colors. Despite a late charge from the Bulldogs, Louisburg held on for a 68-58 win to snap that two-game losing streak and win its first Frontier League contest.

“They boys were fantastic,” Louisburg coach Jason Nelson said of his team. “Defensively, we were fantastic. Offensively, we asserted ourselves really, really well. To Baldwin’s credit, they got hot at the end and couldn’t miss, but to our kids’ credit, they responded. Free throws really won the game for us, which is an anomaly for us, but shows progress.”

Louisburg was able to overcome a hot-shooting fourth quarter from the Bulldogs after building a 17-point lead to end the third. Baldwin scored 24 points thanks to five 3-pointers in the fourth, but the Wildcats won the game at the free-throw line and on the boards.

The Wildcats (3-4) converted on just 16 of 31 from the free-throw line, but hit several down the stretch the keep the lead at double digits.

Louisburg also did work on the glass. The Wildcats got three offensive rebounds off missed free throws in the final three minutes thanks to junior Dalton Ribordy and senior Dalton Stone that gave Louisburg more chances at the line.

“It was a nine-point game and you could feel the momentum start to switch, but those offensive rebounds by Ribordy and Stone were huge,” Nelson said. “All that momentum then went back to us. We built a big lead up and we knew Baldwin was streaky and was a scrappy team, but we were able to hold on and the guys never panicked.”

Offensively, the Wildcats were efficient most of the night as they had four players score in double figures, despite having to deal with some early foul trouble. Senior Grant Harding led all scorers with 22 points as he was able get to the free-throw line several times in the fourth quarter.

Dalton Stone goes in for a layup Friday against Baldwin at Baldwin High School.

Senior forward T.J. Dover, who was saddled with two quick fouls to start the game, came alive in the third quarter as he scored 12 of his 16 points in the frame. Senior guard Jayce Geiman helped get the Wildcats off to a good start as he scored 10 of his 15 points in the first half and fellow senior Sam Guetterman also had a good night with 10 points.

“Our ball movement was fantastic,” Nelson said. “I don’t think that we forced much of anything. We had two-and-half weeks over break to kind of beat up on each other, and we focused on moving the ball around and getting the open shot and not just settling. Hopefully this game will give them some confidence moving forward.”

The Wildcats opened the game on a 7-0 run on baskets from Dover, Guetterman and a 3-pointer from Geiman. Baldwin eventually cut the lead to 10-7, but Harding knocked down a basket, was fouled and converted the 3-point play at the free-throw line.

Harding then stole a Baldwin pass two possessions later for a dunk and a 15-7 Louisburg advantage. The Wildcats then hunkered down defensively as they held Baldwin to just four points in the second quarter and eventually took a 29-16 halftime lead.

Louisburg built a 20-point lead late in the third quarter that was challenged by the Bulldogs. Baldwin, which hit 12 3-pointers in the contest, connected on five in the fourth quarter alone.

Baldwin eventually cut the lead to nine points with under three minutes left in the game, but the Wildcats kept the Bulldogs at bay from the free-throw line.

“They wouldn’t die,” Nelson said of Baldwin. “We were denying the ball and they just seemed to make everything. I think that was the best thing about this win is we were able to overcome the storm and stay with the game plan. The boys reaped the rewards of what we have been working on.”

Louisburg returns to action with a pair of home games this week. The Wildcats will host Frontenac on Tuesday and then will play De Soto on Friday for homecoming.

LOU               15           14           22           17 – 68

BAL                12           4             18           24 – 58

LOUISBURG (3-4): Grant Harding 22, T.J. Dover 16, Jayce Geiman 15, Sam Guetterman 10, Dalton Stone 2, Dalton Ribordy 2, Jake Hill 1. Totals: 27 16-31 68. 3-point field goals: 3, (Geiman 3)

Louisburg sophomore Kennia Hankinson dives on the floor for a loose ball with a Baldwin player Friday at Baldwin High School. The Lady Cats fell to the No. 4 ranked Bulldogs, 65-26.

BALDWIN CITY – Just a month ago, the Louisburg girls basketball team played state-ranked Baldwin to a six-point game.

At the time, it was a step in the right direction for the Lady Cats.

The two teams saw each other again Friday when Louisburg traveled to Baldwin in its first game back from the holiday break.

It was a totally different contest.

Baldwin, the No. 4 team in Class 4A-Division I, jumped on the Lady Cats early and handed Louisburg a 65-26 loss. It was the first Frontier League loss for the Lady Cats and ended a three-game winning streak.

“It was a different Louisburg team this time around,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “It was that as much as anything. We have some things we need to work on. We are going to get back at it in practice. We have two home games this week and we are going to get back to work. We know this is a process and journey. Baldwin is a really good team, but they didn’t get our best shot.”

Baldwin asserted itself early as it used a full-court press to force several first half turnovers and quick shots. The Lady Cats (3-4) also dealt with foul problems as they were never able to get in any kind of rhythm.

Following a Madisen Simpson 3-pointer that tied the game early in the first quarter, the Bulldogs went on a 19-4 run to take 17-point lead and the Lady Cats were unable to get much closer.

“I think a lot of it was just confidence for us,” Lowry said. “It was mentally more than anything. We had a hard time with their press and our defense wasn’t that great. We just need to get back at it in practice and get better.”

Simpson led Louisburg in scoring with eight points, while senior Paige Buffington and sophomore Kennia Hankinson scored six and five points, respectively. Sophomore Carson Buffington finished with a team-high eight rebounds.

Baldwin’s Abby Ogle led all scorers with 23 points.

Louisburg returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Frontenac and then will play its second home game Friday when it faces off with De Soto for homecoming. Tipoff for both games is set for approximately 6 p.m.

LOU               7             8             7             4 – 26

BAL                22           18           23           2 – 65

LOUISBURG (3-4): Madisen Simpson 8, Paige Buffington 6, Kennia Hankinson 5, Isabelle Holtzen 3, Chloe Renner 3, Emalee Overbay 1. Totals: 7-32 9-21 26. 3-point field goals: 3, (Simpson 2, Hankinson)

Louisburg senior Sam Guetterman battles for a rebound during Monday’s league contest in Ottawa. The Wildcats fell to the Cyclones, 61-36, in their final game before the holiday break.

OTTAWA – For one quarter, the Louisburg High School boys basketball team stayed right with the No. 3 team in the state.

From there, Ottawa showed why it was ranked in the top half of Class 4A-Division I.

Ottawa used a big second quarter and handed Louisburg its second straight loss, 61-36, in its final game before the holiday break. The Cyclones outscored the Wildcats 17-4 before halftime and Louisburg was forced to play catch up for most of the game.

Louisburg and Ottawa found themselves in a back-and-forth first period that saw Ottawa take 15-13 advantage.

“The first quarter we were proactive and we set our tempo and good things happened,” Louisburg coach Jason Nelson said. “Then after that, a couple little things happened and everything changed. It is on me to get them in better position and have a better reaction to adversity. We burned a timeout and we talked about it, but it didn’t work.

“We saw against two of the best teams in our league that when we are proactive, and not reactive, then we are good. These boys want to be good and now we have two weeks to work on asserting ourselves for 32 minutes.”

The Wildcats (2-4) had a tough time stopping the Cyclone combination of Isaac McCullough and Perry Carroll, who combined for 42 of Ottawa’s 61 points. McCullough led all scorers with 23 points, including five 3-pointers. Carroll shot 9 for 11 from the field for 19 points.

“We let them get hot,” Nelson said. “But there were times where McCullough hit so many contested threes and I thought our defense was pretty good on most of them. When they get points like that, you just have to tip your hat to them.”

Louisburg senior Jayce Geiman led the Wildcats in scoring with 13 points, while fellow seniors T.J. Dover and Sam Guetterman scored eight and seven points, respectively. Junior Dalton Ribordy led Louisburg with four rebounds.

The Wildcats hope to stop their losing skid when they return from the holiday break on Jan. 6 when they travel to Baldwin. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU               13           4             12           7 – 36

OTT               15           17           21           8 – 61

LOUISBURG (2-4): Jayce Geiman 13, T.J. Dover 8, Sam Guetterman 7, Grant Harding 4, Jake Hill 2, Dalton Ribordy 2. Totals: 15-36 2-4 36. 3-point field goals: 4, (Geiman 3, Guetterman)

Louisburg senior Tayler Lancaster tries to drive around an Ottawa defender during the Lady Cats’ game Monday in Ottawa. The Lady Cats defeated the Cyclones 55-40.

OTTAWA – Madisen Simpson had the type of scoring night only a handful players in Louisburg girls basketball history can relate to.

During Monday’s game in Ottawa, Simpson exploded for a career-high 28 points, including 6-for-8 from 3-point range and the Cyclones didn’t have an answer for the Louisburg senior guard.

More importantly, Simpson’s scoring output helped give the Lady Cats a big boost in their 55-40 win over Ottawa. It was the third straight victory for Louisburg as it heads into the holiday break with a 3-3 record and a 2-0 mark in the Frontier League.

As big as Simpson was for the Lady Cats, it was their defense that propelled them to a fast start as they finished with 15 steals on the night as they kept Ottawa at arm’s length, despite a slow second quarter.

“I challenged some of the seniors at halftime and their response was great,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “They responded like you would have hoped they would. I am really proud of them. I think the thing you are seeing too is that it is a collective effort. Madisen had a great night, obviously, but other girls did good things defensively and rebounding so it was a good team win.”

Louisburg jumped out to a quick start as it took a 21-11 lead into the second quarter, and from there, the Lady Cats had a tough time keeping that same momentum going to finish the half as Ottawa outscored them 9-6.

Louisburg senior Madisen Simpson goes up for two of her game-high 28 points Monday in Ottawa.

The Lady Cats still took a 27-20 lead into halftime, but Lowry wanted to see more and the team responded to his challenge.

“We really came out strong,” Simpson said. “Our defense was high-intensity to start the game, but once the second quarter started we dropped a little bit. We got into a little bit of foul trouble, but we were able to pick it back up and worked hard as a team. Even when the younger players came in at the end, they finished it for us and it really was a good win.”

The players seemed to take to heart whatever their coach said as Louisburg went on to outscore Ottawa 16-8 in the third quarter to go up by double digits and all but seal the win over the Cyclones.

As much as Simpson helped the Lady Cats in the scoring department, she also performed on the defensive end. Simpson, along with sophomore Carson Buffington and senior Tayler Lancaster, led the team with four steals each.

Senior Paige Buffington and junior Isabelle Holtzen also provided a lot of defensive pressure on the perimeter.

“Madisen has taken that point guard role on for us this year and she has not missed a beat there for us,” Lowry said. “However for her, it all starts defensively. When she came in as a freshman, I challenged her a lot. I knew she wanted to be an offensive player, but I am so proud of the defensive player that she is. Yes, she had 28, but her defense is what I am most proud of.

“I thought Paige was really solid too, and she wasn’t feeling really well, but that is why she is a captain for us. She will give whatever her team needs her to give, even when she is not feeling great. Proud of her for that.”

Lancaster almost reached double digits in scoring with nine points, while Carson Buffington led the Lady Cats with eight rebounds and senior Chloe Renner added five.

The win provided the Lady Cats with a big boost heading into the holiday break. They have already matched their win total from a season ago and are looking for several more wins in the season’s final two months.

“I knew that we were going to be better than last year with all the hard work we put in during the preseason and commitment week,” Simpson said. “I didn’t think that our defensive intensity would be this high, this soon. Our defense is absolutely amazing right now, and as we go further into the season, I can’t imagine what it is going to be like later on.”

Louisburg returns to action on Jan. 6 when it travels to Baldwin. Tipoff for the girls game is set for 6 p.m.

LOU               21           6             16           12 – 55

OTT               11           9             8             12 – 40

LOUISBURG (3-3): Madisen Simpson 28, Tayler Lancaster 9, Haley Cain 6, Paige Buffington 4, Isabelle Holtzen 3, Chloe Renner 3, Carson Buffington 2. Totals: 22-48 4-10 55. 3-point field goals: 7, (Simpson 6, Lancaster)

Louisburg junior Dalton Ribordy puts up a shot over a couple Eudora defenders Tuesday at Louisburg High School. Ribordy finished with eight points in Louisburg’s 64-49 loss.

For the first 16 minutes, the Louisburg boys basketball team stayed right with state-ranked Eudora and even took a halftime lead.

The next 16 were a different story.

Eudora doubled up Louisburg in the third quarter and the No. 7 Cardinals spoiled the Wildcats’ home opener Tuesday and handed Louisburg a 64-49 loss at Louisburg High School.

The two teams battled back and forth at each other in the first half, but Louisburg took a four-point halftime lead and were able execute offensively. In the second half, Eudora made some adjustments and outscored the Wildcats 38-19 to pull away for the win.

“The first half we came out and were assertive,” Louisburg coach Jason Nelson said. “We executed the game plan that we have been working on. We cut hard, we got position, we worked inside-out and got the posts involved with what we were trying to do.

“The second half we deviated away from it a little bit, took a timeout and got a little better, but we never got into a flow like we did in the first half. They started sagging on us a little more, but we still need to play an inside-out game.”

Senior Jayce Geiman pulls up for jumper Tuesday against Eudora.

Louisburg had a tough defensive assignment most of the night as the Wildcats had to keep an eye on Eudora’s Mitchell Ballock. The Cardinal senior, and Creighton University commit, led all scorers with 20 points.

Ballock scored eight of those points in the first quarter and then added a 3-pointer early in the second quarter to give Eudora a one point advantage. Louisburg senior Grant Harding had the assignment of guarding him early, but the calls didn’t go his way as he picked up his third foul with four minutes left in the first half.

“I thought Grant did a pretty good job on him early, but with the foul trouble we had to change some things up defensively,” Nelson said. “He is a good player, but I thought we were able to slow him down a little.”

The Wildcats (2-3) got off to a fast start as they took an early 9-3 lead on a 3-pointer from Harding, a pair of baskets from junior Dalton Ribordy and a reverse layup from senior Sam Guetterman.

Eudora went on a 14-6 run to take a 17-15 lead late in the quarter, but senior T.J. Dover tied it at 17-all and junior Ben Minster put the Wildcats on top with 45 seconds left in the period.

In the second quarter, the Wildcats went on a mini 7-0 run on back-to-back baskets from senior Jake Hill and a 3-pointer from senior Jayce Geiman to take a 30-22 lead with two minutes left in the half. Eudora hit a pair of baskets, but the Wildcats still led by four at halftime.

The Cardinals were more aggressive to start the second half and outscored Louisburg 20-8 in the third quarter. Eudora did a lot of its damage from the free-throw line as it converted 9 of 9 opportunities in the frame.

“We were putting them on the line and I think we were a half-a-step slow on defense occasionally,” Nelson said. “At the same time, we just didn’t execute. We knew what we had to do, but we didn’t get it done. I think it is all a part of going through a long season and learning from your mistakes.”

Eudora took a 46-38 lead into the fourth, but the Wildcats weren’t able to get any closer. The Cardinals opened the fourth on a 12-3 run to seal the win.

Harding was one two Wildcats in double figures as he led Louisburg with 12 points and Geiman added 10 in the loss. Ribordy and Guetterman each finished with eight, while Guetterman led Louisburg with seven rebounds on the night.

Louisburg will try and bounce back tonight, but it will be against another state-ranked team. The Wildcats will travel to No. 3 Ottawa to continue Frontier League play in their final game before the holiday break.

“These are the two of the best teams in the state and why not see where we are at,” Nelson said of Ottawa and Eudora. “Ottawa has good players, so we will see what we can do. It will be a tough test for us.”

LOU               19           11           8             11 – 49

EUD               17           9             20           18 – 64

LOUISBURG (2-3): Grant Harding 12, Jayce Geiman 10, Sam Guetterman 8, Dalton Ribordy 8, Ben Minster 5, Jake Hill 4, T.J. Dover 2. Totals: 19-44 8-14 49. 3-point field goals: 3, (Geiman 2, Harding)

Louisburg senior Madisen Simpson puts up a shot in the lane during Tuesday’s home opener against Eudora. The Lady Cats scored 19 unanswered points to open the game and ran away for 43-23 win. 

It was a rough fourth quarter Tuesday as the Louisburg girls basketball team failed to score in the game’s final eight minutes.

For most teams that would spell doom and gloom, but not Louisburg. Even after that rough patch, the Lady Cats still won – and they did it comfortably.

That should tell you about all you need to know as Louisburg dominated Eudora 43-23 in its home opener at Louisburg High School. The Lady Cats scored 19 unanswered points to jump out to a big lead to start the game and captured their second consecutive win in the process.

“Defense really set the tone for the game and our offense kind of fed off that, especially early,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “The girls have challenged each other hard at practice and we played well.

“It was just a great effort. We were on the floor getting all the loose balls and I think that is our identity. We found that out early on and we are going to have to be a team that fights for every loose ball. We are going to have to be disciplined about how we rebound the ball and how we defend.”

Louisburg senior Chloe Renner goes up for two points Tuesday against Eudora.

Defensively, the Lady Cats (2-3) smothered the Eudora offense as they held the Cardinals scoreless for more than eight minutes and Eudora didn’t score its first field goal until 47 seconds left in the first half.

Louisburg was active defensively most of the night and tallied 12 steals as a team. Five of those steals came from guard Isabelle Holtzen as the Lady Cat junior was one of several players to turn up the pressure on the perimeter.

“They really responded,” Lowry said of his team “After the tournament last week, they responded about some of the things I talked to them about defensively. I think they saw some sparks of that in some of the games that we played in before, and our practices since then have been preparing to do this kind of defensive work and they really embraced that. It is another step for us to become the team that we know we can be later this year.

“I thought Isabelle really sparked us defensively. “She is such a scrappy kid and she is one of the kids that you love to have around because she is going to battle for everything.”

Senior Tayler Lancaster opened the game with five consecutive points to help build a 7-0 lead and senior Madisen Simpson finished the first quarter with seven points to put Louisburg up 19-0.

Free throws from senior Chloe Renner and a basket from senior Paige Buffington gave Louisburg a 20-point advantage to start the second quarter. Holtzen had a steal and a score and Simpson followed with five straight points to put the Lady Cats up 29-2 right before halftime.

Louisburg put together a 43-12 lead going into the fourth quarter and eventually forced a running clock. The Lady Cats also performed well from the free-throw line as they converted 15 of 20 opportunities.

Simpson led the Lady Cats in scoring with 14 points and Holtzen was next on the team with seven points to go along with her five steals. Buffington, Renner and Lancaster all finished with six points.

Sophomore Carson Buffington led Louisburg with seven rebounds and freshman Haley Cain added five.

“We have kids that are growing up and doing more,” Lowry said. “Chloe is starting to feel more comfortable and more confident. You can see that in her play and defensively is where it started for her. Haley is a freshman, and she is still trying to figure out the high school game, but she is getting things as well.”

Louisburg will try for its third consecutive win today when it travels to Ottawa for its final game before the holiday break. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

LOU               19           10           14           0 – 43

EUD               0             5             7             11 – 23

LOUISBURG (2-3): Madisen Simpson 14, Isabelle Holtzen 7, Tayler Lancaster 6, Paige Buffington 6, Chloe Renner 6, Carson Buffington 4. Totals: 12-33 15-20 43. 3-point field goals: 4, (Simpson 2, Holtzen, Lancaster)

Louisburg freshman Haley Cain battles for a rebound during the final game of the Wildcat-Bulldog Classic against Anderson County at Burlington Middle School. Cain and sophomore Carson Buffington led the Lady Cats with seven rebounds each.

BURLINGTON – Louisburg girls basketball coach Shawn Lowry has seen some sort of improvement from his team every time the Lady Cats hit the floor.

They just haven’t had much to show for it – that was until Friday.

Louisburg faced off with Anderson County in the final game of the Wildcat-Bulldog Classic in Burlington and the Lady Cats got their first notch in the win column. The Lady Cats defeated Anderson County 46-34 to snap a three-game losing streak to start the season – a season that began by playing two state-ranked teams and a Class 5A program.

“We are currently building and we aren’t the team that we are going to be midway through the season and we aren’t the team we are going to be at the end of the year,” Lowry said. “We have a lot of growth to do yet, and I think the girls recognize that, but what I do love is how they are playing. The way they are getting on the floor for loose balls, the way they are defending and rebounding for the most part.”

The Lady Cats (1-3) had to do a lot of dirty work against an Anderson County team that wanted to slow down the pace of the game and the Bulldogs made it difficult for them to get in a rhythm offensively.

Louisburg won the game thanks to hustle plays and big baskets from seniors Madisen Simpson and Paige Buffington. Simpson, who scored a game-high 17 points, connected on three 3-pointers and came up with big baskets to stop an Anderson County run.

Buffington and fellow senior Tayler Lancaster were also big as they finished with nine and eight points, respectively.

“All of the girls are embracing their roles and that is really cool to see as a coach,” Lowry said. “We have some good senior leadership, and when there is adversity, they are going to step up. I don’t have any doubt in that.

“The others are going to follow their lead, and they are leading by what they are doing, and not what they are saying. You see girls like Paige, Tayler and (junior) Isabelle Holtzen diving for loose balls and that is great to see.”

Anderson County got off to a quick start with a 4-0 lead to start the game, but the Lady Cats took control of the game after that with an 18-6 run that carried over into the second quarter that started thanks to a couple quick baskets from senior Chloe Renner.

Senior Madisen Simpson draws a foul as she goes up for a shot during Friday’s contest against Anderson County.

Simpson tied the game at the end of the first quarter with a steal and a score, and then gave the Lady Cats the lead with a pair of free throws. Simpson then hit a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter, while Buffington converted on a 3-point play to help Louisburg to a 27-19 lead at halftime.

The Bulldogs cut the Louisburg lead to five points early in the third quarter, but would get no closer. Along with a few baskets down the stretch, the Lady Cats made their living at the free-throw line as they converted 18 of 31 for the game.

“I knew Anderson County was going to make it tough and that they were going to make it a sloppy dogfight and that is what it was,” Lowry said. “We talked about that going into the game. The good thing about that is that we can play that way. We can play several different styles. The girls were really excited to get the win, though.”

Although they didn’t have a big scoring line, the Lady Cats had a nice rebounding game from three players. Sophomore Carson Buffington and freshman Haley Cain had seven rebounds to lead Louisburg and senior Emalee Overbay had six in the win.

Junior Isabelle Holtzen also played well defensively with a team-high four steals and Simpson added three.

Louisburg will leave tournament play behind and get started in Frontier League play beginning Tuesday when it hosts Eudora for its home opener. The Lady Cats will then hit the road again next Monday to play Ottawa before taking a break for the holidays.

“After getting a chance to play Baldwin the other night in this tournament, we are ready to get league play started,” Lowry said. “More importantly, we are ready to play at home. We want to play in front of our crowd and fans and we are excited for that as much as anything.”

LOU               12           15           8             11 – 46

AC                  10           9             8             7 – 34

LOUISBURG (1-3): Madisen Simpson 17, Paige Buffington 9, Tayler Lancaster 8, Chloe Renner 4, Carson Buffington 3, Haley Cain 2, Emalee Overbay 2, Ryan Caldwell 1. Totals: 12-41 18-31 46. 3-point field goals: 4, (Simpson 3, Lancaster)