Louisburg freshman Kennia Hankinson drives to the basket during Friday’s road contest in Ottawa. Hankinson led the Lady Cats with 16 points, but Louisburg fell to the Cyclones despite a season-high 54 points.

OTTAWA – It was the highest scoring output the Louisburg girls basketball team had posted all year.

The Lady Cats connected on 18 field goals Friday against Ottawa, including 12 3-pointers, which was 10 more points than it had scored all season. As impressive as those numbers were, Ottawa had the stat of the night.

The Cyclones converted on 26 of 35 free-throw attempts, which was good enough to get past Louisburg in a 64-54 victory as the Lady Cats nearly pulled off the road upset at Ottawa High School.

“It was a really good free-throw shooting night for them,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “I can’t say anything about the officiating, but it is what it is. A lot of credit to Ottawa to step up and hit those free throws like that. We put them on the line, but they made them. It made it really tough for us to get back in the game.”

Ottawa hit a bulk of its free throws in the fourth quarter as Louisburg tried to make a run to get back in it. The Cyclones made 16 of 21 free throws in the final period, which all but sealed the win.

It was the Lady Cats’ long range game that kept them in it. The 12 3-pointers were a season-high for Louisburg and it helped them take a lead in the second quarter.

Freshman Kennia Hankinson opened the second with back-to-back 3-pointers, and after a pair of free throws from senior Megan Lemke and a 3-pointer from Paige Buffington, the Lady Cats had a 22-16 lead with five minutes left in the first half.

However, Ottawa would go on a 9-2 run to end the quarter and take a 25-24 advantage into halftime. Five of those nine points came from the free-throw line.

The Cyclones kept the momentum to start the third quarter as it built a double-digit lead. Junior Madisen Simpson kept the Lady Cats close as she scored all seven of the team’s point in the frame, but Ottawa took a 40-31 lead into the fourth.

Isabelle Holtzen rises up for a shot Friday during the Lady Cats’ league game in Ottawa.

The Lady Cats (3-13) made one final run at it as Hankinson and Simpson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the quarter and cut the Cyclone lead the lead to five. However, Ottawa went on an 8-0 run and Louisburg could get no closer.

“Scoring wise, I thought it was pretty good,” Lowry said. “They have some nice players and we had some breakdowns defensively. We also have some kids that aren’t 100 percent right now, and everyone is dealing with this, not just our team. I liked a lot of stuff that the girls did, though.”

Hankinson, who had missed several games with an illness, quickly regained her shooting form in her first game back. She connected on five 3-pointers and tied a team-high with 16 points to go along with six rebounds.

Simpson made four 3-pointers and also finished with 16 points for the Lady Cats. Lemke added nine points and seven rebounds, while freshman Carson Buffington had seven points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

“We had four days to prepare for this one and we got a lot of shooting in this week,” Lowry said. “I was glad to see the girls step up and hit those shots.”

Louisburg will have another tough test Tuesday when it hosts Baldwin, the No. 5 team in Class 4A, Division II, for its first of three consecutive home games. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

LOUISBURG                11           13           7             23 – 54

OTTAWA                     14           11           15           24 – 64

LOUISBURG (3-13): Madisen Simpson 6-21 0-2 16; Kennia Hankinson 5-11 1-2 16; Megan Lemke 2-7 4-4 9; Carson Buffington 3-4 1-1 7; Paige Buffington 2-11 0-0 6. Totals: 18-59 6-9 54. 3-point field goals: 12, (Hankinson 5, Simpson 4, P. Buffington 2, Lemke)

Louisburg junior coaches (from left) Sienna Finch, Kenna Cooley, Jenna Cauthon and Megan Quinn pose with the Louisburg girls basketball team in the locker room Friday following their homecoming victory over Eudora.

In the life of a high school athlete, there never seems to be enough time to do everything.

After a full day of school, there is practice, then back home for dinner and homework – or in some cases it is off to a part-time job. Then you get up and start it all over again.

It is a vicious cycle.

But for the Louisburg High School girls basketball team, the players have given up some of that precious time to give back to the Louisburg community.

Whether it was a trip to a skilled nursing facility to help put up Christmas decorations or talking to a group of elementary school girls, the Lady Cat players and coaches want to make sure they are seen more than in just a gymnasium.

“What’s great about the kids in our program, school and community is that they genuinely care about helping others and take a great deal of pride in doing it together,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said.

The Lady Cats’ most recent activity was on Feb. 2 when they met with the fourth-grade girls at Broadmoor Elementary School. Lowry asked his players to prepare presentations to give to the students.

Lady Cat players (from left) Megan Roy, Paige Buffington and Mikayla Quinn teach a group of fourth-graders the LHS fight song on Feb. 2 at Broadmoor Elementary School.

The presentations included what their game days are like and what it means to be a part of a team. Lowry wanted his players to tell the girls what playing basketball meant to them and what it was like to be a Lady Cat.

They also taught the fourth-graders the school fight song and signed autographs as the players handed out their own playing cards.

“It was such an eye opening day because I realized how badly I want to go back and do it all over again as a fourth grader looking to the future,” senior Megan Lemke said. “I loved visiting with them, answering their questions and giving them motivation to commit to basketball. I love the legacy Lady Cat basketball has built.”

The day wasn’t done as the players picked a student from each fourth-grade class to serve as a junior coach for last Friday’s homecoming game against Eudora. Jenna Cauthon, Sienna Finch, Kenna Cooley and Megan Quinn were selected to sit behind the bench during the game.

Life as a junior coach was a busy one as all four girls went into the locker room before the game and they stood with the team captains during the official’s meeting. They were then introduced before the game and stood in the team circle as the starters were announced.

As luck would have it, the junior coaches also got to go into the locker room following the contest and celebrate after the Lady Cats’ 27-25 win. The final step was to go out with Lowry for the post-game interview with the media.

“The best part was watching them come together as a team and get a win,” Quinn said.

“I really liked that they showed a lot of teamwork,” Cooley added.

Although everyone was happy about the win, the team will always remember the celebration in the locker room.

“Having the junior coaches with us was very special and I don’t think any of us will soon forget the smiles on their faces in our locker room after the game,” Lowry said.

“This was a really great experience for our girls and they had a blast doing it. I was impressed with how attentive and interactive the fourth-grade girls were and what a great job our girls did with them. This process also helped our girls better understand my comments about those young girls that watch them to see how they act because they want to be them when they get to high school.”

Speaking to elementary students was just one of a few different things the Lady Cats have done this past two months.

The LHS girls basketball team poses together after they helped decorate Louisburg Healthcare and Rehab for Christmas in December.

Around the holidays, the team made the trip to Louisburg Healthcare and Rehab to put up Christmas decorations and visit with residents. In January, the Lady Cats also helped run the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest.

“Giving back to the community brings us closer to each other and closer to the people who live in Louisburg,” Lemke said. “When we put up decorations at the nursing home we get to bond as teammates and visit with the residents. It makes us all grateful to be able to help.”

Although the Lady Cats didn’t realize it at the time, they would get rewarded for their efforts later. On Thursday, the team was informed that it was chosen as the KCTV5 and Hy-Vee Team of the Week.

The Kansas City television station taped the short award ceremony later that afternoon to the excitement of everyone on the team.

The LHS girls basketball team lets out a scream Thursday when they were presented with the Hy-Vee Team of the Week award.

It was quite the week for the Lady Cats. One that started talking with a gym full of fourth-grade girls, then received an award, picked up a big win Friday with the help of their four junior coaches and then watched as their teammate, Megan Roy, was crowned as homecoming queen.

Even if they didn’t get the team honor earlier in the week, the Lady Cats realized they have already been rewarded – and then some.

“I think it’s very important to give back because it shows that being a team player goes beyond the court,” Lemke said. “We get to apply our hard work and dedication by giving back to others. Then we get to share those memories together.”

Louisburg guard Jacob Welsh passes off to teammate Ben Minster under the basket during Friday’s homecoming game against Eudora. The Wildcats fell to Eudora 66-30.

The Louisburg boys basketball team tried to slow down the pace against a high-powered Eudora offense Friday, and early on, it seemed to work.

After the first quarter, however, it didn’t quite go as planned.

Louisburg, which trailed by six points at the end of the first quarter, allowed 29 second quarter points to the Cardinals and the Wildcats ended up with a 66-30 loss on homecoming. It was also the sixth loss in a row for Louisburg.

“Until we start doing things that we are supposed to do, things that we work on every day in practice, it is going to be like this,” Louisburg coach Jason Nelson said. “What we see in practice is different than what we see in games and that mentality has to carry over and it hasn’t for some reason.”

The Wildcats (6-9) made it difficult on the Cardinals early as they forced the ball inside on offense and were able to get to the free-throw line. In fact, Louisburg went to the line 12 times in the first quarter and found themselves in the bonus four minutes into the contest.

Louisburg junior Jayce Geiman goes up for a shot during Friday’s game against Eudora.

Although Louisburg didn’t have a field goal in the first quarter, it trailed only 14-8 going into the second period. However the lack of offense, seven turnovers and confident Eudora team made for a tough way to end the first half for the Wildcats

“They are such a good group of kids and they want to be good, but it is about sticking to the game plan,” Nelson said. “We talk about controlling the tempo and attacking. We did that. They had seven fouls and we were shooting free throws in the first quarter. We were slowing them down and that is what we wanted. For some reason, we deviated from it and it just kind of snowballed.”

Eudora hit four 3-pointers on consecutive possessions at one point during the second quarter, which led to a 13-0 run by the Cardinals that gave them a 43-16 halftime lead. It was a lead the Wildcats couldn’t overcome.

Junior Grant Harding led the Wildcats in scoring with eight points and junior Jayce Geiman finished with a team-high five rebounds in the loss.

“We have been focusing on getting the ball inside more and running an inside-out game,” Nelson said. “When we do it, and when we are assertive with it, it works well. When we deviate from that, it kind of spirals out of control. It is not physical because these kids work harder than any group of kids that I have had, but we have to keep doing what we know how to do and not get away from that.”

The Wildcats will try and stop their losing streak Friday when they travel to Ottawa. Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m.

LOUISBURG                8             8             7             7 – 30

EUDORA                      14           29           12           11 – 66

LOUISBURG (6-9): Grant Harding 3-9 1-2 8; Alex Dunn 2-2 2-2 6; T.J. Dover 1-4 4-6 6; Jacob Welsh 2-3 0-0 4; Jake Hill 1-2 1-2 3; Dalton Ribordy 0-0 2-2 2; Jayce Geiman 0-7 1-2 1. Totals: 9-33 11-16 30. 3-point field goals: 1, (Harding)

Louisburg freshman Carson Buffington gets on the floor for a loose ball Friday during the Lady Cats’ homecoming game against Eudora at Louisburg High School. Buffington pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds in the 27-25 win.

Homecoming week always presents its fair share of distractions for coaches and players alike.

For the Louisburg High School girls basketball team, however, most of those distractions turned out to be good ones. Whether it was teaching a group of fourth-graders, winning an award or supporting teammate Megan Roy for homecoming queen, it was a week full of positives.

Those positives continued Friday night as the Lady Cats ended a memorable few days with a 27-25 victory over Eudora at Louisburg High School. The win also provided the Lady Cats with their second win in a week.

“It has been a great week,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “Just everything that the girls have done and gone through this week, and with it being homecoming, it was great to see them get a win. You could definitely tell it was homecoming this week with the way the game started out, but it is not always how you script it out to be. The girls played well, different girls stepped up and they are excited about the win.”

It was a rocky start for both teams, at least offensively. The two teams combined for six points in the first quarter and Louisburg took a two-point lead into the second.

In fact, the Lady Cats (3-12) held a two-point advantage for much of the contest and had the lead for all but one possession. Louisburg extended its lead on different occasions, but Eudora always narrowed the gap.

The Louisburg bench leaps into the air with excitement as the buzzer sounds in the Lady Cats’ 27-25 win over Eudora.

Louisburg played with a bend, but don’t break mentality.

“We stepped up defensively when we needed to and we took care of the ball when we needed to,” Lowry said. “That was good to see us close out a game like that.”

The Lady Cats opened the second quarter on an 8-2 run thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers from Madisen Simpson and Paige Buffington, and Carson Buffington added another basket to push the lead to 12-4.

Eudora went on a 6-0 run of its own to end the half and the Lady Cats took a 12-10 lead at halftime.

Paige Buffington began the second half with a 3-pointer, but the Cardinals went on another mini 5-0 run to tie the game. Simpson broke the tie with a 3-pointer and Megan Lemke added a basket to widen the lead out to four points.

In times when shots weren’t falling, the Lady Cats got a boost of energy from forward Carson Buffington. The Louisburg freshman racked up a lot of hustle points as she pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds and kept several possessions alive.

“It feels really good because we put a lot of hard work and effort into it and it feels awesome to get a win,” Carson said. “We came out in the second half and gave it our all. We really pushed and it worked out for us.”

Louisburg junior Emalee Overbay leaps for a rebound during Friday’s homecoming game against Eudora.

Lowry saw a lot of good things out of Carson, who has racked up double-digit rebound totals in nearly every game this season.

“I thought a spark for us was Carson,” Lowry said. “Some of the things that she does is just amazing. She got several offensive rebounds and that was all from effort. She just comes flying out of nowhere to get those and she has been doing that all year.”

The fourth quarter was much of the same as the two teams traded baskets before the Lady Cats held off a late charge from the Cardinals to seal the win.

Simpson and Paige Buffington led the Lady Cats in scoring with eight points each and Carson added five points in the win. Junior Emalee Overbay pulled down five rebounds, while sophomore Isabelle Holtzen had a team-high three steals to help the Lady Cat defense.

The victory capped off what was as busy week for the Lady Cats, one that included a special award. On Thursday, the Lady Cats were honored with the KCTV5, Hy-Vee Team of the Week Award.

“I have enjoyed this group as much as any other group I have been around because of how hard they work together,” Lowry said. “They do it in practice and then they come out and do it in the game. This week was really great because of the character of these kids and they do everything that is asked of them. Coaches only hope they can coach a group of girls like what I have. I am very proud of them.”

LOUISBURG                4             8             10           5 – 27

EUDORA                      2             8             8             7 – 25

LOUISBURG (3-12): Madisen Simpson 2-9 2-3 8; Paige Buffington 3-6 0-1 8; Carson Buffington 2-4 1-2 5; Megan Lemke 1-5 0-0 2; Isabelle Holtzen 1-7 0-0 2; Emalee Overbay 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 10-34 3-6 27. 3-point field goals: 4, (Simpson 2, P. Buffington 2)

Wildcat junior Grant Harding passes the ball off to an open teammate during Louisburg’s home game with Paola on Tuesday at Louisburg High School. Harding finished with 19 points, but the Wildcats lost 65-39 to the No. 3 ranked Panthers.

For the first quarter, the Louisburg boys basketball team had it all going its way against No. 3 ranked Paola on Tuesday at Louisburg High School.

The Wildcats held a three-point lead going into the second quarter and the momentum on its home floor.

All that started to change – and quickly.

Paola went on a 16-2 run to start the second quarter and never looked back in a 65-39 victory over Louisburg. The Wildcats also lost their fifth in a row, but Louisburg coach Jason Nelson saw a lot of positives from his team.

“It was much better at times,” Nelson said. “We just played one of the top teams in the state, and if we would have played that way for the last week-and-a-half, we would be in a lot better spot than we are right now. We knew we couldn’t let them get hot and we did a good job contesting them in the first half, but they are a fantastic team.”

The Panthers won the battle underneath the basket as they had a decided advantage. Paola starters Mason McDow and Alex Wilson each stand at 6 feet, 7 inches, while reserve forward Tanner Moala stands at 6-5.

Louisburg junior Sam Guetterman pulls up for a jumper Tuesday during the Wildcats’s home game with Paola.

Louisburg tried different defenses to give Paola multiple looks, but in the end, the Panthers scored around the basket and got several second-chance opportunities.

“They are huge,” Nelson said. “We are smallish for the most part and I thought we handled it as best as we could. We couldn’t run zone for a prolonged period of time against them because they were going to find the weaknesses and exploit it. We were just trying to change up the zones and run some man defense mixed in.

“We were blocking out for the most part, and that is something we have been preaching in practice, but every single time that we didn’t – they exploited it.”

The Wildcats (6-8) got out to a fast start thanks to Grant Harding. The Louisburg junior scored 10 of his team-high 19 points in the first quarter and helped the Wildcats to a 13-7 lead.

Louisburg took a 15-12 lead into the second quarter, but Paola went on its 16-2 run to build an 11-point lead with four minutes left in the first half. Wildcat junior Sam Guetterman hit a pair of baskets to keep the deficit at single digits, but the Panthers went on a mini 7-2 run to take a 38-23 halftime lead.

Offensively, the Wildcats didn’t have enough left to rally from that big of a deficit. Louisburg managed just 16 second-half points.

Along with Harding’s 19 points and seven rebounds, junior T.J. Dover added eight points in the loss, while Guetterman added five rebounds.

The Wildcats will try and snap their losing streak tonight when they host Eudora for homecoming. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m., with the crowning of the king and queen set before the contest.

Nelson knows his team is going through a tough stretch at the moment, but he saw signs that they are starting to come around.

“Compared to where we have been it is a much better mentality,” Nelson said. “There are lots of things to work on obviously, and it is not going to get any easier with Eudora looming, but this game tested our moxie and we will see how we respond against Eudora.”

LOUISBURG                15           8             11           5 – 39

PAOLA                         12           26           14           13 – 65

LOUISBURG (6-8): Grant Harding 6-13 5-6 19; T.J. Dover 4-6 0-0 8; Sam Guetterman 2-5 1-2 5; Dalton Ribordy 2-2 1-3 5; Ben Minster 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 15-38 7-11 39. 3-point field goals: 2, (Harding 2)

Louisburg junior Paige Buffington drives past three Paola defenders to go up for a shot during Tuesday’s home contest against the Panthers. The Lady Cats fell 62-34 to the No. 5 ranked Panthers.

For the second time in a week, the Louisburg girls basketball team found itself against a top five team in the state.

The Lady Cats faced off with rival Paola, the No. 5 team in Class 4A-Division I, on Tuesday at Louisburg High School and decided to hang around for a while. Louisburg stayed within striking distance for the first three quarters, but the final one turned out to be too much to handle for the Lady Cats.

Paola held Louisburg to four points in the fourth quarter and the Lady Cats fell 62-34.

“We have been playing even-keeled or with no pressure for most of the season,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “We played a ranked team in Piper last week, and some other tough teams throughout the season, so we knew what to expect from Paola.

“I thought we rebounded the ball fairly well, but Paola hit some big shots in the fourth quarter and really widened that gap.”

Louisburg (2-12) tried to keep pace with Paola and did so through three quarters. Paola built a 10-2 lead early, but Louisburg junior Madisen Simpson hit a 3-pointer and freshman Carson Buffington hit two free throws to make it 10-7.

Louisburg senior Megan Lemke (right) dives for a loose ball Tuesday against Paola.

Paola got those points right back as Panther senior Morgan Laudan scored five points on back-to-back possessions to put them up 15-7.

Louisburg again cut the lead to six early in the second quarter on a basket from junior Emalee Overbay and two free throws from senior Megan Lemke. Paola answered with a 14-5 run to end the first half and take a 31-16 lead.

The Lady Cats came out with a vengeance to start the second half as they went on an 8-0 run. Simpson hit two 3-pointers in a minute and a half and Buffington added a basket to make it 31-24.

“At halftime, we just told the girls to take their shots and believe in them,” Lowry said. “We put the work in for those to start falling. I think it is just a mentality thing for the most part. The first three minutes of the third quarter for us is the most important part of the game so we want to get out and get after it.”

Like the two quarters before, however, Paola had an answer for every run with one of its own. The Panthers went on a 12-6 spurt to take a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter.

The run didn’t stop there.

Paola saw its outside shots start to fall and outscored the Lady Cats 19-4 in the final period to shore up the win. The Panthers connected on nine 3-pointers for the game.

“There are some really good shooters in that group,” Lowry said. “We tried to extend the zone a little bit to at least contest them, but eventually they were going to hit some of those and they did.”

Simpson led the Lady Cats in scoring with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Buffington added six points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds and junior Paige Buffington added five points in the loss.

Louisburg will try for a win today when it hosts Eudora for homecoming. The Lady Cats defeated Eudora earlier in the year for one of their two wins as they hope to sweep the series. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

LOUISBURG                7             9             14           4 – 34

PAOLA                         15           16           12           19 – 62

LOUISBURG (2-12): Madisen Simpson 4-17 2-3 14; Carson Buffington 2-4 2-2 6; Paige Buffington 2-10 0-1 5; Megan Lemke 1-6 2-2 4; Emalee Overbay 2-3 0-0 4; Ryan Caldwell 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 11-50 7-12 34. 3-point field goals: 5, (Simpson 4, P. Buffington 1)

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 and faculty alike. All of it is of course centered around the crowning of the 2016 winter king and queen. Eight students were selected as nominees and here are their names and profiles.

The crowning will take place on Friday inside the LHS gymnasium in between the varsity boys and girls games against Eudora. The boys game is scheduled to tip at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Cale Schneider

Cale is the son of Scott and Danna Schneider. Cale has been involved in soccer for four years, baseball for four years, Leo’s Club for two years, Spanish Club for two years and Math Club for one year. Cale is currently undecided on what college he will be attending, but he will major in civil engineering.

Makenzie Kallevig

Makenzie is the daughter of Eric and Kara Kallevig. Makenzie has been involved in volleyball for four years, track for four years, Letterman’s Club for three years, Leo’s Club for one year and basketball for one year. Makenzie plans to attend the University of Kansas and major in nursing with a minor in psychology.

Mitchell McLellan

Mitchell is the son of Wade and Angi McLellan. Mitchell has been involved in football for four years, basketball for four years and debate for one year. Mitchell plans to attend Hutchinson Community College to play football and then transfer to a four-year school and pursue a degree in law.

Makenzie Richardson

Makenzie is the daughter of Kelly and Mary Margaret Richardson. Makenzie has been involved in Student Council for three years, Letterman’s Club for three years, SADD for three years, National Honor Society for two years, volleyball for two years, cheerleading for one year and FCA for one year. Makenzie plans to attend Kansas State University and pursue a degree in the medical field.

The 2016 Louisburg High School winter homecoming candidates are (front row, from left) Makenzie Kallevig, Makenzie Richardson, Riley George, Megan Roy; (back row) Cale Schneider, Mitchell McLellan, Spencer Rogers and Cole Kramer

Spencer Rogers

Spencer is the son of David and Genni Rogers. Spencer has been involved in band for four years, jazz band for three years, Scholar’s Bowl for three years, Spanish Club for three years, Math Club for two years, Model United Nations for two years, cross country for two years, National Honor Society for two years, track for one year, debate for one year and forensics for one year. Spencer plans to attend the University of Kansas and major in molecular biology and then transfer to Dartmouth to earn a PhD in genetics.

Riley George

Riley is the daughter of Chris George and Denise Ellison. Riley has been a football manager for four years, she has been involved in debate for four years and forensics for four years. Riley plans to attend Kansas State University and pursue a degree in political science.

Cole Kramer

Cole is the son of Rob and Marcy Kramer. Cole has been involved in football for four years, baseball for four years and Letterman’s Club for two years. Cole plans to attend Johnson County Community College for two years and then transfer to Pittsburg State to major in automotive engineering.

Megan Roy

Megan is the daughter of Craig and Laura Roy. Megan has been involved in FFA for four years, Student Council for four years, volleyball for three years, SADD for two years, basketball for two years, FCCLA for one year and cheerleading for one year. Megan plans to attend Johnson County Community College and then transfer to the University of Kansas to pursue a degree in nursing.

Louisburg senior guard Jacob Welsh drives to the basket during the Wildcats’ game with Spring Hill on Thursday at Spring Hill High School. The Wildcats lost to the Broncos 61-36, which is their four straight setback.

SPRING HILL – For the first half, the Louisburg boys basketball team was right with Spring Hill.

On Thursday, Louisburg matched the Broncos shot-for-shot through much of the first half before Spring Hill went into halftime with a slim six-point lead.

The third quarter was a different story

Spring Hill blew the game open as it outscored the Wildcats by 19 points in third and went on to beat Louisburg 61-36 at Spring Hill High School. It was also the fourth loss in a row for the Wildcats.

“For us, it’s about getting back to the basics that led to our successes early in the year,” Louisburg coach Jason Nelson said. “We’re not running the floor like we were, we’re not aggressive on the boards like we were and our secondary movements in our half court sets haven’t been crisp.  All 11 guys on our roster are capable of scoring, and when they’re in the game it’s imperative that they assert themselves in a manner conducive to being a scoring threat.”

Louisburg junior Grant Harding provided a bulk of the Wildcat scoring in the first half as he scored 13 of his team-high 15 points in the first half to keep Louisburg in the contest. Spring Hill held a 19-17 lead at the end of the first quarter and led 29-23 at halftime.

However, after scoring 17 points in the first quarter, Louisburg (6-7) responded with just 19 points in the final three quarters combined and it was the third quarter in which the Wildcats saw the game slip away.

Spring Hill opened the second half on a big run and outscored the Wildcats 22-3 in the third quarter to put the game away.

The Louisburg defense had a tough time containing the Spring Hill duo of Trey Heinrich and Ivan Hughes. Heinrich and Hughes scored 22 points each. Hughes also connected on three 3-pointers.

Along with Harding’s 15 points, junior T.J. Dover narrowly missed double figures as he finished with nine points and four rebounds. Sam Guetterman had a team-high five rebounds from the guard spot.

The Wildcats will try and stop their losing streak tonight, but it won’t be easy. Louisburg will host the No. 3 ranked team in Class 4A-Division I, Paola. Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m.

LOUISBURG                17           6             3             10 – 36

SPRING HILL               19           10           22           10 – 61

LOUISBURG (6-7): Grant Harding 6-14 0-0 15; T.J. Dover 3-4 2-4 9; Jayce Geiman 2-8 0-0 5; Jacob Welsh 1-4 0-0 2; Mitchell McLellan 1-4 0-0 2; Dalton Ribordy 1-1 0-0 2; Sam Guetterman 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 14-41 3-8 36. 3-point field goals: 5, (Harding 3, Geiman, Dover)

Madisen Simpson puts up a shot in the lane for the Louisburg girls basketball team Friday during the Top Gun Tournament in Wellsville. Simpson finished with 10 points in the Lady Cats’ 40-36 victory over Anderson County and was selected to the all-tournament team.

WELLSVILLE – The Louisburg girls basketball team left the floor with the same feeling only one other time this season.

The sweet taste of victory has alluded the Lady Cats quite a few times this year, but not on Friday. In the final game of the Wellsville Top Gun Tournament, Louisburg picked up its second victory of the season when it downed Anderson County 40-36 to finish sixth.

However, had it not been for a couple key hustle plays, it might have been a different story.

“I can’t say enough about our effort,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “I can’t tell you how many times we were on the floor for loose balls and that really sets the tone for what we do. I think that helped us in the fourth quarter.”

The Lady Cats found themselves down six points with five minutes left in the contest, but junior Paige Buffington dove on the floor for two loose balls, including one in front of the Louisburg bench. Those plays coincided with an 11-1 run to end the game and seal the win.

“We played our hearts out,” Buffington said. “We have been working hard all season and it is really rewarding to get another win. That is how our team has been. If we get down, we know that we can come back if we keep working hard and that is what we did.”

It happened again in the second quarter as the Lady Cats trailed by five points before they hit the boards hard. Junior Emalee Overbay was fouled on a shot, hit her first free throw, but missed the second before freshman Carson Buffington got the offensive rebound.

Sophomore Isabelle Holtzen gets fouled while going up for a shot Friday in Wellsville.

The rebound led to a shot from senior Megan Lemke, who was also fouled– and just like Overbay – made one of two free throws before Carson again pulled down the rebound. After another missed shot and rebound from Carson, her teammates found her open in the corner for a jumper and made it.

That effort sparked the Lady Cats (2-11) to go on a 13-5 run to end the half and take a 24-21 lead into halftime. All this while several players were a little under the weather.

“That was just an amazing effort by her and those are the types of things that sparks our team and that is what it did for us there in the second quarter,” Lowry said of Carson. “It was a team win and everyone participated in it. Carson is as sick as she can be and she goes out and does what she does and that is special. Emalee wasn’t feeling all that well either and she battled through it and gave us some good minutes.”

Junior guard Madisen Simpson gave the Lady Cats a good offensive presence, especially in the second quarter when she scored eight of her game high 10 points during that run to give Louisburg the halftime lead.

During the fourth quarter spurt, Louisburg got production from up and down its lineup. Carson and Paige Buffington each made baskets early in the quarter.

However, Carson fouled out with four minutes left in the contest, which brought on sophomore forward Ryan Caldwell in her place. She quickly contributed as she made a basket to tie the game at 35-all after a pass from Simpson.

Sophomore guard Isabelle Holtzen did the same. Following a Paige Buffington steal, Holtzen hit a jumper to give the Lady Cats their lead back with 2 minutes and 45 seconds left.

Senior Megan Lemke (10) was named to the Top Gun Tournament’s all-academic team.

Simpson hit a pair of free throw and Lemke hit one in the final minute to wrap up the victory.

“They continue to impress with how much they give,” Lowry said. “They continue to say that this is how they are going to play and this is our identity. We may not have the best shooters, best post moves, but no one is going to outwork us.”

After Simpson’s 10 points, Paige Buffington was next on the team with eight points and three steals. Lemke had seven points and six rebounds, while Carson Buffington added six points, a team-high 11 rebounds and three steals.

Louisburg returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Paola. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

POST-TOURNAMENT HONORS: For her effort in the three-game tournament, Madisen Simpson was named to the Top Gun Tournament all-tournament team. Simpson averaged just more than 10 points a game to lead the Lady Cats.

Senior Megan Lemke was also awarded a spot on the tournament’s all-academic team. Freshman Bailey Kern participated in the free-throw contest and finished fourth overall.

LOUISBURG                10           14           5             11 – 40

AND. COUNTY           14           7             8             7 – 36

LOUISBURG (2-11): Madisen Simpson 3-12 2-4 10; Paige Buffington 3-10 0-0 8; Megan Lemke 2-11 2-7 7; Carson Buffington 3-3 0-0 6; Isabelle Holtzen 1-3 2-4 4; Emalee Overbay 1-4 1-2 3; Ryan Caldwell 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 14-47 7-17 40. 3-point field goals: 5, (Simpson 2, P. Buffington 2, Lemke 1).

Lansing downs Louisburg in consolation bracket

Louisburg faced an uphill battle in its second game of the Top Gun Tournament on Thursday.

The Lady Cats, who were scheduled to face Veritas Christian, instead faced off with Lansing after Veritas dropped out of the tournament. The tournament had to pool out the back side of the bracket therefore Louisburg had to play both Anderson County and Lansing in back to back days.

Lansing, a Class 5A school, proved to be too much for Louisburg as it downed the Lady Cats 63-37. Madisen Simpson led Louisburg in scoring with 15 points, including five 3-pointers. Freshman Kennia Hankinson added nine points in the loss.

Carson Buffington was big on the boards for Louisburg as she finished with a team-high 12 rebounds.

LOUISBURG                8             8             11           10 – 37

LANSING                     17           16           13           17 – 63

LOUISBURG: Madisen Simpson 5-11 0-0 15; Kennia Hankinson 2-9 2-4 9; Paige Buffington 1-8 3-5 5; Emalee Overbay 1-2 1-5 3; Carson Buffington 1-5 0-1 2; Megan Lemke 0-4 2-2 2. Totals: 10-44 10-20 37. 3-point field goals: 7, (Simpson 5, Hankinson 2)

State-ranked Piper beats Lady Cats in opener

Louisburg had its toughest test of the Wellsville Top Gun Tournament first as it opened with Piper, the No. 4-ranked team in Class 4A.

Piper showed why it was ranked so high as it outscored Louisburg by 24 points in the first half on its way to a 54-23 victory over the Lady Cats on Jan. 26.

Carson Buffington nearly finished with a double-double for the Lady Cats. Buffington had a team-high eight points and 14 rebounds in the loss.

Piper held Louisburg scoreless in the second quarter and jumped out to a 32-8 halftime lead.

LOUISBURG                8             0             8             7 – 23

PIPER                           18           14           12           10 – 54

LOUISBURG: Carson Buffington 4-7 0-0 8; Madisen Simpson 2-5 0-0 6; Isabelle Holtzen 1-5 2-2 4; Megan Lemke 0-12 2-4 2; Emalee Overbay 1-5 0-2 2; Paige Buffington 0-3 1-2 1. Totals: 8-39 5-10 23. 3-point field goals: 2, (Simpson 2)

Louisburg senior Alex Dunn dives on the floor for a loose ball with a Bishop Ward player Saturday during the seventh-place game of the Baldwin Invitational. The Wildcats went 0-3 on the week.

BALDWIN CITY – It was supposed to be the perfect time for the Louisburg boys basketball team to take an even bigger step forward.

Louisburg entered the Baldwin Invitational Tournament last week looking to build on its three-game winning streak. Instead, the Wildcats went the opposite direction.

Dealing with different illnesses and injuries in the three games, Louisburg wasn’t able to take advantage of that momentum as it went 0-3 in the tournament, including a 51-44 loss to Bishop Ward on Saturday in the seventh-place game.

Louisburg (6-6) lost to Harmon in the opener on Jan. 20 and then to Wellsville on Friday in the consolation semifinals.

“I could not be more disappointed at the outcome of the tourney,” Louisburg coach Jason Nelson said. “Coming in playing the best ball I’ve seen an LHS team play since I’ve been here, at 6-3 and as the No. 2 seed, I felt we were ready to do damage.

“For whatever reason, we deviated from our game plans and practice principles and were tentative and lacking the mentality as a team that led us to the success we’d experienced to this point.”

It is difficult for many teams to get prepared to play a seventh-place game and both teams looked the part early on Saturday. Louisburg scored just six points in the opening frame, but held a one-point lead despite eight turnovers.

Sophomore Dalton Ribordy puts up a shot over a Harmon defender on Jan. 20 in Baldwin.

In the second quarter, Bishop Ward came to life as they outscored Louisburg 21-10 before halftime to take a 10-point lead. After a back-and-forth third quarter, the Wildcats started to chip away at Ward’s lead in the fourth.

Louisburg went on a 10-3 run to start the final quarter thanks to six points from junior forward T.J. Dover and four from junior Grant Harding. The Wildcats trailed by just three points with 3 minutes and 30 seconds left in the game, but Ward went on a 8-1 run of its own to push the lead back up.

Junior guard Jayce Geiman hit a pair of 3-pointers down the stretch to keep the game close in the final seconds, but the Wildcats couldn’t get all the way back.

Geiman and Harding each led Louisburg with 12 points on the day and Dover added six in the loss. Senior starting guard Mitchell McLellan was forced to sit out the final two games of the tournament with an injury, while different players were under the weather throughout the week.

However, Nelson knows he watched a different team last week.

“In our previous, successful games, we valued each possession and exerted our will on teams,” Nelson said. “In the tournament, we were reactive rather than proactive and we suffered because of it. Our boys fought hard, but our team mentality wasn’t syncing and we forgot our identity.”

The Wildcats will try and stop their losing streak Thursday when they travel to Spring Hill for their lone contest of the week. Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m.

“We need to get back to being us,” Nelson said. “The team that attacked the rim in transition and in the 1/2 court game, moved the ball with the pass and rotated the defense is the team we need to be, and I need to do a better job of getting us there, I guess.

“Defensively, we played pretty well, though we did allow a few too many offensive boards, but we just couldn’t translate that into the energy needed on the offensive end, and for that, the onus has to fall on me.”

LOUISBURG                6             10           7             21 – 44

BISHOP WARD           5             21           7             18 – 51

LOUISBURG (6-6): Jayce Geiman 12, Grant Harding 12, T.J. Dover 6, Dalton Ribordy 4, Ben Minster 4, Jacob Welsh 3, Alex Dunn 2, Jake Hill 1. Totals: 15 10-19 44. 3-point field goals: 4, (Geiman 4)

Wellsville edges Louisburg

Despite a 26-point performance from junior Grant Harding, Louisburg couldn’t quite overcome Wellsville on Friday in a 60-55 loss in the consolation semifinals.

After an even first quarter, the Wildcat offense couldn’t get going as Wellsville outscored Louisburg 12-5 before halftime and took a seven-point lead. The Wildcats came to life with 19 points in the third quarter to cut the Wellsville lead to one, but Louisburg couldn’t get the stops it needed in the final period.

Harding finished with 26 points after he shot 10 for 21 from the floor, including three 3-pointers. Junior Sam Guetterman, senior Alex Dunn and junior T.J. Dover all had six points.

LOUISBURG                15           5             19           16 – 55

WELLSVILLE               17           12           11           20 – 60

LOUISBURG: Grant Harding 10-21 3-5 26; Sam Guetterman 3-6 0-1 6; Alex Dunn 3-4 0-1 6; T.J. Dover 3-6 0-0 6; Jayce Geiman 2-5 0-0 5; Dalton Ribordy 2-2 0-0 4; Ben Minster 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 24-46 3-7 55. 3-point field goals: 4, (Harding 3, Geiman)

Turnovers haunt Louisburg in opener

Louisburg got off to the start it was looking for in the opener of the Baldwin Invitational on Jan. 20 against Harmon, but it didn’t have the finish.

Harmon scored 18 points off Louisburg turnovers and the Wildcats didn’t have enough to catch up in a 62-47 loss.

The Wildcats held a 12-11 advantage at the end of the first quarter, but Harmon went on a 13-2 run to end the first half and took a 10-point lead into halftime.

Louisburg faced the same deficit going into the fourth, but Grant Harding hit a pair of 3-pointers and Sam Guetterman made a basket to cut the Harmon lead to four with 4:23 left in the game.

Turnovers and missed shots led to a 14-0 Harmon run to all but put the game out of reach for Louisburg.

Harding led Louisburg with 18 points, including four 3-pointers, while Guetterman and T.J. Dover also scored in double figures with 10.

LOUISBURG                12           6             14           15 – 47

HARMON                    11           17           15           19 – 62

LOUISBURG: Grant Harding 7-16 0-0 18; Sam Guetterman 4-8 2-3 10; T.J. Dover 5-8 0-3 10; Mitchell McLellan 3-5 0-0 6; Ben Minster 1-2 0-0 2; Dalton Ribordy 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 21-44 3-8 47. 3-point field goals: 4, (Harding 4)