In what started out as a night of celebration for the Louisburg basketball team, turned into one of disappointment.

The Wildcats hosted Harrisonville for Senior Night on Thursday, in what was also their regular season finale. Despite a solid start, Louisburg came up short in a 57-52 loss.

Harrisonville used a big second quarter to take the lead and it never relinquished it, despite a late Louisburg rally that cut the deficit to two late in the contest.

“We played hard,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “I have never doubted that and Harrisonville is a very good team that has 20 wins on the year. We knew it was going to be a tough game, but it was one where we thought we could go toe-to-toe with them. There were just a few moments in the game where we couldn’t get stops and we were just trading buckets. I think we lost the game in about the middle portion where all that was going on.”

The game was tied at 9-all after the first quarter, but Harrisonville scored 19 points in the second and went into halftime with a seven-point lead.

Harrisonville got out to the lead thanks to its performance from the outside. It knocked down nine 3-pointers for the game, with seven of those coming in the first half. 

Louisburg also struggled from the free-throw line as it converted just 13 of 24 attempts for the game.

“They hit a lot of threes and we didn’t convert at the free-throw line,” Doll said. “ That just isn’t going to cut it. We left a lot of points on the table. You have to make free throws when you are in close games and the guys know that. We have to do a better job of that.”

Harrisonville stretched its lead out early in the fourth quarter, before the Wildcats went on a little rally of their own. 

It started on a basket from Conlee Hovey and was fouled. Hovey missed the free throw, but got the rebound and put back to make it a four-point possession. 

Brady Hickey knocked in a free throw to make it six-point contest, then Hovey scored again under the basket on an assist from Brock Vohs. Harrisonville took the lead back to six, but Nathan Parker knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner to make it a one possession game late.

Harrisonville was then called for a technical foul, and Parker hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it 53-51. The Wildcats got the ball back with a chance to tie or take the lead.

The Wildcats attacked the basket, but the shot rimmed off and Harrisonville got the rebound. It went on to make its free throws and sealed the win. 

It was the final home game for seniors Nathan Parker, Brady Hickey, Brock Vohs, Jaymes Melton and Luke Hill. The five players and their parents were honored before the game.

All five started the game for the Wildcats and got them out to a 7-0 lead.

“They are going to be an extra special group for me with this being my first year here,” Doll said. “It was easy to start all five of those guys because all of them have been such good contributors and such hard workers. We actually started the game really well. 

“This is what this part of the season is about too is to keep these guys playing and hopefully we can get them five more games here and not end it too early. They are going to do a lot of great things in their life, but this will be the only time that people will pay to watch you play basketball, so you need to enjoy that.”

Parker had a big game for the Wildcats as he scored a game-high 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Hovey almost finished with a double-double as he added eight points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Hickey added seven points and a team-high four assists

Louisburg (8-12) earned the No. 10 seed in the Class 4A sub-state tournament and will make the trip to No. 7 Coffeyville-Field Kindley (14-6) on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. tipoff.

“I told the guys we just have to move on from this real quick,” Doll said. “This is going to be like any basketball tournament, it is all about the matchups. We wish we could be hosting a home game and have a better seed, but it is do or die now. This is what we showed up in the summer for, and all the work we put in throughout the year, is for this moment. Now hopefully we can play far into March.”

LOU 9 12 13 18 — 52

HAR 9 19 13 16 — 57

LOUISBURG (8-12): Nathan Parker 5-12 4-7 18; Conlee Hovey 4-8 0-1 8; Brady Hickey 2-6 2-6 7; Luke Schultz 1-3 2-2 5; Luke Hill 1-3 2-2 5; Brock Vohs 1-4 1-2 3; Myles Vohs 1-5 0-0 2; Gavin Lohse 0-1 2-4 2; Jaymes Melton 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 16-43 13-24 52. 3-point field goals: 7, (Parker 4, Schultz, Hill, Hickey)

Wildcats roll Paola in final league contest

PAOLA — Louisburg got a chance to hand its rival a loss on its Senior Night and the Wildcats took full advantage. 

Louisburg made the short journey to Paola last Tuesday and the Wildcats spoiled the Panthers’ special night as the Wildcats used a big second half to pull away for a 46-29 win over the Panthers.

The last time the two teams met, the Wildcats forced a running clock and held the Panthers (0-20) scoreless in the second half. It was a much different game this time around as Louisburg held just a two-point lead at halftime.

“We knew this was a game they wanted to get, especially with it being their Senior Night, so we knew we were going to get their best shot and we did,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “They are still playing hard to their credit and we played well enough to get a win.”

Louisburg junior Myles Vohs got the Wildcats out to a good start as he knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to put the Wildcats up 11-4. Paola battled back and trimmed Louisburg’s lead to 21-19 lead at halftime.

The Wildcats ramped it up defensively as they held the Panthers to just 10 second half points, including a 14-4 run in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

“Our goal in this game was to do better against a zone if they threw one at us because we have struggled with that a lot this year,” Doll said. “At the same time, I knew if we got out and pressed them that we could get them to turn over the ball. We didn’t do a very good job of that early, but in the fourth quarter we did a really good job of playing free and loose. We forced a lot of turnovers and that is what got us the win. Plus we hit free throws too and that helped a lot.”

On defense, the Wildcats forced 12 turnovers on the night and turned those into 14 points on the other end.

Senior Nathan Parker led Louisburg in scoring with 13 points, while Hickey added nine points and a team-high Sven rebounds in the win. Junior Conlee Hovey also pulled down seven rebounds, while junior Luke Schultz finished with a team-best four assists.

LOU 11 10 11 14 — 46

PAO 8 11 6 4 — 29

LOUISBURG: Nathan Parker 4-8 2-2 13; Brady Hickey 4-11 1-2 9; Myles Vohs 2-5 0-0 6; Luke Schultz 0-4 6-8 6; Brock Vohs 2-6 2-3 6; Conlee Hovey 2-4 1-2 5; Jaymes Melton 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 14-40 13-19 46. 3-point field goals: 5, (Parker 3, Vohs 2)

In what began as a rough start for the Louisburg girls basketball team, Thursday’s final regular season game ended what was a winning stretch for the Lady Cats.

Louisburg outlasted Harrisonville, 40-33, at home to finish 5-3 in its final eight games after starting the season with eight straight losses.

The victory over Harrisonville, and Paola earlier in the week, gave the Lady Cats the momentum they need as they head into postseason play this Tuesday.

“Finishing the season with a win at home was a great way to end,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Winning both games last week was a great way to end our season. This was the first week all season we did win 2 games and I know that this will help the girls confidence going into substate week. 

“I am so proud of the girls and their efforts in the second half of the season. We ended 5-3 the last eight games of the season and I think the girls have improved a lot since the first game.”

The Lady Cats were able to get the win without having to score a field goal in the fourth quarter. Louisburg was able to do its damage from the free-throw line. 

All eight of its points in the fourth quarter came at the line as Louisburg was able to ice the game away after taking an eight point lead going into the final frame.

For the game, the Lady Cats were 15 of 21 from the free-throw line and were able to keep Harrisonville at arm’s length. 

“Our free-throw shooting on Thursday was a huge positive,” Lane said. “We only scored free throws in the fourth quarter, which won the game for us. I also felt like every girl contributed to that win.”

Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman led the Lady Cats in scoring with 12 points on the night, including three 3-pointers. She also tallied a team-high five blocked shots and three steals. 

Jillian Asher added nine points in the win, with seven of those coming from the free-throw line. Zyleigh Melton, Sami Lane and Ally Brown each finished with five.

Sophomore McKenna Lohse had a big night on the boards for Louisburg as she pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds. Sabra Brueggen and Lane each pulled down five rebounds, while Brueggen also had three steals.

“I honestly think this was the best we had done all season with handling pressure,” coach Lane said. “The girls did a good job taking care of the basketball and not throwing it away in pressure situations. 

“The posts did a great job rebounding and holding their position against a very physical Harrisonville team. The posts also did a great job on offense and holding their position to get the ball inside. When we get the ball inside and kick it back out, we have a higher shooting percentage.”

Louisburg will begin postseason play on Feb. 27 as the No. 14 seed in sub-state. The Lady Cats will travel to No. 3 Ottawa for the sub-state semifinals. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

LOU 8 13 11 8 — 40

HAR 2 9 13 9 — 33

LOUISBURG (6-14): Ashlyn Kuhlman 4-14 1-2 12; Jillian Asher 1-5 7-8 9; Zyleigh Melton 1-1 2-2 5; Sami Lane 1-7 2-2 5; Ally Brown 1-3 3-4 5; McKenna Lohse 2-6 0-3 4. Totals: 10-43 15-21 40. 3-point field goals: 5, (Kuhlman 3, Melton, Lane)

Lady Cats get road win at Paola

PAOLA — In a lot of cases, free throws can decide the difference between and win a loss.

It was certainly the difference for Louisburg last Tuesday in Paola. The Lady Cats made 12 of 14 free-throw attempts in the second half, many of those coming in the fourth quarter, as they were able to hold on for a 39-35 victory over the Panthers.

“Free throws were big for us,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We had several players come up and hit them late in the game. They were huge and accounted for a lot of our points the second half.”

Juniors Jillian Asher and Sabra Brueggen each hit jumpers to begin the fourth quarter to give Louisburg a four-point lead. The Lady Cats kept the advantage the rest of the way as they went 8-for-10 from the line, including makes from Ashlyn Kuhlman, Shylar Whiting, Asher and Brueggen.

Louisburg jumped out to an early 11-3 lead to start the game, but the Panthers rallied back to eventually take the lead in both the second and third quarters.

Kuhlman led the Lady Cats in scoring with 10 points to go along with four rebounds and three blocks. Whiting also finished with eight points, including 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. 

Sophomore McKenna Lohse gave the Lady Cats a spark the needed off the bench. Lohse nearly had double-double with eight points and nine rebounds and gave Louisburg some crucial minutes on the inside.

“It was good win and it was great to get that win on the road,” Lane said. “I don’t think it was our best appearance of the year, but we had some girls come off the bench that did really well. 

“I thought Kenna had a great game and she definitely kept us in it,” Lane said. “She hasn’t played a ton this year, but she really stepped up and made a difference.”

LOU 11 6 10 12 — 39

PAO 9 7 9 10 — 35

LOUISBURG: Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-6 4-4 10; Shylar Whiting 1-4 6-7 8; McKenna Lohse 4-9 0-0 8; Jillian Asher 2-9 1-2 5; Sabra Brueggen 2-6 1-1 5; Sami Lane 1-4 0-0 3. Totals: 12-48 12-14 39. 3-point field goals: 3, (Kuhlman 2, Lane)

Louisburg had one of its better shooting nights of the season last Tuesday at home against Eudora.

The Wildcats shot nearly 50 percent from the floor, hit six 3-ponters and outrebounded the Cardinals on both ends of the floor. Louisburg had a lot of things in its favor.

Turnovers, on the other hand, was the one aspect that haunted the Wildcats as they committed 17 mistakes, which led to 28 Eudora points in what was a 52-49 loss to the Cardinals.

“We’ve had bad turnovers at the wrong time all season and we have just struggled to finish games and take care of the ball,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “Throughout the game we didn’t do a good enough job on their best player and they got to the foul line. There were other times where we were too focused on him and another player was able to slip in for an easy basket. We are right there in almost every game against good teams, but the timing of these turnovers are just killing us.”

Along with the turnovers, the Wildcats had a tough time slowing Eudora’s Logan Sullivan. The Cardinal senior finished with a game-high 27 points, including going 9-for-10 from the free-throw line.

Eudora controlled the game for much of the first three quarters, but the Wildcats started to chip away at the Cardinal lead. With a minute remaining in the third, the Wildcats trailed 44-38 but Luke Schultz hit a basket inside to make it a four-point game.

Then to start the fourth, senior Brady Hickey drove to the basket for two more. After a Eudora basket, Louisburg senior Myles Vohs made it a two-point game again on a lay-up.

The Wildcats took the lead on a 3-pointer by senior Luke Hill and were up 47-46 with 4:45 left in the game. It stayed that way until the 1:50 mark, when Eudora scored on a back door play to grab the lead back.

Louisburg committed two turnovers on back-to-back possessions late and the Cardinals took care of business from the free-throw line to secure the win.

“We have had enough of these games where we get down and we almost always come back,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “The heart is there and we do enough to get ourselves ready to win a game. We always battle back and that is just who we are right now and it is good to always see them fight.”

Senior Nathan Parker led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points and was the lone player in double figures. Junior Conlee Hovey had nine points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Hickey also finished with nine.

Hill added eight in the loss to go along with the go-ahead 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.

“Luke did a good job, and hit a big shot there,” Doll said. “I think Nate, Luke and Brady all hit threes for us. We had some guys knock down some big shots for us. 

“I think teams are really focused on Conlee right now and I think that will open some shooters up on the perimeter and we took advantage of some of that. Conlee has earned himself enough respect that he is drawing a lot of attention and it was good to see our shooters knock some shots down.”

Louisburg has two games remaining in the regular season and the Wildcats will travel to Paola on Tuesday before returning home Thursday against Harrisonville on Senior Night.

LOU 10 14 16 9 — 49

EUD 15 12 17 8 — 52

LOUISBURG (7-11): Nathan Parker 3-6 3-3 12; Conlee Hovey 4-5 1-2 9; Brady Hickey 4-10 0-0 9; Luke Hill 3-7 0-0 8; Luke Schultz 2-3 2-2 6; Myles Vohs 1-3 0-0 2; Jaymes Melton 1-1 0-0 2; Gavin Lohse 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 18-37 7-9 49. 3-point field goals: 6, (Parker 3, Hill 2, Hickey)

Louisburg sophomore Zyleigh Melton puts up a shot in the lane last Tuesday at home against Eudora.

The Louisburg girls basketball team put together a strong second half against Eudora last Tuesday at home.

Unfortunately, the Lady Cats didn’t quite have enough to overcome a rough first half. Eudora handed Louisburg a 38-30 loss after the Lady Cats held the Cardinals to just 14 second half points.

Louisburg outscored Eudora 19-14 in the second half, but scored just 11 first half points and committed 25 turnovers for the game.

“We played good in the second half for sure, and if we could figure out the first half I think we would be winning more basketball games,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We beat them in the second half so that was good and I think the girls did fine. It took us a minute to get going, but the girls played hard.”

The Lady Cats were without two players due to illness, so they were playing short-handed, but battled to the end. Louisburg found itself down 15 points midway through the third quarter, but the Lady Cats were to trim the deficit to just five at one point.

Eudora had a 30-15 lead with under three minutes left in the third, but the Lady Cats went on a 10-1 run that went into the fourth quarter.

Addy Stohs started it with a free throw, Zyleigh Melton knocked down a 3-pointer and Ashlyn Kuhlman made a basket and was fouled that ended the third. 

In the fourth, Kuhlman hit a pair of free throws and Sabra Brueggen knocked in a basket to make it a 6-point game. After a 3-pointer by Eudora, the Lady Cats followed with four straight points from Melton, that included her second 3-pointer to cut it to five.

Louisburg could get no closer as it scored just one point in the final four minutes and the Cardinals were able to hold on for the win.

“We obviously cut the turnovers down a little in the second half, but we also started going to the basket more,” Lane said. “I think that opens up more shots for everybody and we were able to hit some shots from the outside. 

“Our defense is getting better and that is why we are getting better. We are playing solid defense, we are rebounding pretty well, but we just need to find some offense somewhere.”

Melton led the Lady Cat offense with nine points on the night. Kuhlman added seven points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists.

Brueggen paced Louisburg on the glass with a team-high 11 rebounds.

Louisburg will try and bounce back Tuesday as the Lady Cats travel to rival Paola. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 6 5 10 9 — 30

EUD 13 11 6 8 — 38

LOUISBURG (4-14): Zyleigh Melton 3-7 1-2 9; Ashlyn Kuhlman 1-9 5-7 7; Sabra Brueggen 1-4 3-6 5; Shylar Whiting 2-3 0-0 4; Sami Lane 2-6 0-0 4; Addy Stohs 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 9-36 10-17 30. 3-point field goals: 2, (Melton 2)

Louisburg senior Brock Vohs gets fouled going up for a shot Friday against Spring Hill.

The meetings between the Louisburg and Spring Hill boys basketball teams has had their fair share of drama this season.

It started last month when the Wildcats went on to road to beat Spring Hill in overtime. During the Wildcats’ homecoming game last Friday, there were more late game heroics.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, those heroics came from the Spring Hill side.

Spring Hill’s Chase Bond knocked down a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the game and the Broncos handed Louisburg a 44-42 loss.

The Wildcats had one final attempt to tie it up. Louisburg senior Nathan Parker put up a 3-point shot with three seconds left, and appeared to be fouled, but no call was made and the game was over.

“The end of the game was pretty upsetting, especially when Nate got clobbered and they didn’t call a foul,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “But every coach knows, and I know, that there was a lot of stuff earlier in the game that we could have done a better job at, like taking care of the basketball. Turnovers are always something we come back to and say this is why we lost because we turn the ball over too much and at the wrong time.”

Before those two plays, the Wildcats found themselves down a point, but with a minute left Luke Hill passed the ball inside to Conlee Hovey who scored to give the Wildcats the lead.

Hovey had a big night for the Wildcats inside as he finished with a team-high 12 points to go along with 11 rebounds and three blocked shots.

“The guys executed that play perfectly,” Doll said. “Conlee was so good and he should have had more touches and we are trying to get him the ball more. Got the bucket, got them to miss and then we just didn’t take care of the ball after that. But if we take care of business earlier in the game, it should have never been that tight.”

Turnovers hurt the Wildcats at different times as they committed 16 for the game, but they did the job on the glass as they outrebounded Spring Hill by 11.

Louisburg got out to a good start as it took an 11-8 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Broncos went on a 13-6 run in the second half to take four-point lead at halftime.

The Wildcats trailed 28-22 in the third quarter, but went on a mini 9-2 run. It started on a basket by Hovey and was followed up by a 3-pointer from Hickey.

Hickey added with a pair of free throws to make it a one point game and then another Hovey basket put Louisburg in front. Spring Hill eventually held the lead until a minute left in the fourth.

Hickey was second on the team with nine points and four rebounds. Junior Myles Vohs had eight points and a pair of steals.

The Wildcats will try and get back on the winning track tonight as they host Eudora. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

“We beat (Spring Hill) earlier in the year and I feel that we are a better team than we were before,” Doll said. “We are at that point now where we are looking at sub-state standings. We move on to Eudora and hopefully we can play well.”

LOU 11 6 15 10 — 42

SH 8 13 13 10 — 44

LOUISBURG (7-10): Conlee Hovey 6-7 0-0 12; Brady Hickey 2-7 3-4 9; Myles Vohs 3-5 2-2 8; Nathan Parker 2-6 0-0 6; Jaymes Melton 2-2 0-0 4; Luke Hill 0-5 1-2 1; Luke Schultz 0-3 1-2 1; Brock Vohs 0-0 0-0 1. Totals: 15-35 8-12 42. 3-point field goals: 4, (Parker 2, Hickey 2)

Louisburg junior Jillian Asher drives to the basket and puts up a shot Friday during the Lady Cats’ home game against Spring Hill.

The first half wasn’t exactly what the Louisburg girls basketball team was hoping for Friday against Spring Hill.

Turnovers haunted the Lady Cats as Spring Hill took a double digit lead into halftime. That all changed for Louisburg in the second half.

Louisburg cut down the mistakes and outscored Spring Hill in the final two quarters, but it wasn’t quite enough in a 43-37 loss to the Broncos.

“I thought we played good in the second half, but we just had way too many turnovers in the first half,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We probably had 15-plus going into halftime and we took better care of the basketball in the second half. We also ran some different stuff and the girls handled that well.”

It was a much a different scenario than when the teams met a month ago. Spring Hill won the game by double digits, but the Lady Cats made it more difficult this time around.

“We are a better team than when we played them last, but I think Spring Hill is a better team as well,” Lane said. “Both teams have gotten better, but we played them closer this time around. I think the girls see these things and they know they are getting better.”

Spring Hill led Louisburg by just four going into the the second quarter, but the Broncos went on a 15-5 run to take a 14-point lead. Louisburg junior Shylar Whiting hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first half to give the Lady Cats a little momentum going into halftime.

Louisburg (4-13) was better defensively in the second half and took care of the ball. Although the Lady Cats had 23 turnovers for the game, many of those came in the first two quarters.

They outscored the Broncos 20-15 in the second half, but could never get closer than six. A pair of 3-pointers from Sami Lane helped close the gap in the fourth quarter.

Spring Hill’s Sydney Buscher and Isla Herman had big nights last time around, but the Lady Cats tried to focus more on slowing the Broncos’ two players down. Buscher still had 16 points to lead all scorers, but limited Herman to just nine.

“We guarded Buscher differently,” Lane said. “We wanted to be more physical and keep her away from the basket as much as possible. I thought the girls did a good job with that. We did foul her more, but she didn’t make her free throws so that worked for us. We face-guarded Herman and were able to get couple offensive fouls on her as well. They are fast though and we had a hard time getting back sometimes, especially when we are face guarding a couple different players.”

Louisburg sophomore Morgan Latham had a good night in the post as she finished with a team-high 10 points to go along with five rebounds. Sami Lane and Ashlyn Kuhlman each had eight points, while Kuhlman pulled down five rebounds.

Junior Sabra Brueggen had a team-high seven rebounds to lead Louisburg.

The Lady Cats will try and bounce back tonight as they host Eudora. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 9 8 8 12 — 37

SH 13 15 6 9 — 43

LOUISBURG (4-13): Morgan Latham 5-8 0-0 10; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-6 2-2 8; Sami Lane 3-5 0-0 8; Jillian Asher 1-2 2-2 4; Sabra Brueggen 1-4 2-4 4; Shylar Whiting 1-8 0-0 3. Totals: 13-35 4-6 37. 3-point field goals: 5, (Kuhlman 2, Lane 2, Whiting)

Louisburg junior Luke Schultz pulls up for shot Tuesday on the road at Tonganoxie. The Wildcats got a 45-40 victory over the Chieftains.

TONGANOXIE — The Louisburg boys basketball team likes a little bit of a challenge.

In many of their wins this season, the Wildcats have found themselves playing catch-up. Not exactly the ideal place to be and they found themselves in that same spot early in Tuesday’s game at Tonganoxie.

“Coach (Barry) O’Brien said before the game that digging ourselves out of hole is seems to be all we know,” Louisburg head coach Ben Doll joked. “We just set ourselves up that way, we dig out and luckily this team keeps fighting and is good at doing that.”

The Wildcats did it once again against the Chieftains. Louisburg rallied from an early 10-point deficit and held on for a 45-40 victory, which snapped a two-game losing skid.

“It was a good win,” Doll said. “This league is just tough, especially when you go on the road. We knew it was going to be tough considering it was a two-point game the last time we played. We knew Tongie was going to play tough and we are in that part of the season where everyone is fighting for position and sub-state.”

Louisburg (7-9) found itself down 14-4 to start the game, before the Wildcats started to battle back. They cut the Chieftain lead to just one early in the the third quarter, only to see Tonganoxie stretch it back out to eight.

Down 28-20, the Wildcats put together one big run to take control of the game. Louisburg outscored Tonganoxie 19-4, which lasted into the fourth quarter and took a 39-32 advantage with three minutes left in the game.

To start the run, Myles Vohs got a layup in transition, Luke Schultz knocked in a free throw and then Schultz hit a 3-pointer to give them a 31-28 lead late in the third.

Senior Brady Hickey made it a 33-30 contest with a runner in the lane. After a Tongie basket made it a one point game, Schultz got an offensive rebound and put back to make it 35-32.

Senior Brock Vohs then added two straight baskets to push the Louisburg lead to 39-32. Tonganoxie cut the lead to one with one minute remaining, but Hickey drove in for a layup and was fouled with 13 seconds left.

Hickey missed the free throw, but Schultz tapped the miss out for an extra possession for Louisburg. Luke Hill went on to make two free throws to put the game away.

Hovey was big on the inside for Louisburg as he finished with a double-double. He led the Wildcats with 10 points and 14 rebounds, while Brock Vohs finished with nine points.

Schultz and Hickey each finished with seven points and Myles Vohs took on the point guard duties for most of the second half to help run the offense.

It was performances from several different players that helped the Wildcats leave with a big road win.

“We had big rebounds from Conlee throughout the game,” Doll said. “Luke Hill played really good defense on their guy that was shooting a lot, and shut him down late in the game. Then Luke Schultz got a big tap out for us that was just as huge as an offensive rebound. It wasn’t about scoring points, it was about doing the little things it took to win.

“Myles played some really good defense as well and did a good job running the offense. We are figuring people’s roles and they are figuring them out a lot better. Brady has been a consistent guys for us and hopefully we can get Gavin (Lohse) back on Friday. Understanding roles and being healthy is what you need with four games to go and March right around the corner.”

Louisburg will try for back-to-back wins tonight as the Wildcats host Spring Hill for homecoming. It is a rematch of what was a Louisburg overtime victory earlier in the season.

“It will be a tough one,” Doll said. “Just like Tongie, I think they will come in confident because of what happened last time. That was another game where we had to dig ourselves out of a hole. Nothing is easy down the stretch, but I think we are a much better team right now than when we played last.”

LOU 5 10 16 14 — 45

TON 14 5 11 10 — 40

LOUISBURG (7-9): Conlee Hovey 5-11 0-0 10; Brock Vohs 4-5 1-3 9; Brady Hickey 3-5 0-1 7; Luke Schultz 2-4 2-6 7; Nathan Parker 1-5 2-2 4; Myles Vohs 2-7 0-1 4; Luke Hill 1-4 2-2 4. Totals: 18-41 7-15 45. 3-point field goals: 2, (Hickey, Schultz)

Louisburg junior Shylar Whiting puts up a shot in the lane Tuesday at Tonganoxie. Whiting finished with eight points, with six of those coming in the final quarter.

TONGANOXIE — It wasn’t the best shooting night of the year for Louisburg.

Shots weren’t falling, free throws rimmed out and the Lady Cats lost the turnover battle Tuesday against Tonganoxie. Despite all that going against them, Louisburg found a way a win — on the road.

Against a Tonganoxie team they lost to by double digits in the season opener, the Lady Cats traveled to Tonganoxie and left with a gritty 40-39 victory over the Chieftains.

“They have no quit in them and I think that is the theme for the season,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Our fourth quarters have been awesome, so if we can put together a complete game like we play in the fourth then we would be hard to beat. But the girls hung in there despite a tough shooting night. We couldn’t make anything around the basket. They just did a great job.”

It was looking like a tough road loss with under a minute left and the Lady Cats down by two points. However, junior Ashlyn Kuhlman got a wide open look from 3-point range with 16 seconds left and knocked it down to put Louisburg up one.

Tonganoxie had two different opportunities to try and take the lead in the final seconds, but the Lady Cat defense came up big and Kuhlman’s shot was the game-winner.

“That was a huge shot,” Lane said. “Ash hadn’t had a great shooting night until then and I was very proud of her to have the confidence to shoot it. That would have been a hard spot for anyone and she didn’t hesitate. Shooters have to keep shooting and I am glad that she did. When she shot it I knew it was going in.”

Louisburg did have a difficult shooting night as the Lady Cats converted just 25 percent of their shots and were under 50 percent from the free-throw line. Mix that in with 15 turnovers and it was a recipe for loss.

Instead, the Lady Cats found a way to get an important win that helps them in the postseason standings and to try and get a playoff spot with four games remaining.

It didn’t look promising for Louisburg as it found itself down six points late in the third quarter. With the offense struggling, juniors Jillian Asher and Shylar Whiting gave it a jump start.

Asher hit a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to cut the lead to three, then Whiting hit a pair of jumpers to start the fourth quarter to give Louisburg a 34-33 advantage.

After a Tonganoxie basket that put the Chieftains in front, the Lady Cats answered right back when Asher found Whiting for a layup and Louisburg had a 36-35 lead midway through the fourth.

Tonganoxie had an 39-37 lead late in the contest, but Kuhlman had a wide open look at the top of the key and knocked down what turned out to the be the game-winning 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining.

It was a victory the Lady Cats (4-12) needed and were able to avenge a loss from earlier in the season at the same time.

“Our defense was just a lot better than the last time we played them,” Lane said. “We contained a lot better than we did the first time. The first game it seemed like they were just kicking it out and shooting 3s and I don’t even know that they did a lot of that. Our goal was to contain and not let them kick out and shoot wide open 3-pointers.”

Asher was big offensively for Louisburg as she scored a game-high 13 points, including three 3-pointers and was 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

Kuhlman finished with eight points, but was active on the glass as she recorded a team-high 15 rebounds. Whiting also had eight points and two steals.

Junior Sabra Brueggen and sophomore Zyleigh Melton each had five rebounds, while Brueggen had a team-high three assists.

Louisburg will try for back-to-back wins tonight as the Lady Cats host Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 5 15 10 10 — 40

TON 7 12 14 6 — 39

LOUISBURG (4-12): Jillian Asher 3-4 4-4 13; Ashlyn Kuhlman 3-16 1-2 8; Shylar Whiting 4-14 0-0 8; Morgan Latham 2-7 0-2 4; Sami Lane 1-6 0-0 3; Ally Brown 1-2 1-1 3; Zyleigh Melton 0-2 1-4 1. Totals: 14-56 7-15 40. 3-point field goals: 5, (Asher 3, Kuhlman, Lane)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week eight of the winter sports season, sponsored by Dr. Laura’s Orthdontics.

BRADY HICKEY, SENIOR, BOYS BASKETBALL

Louisburg senior Brady Hickey helped lead the Wildcat boys basketball team in what was a busy 3-game week. Hickey scored 36 total points on the week, including a 15-point performance last Saturday against Lee’s Summit.

Hickey nearly recorded a double-double Friday against Ottawa as he finished with 12 points and added eight rebounds from the point guard spot. In a win over Paola on Jan. 30, Hickey scored nine points and had three assists to help lead the Wildcats.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous Winners:

Week 1: Myles Vohs

Week 2: Andrew Jamison

Week 3: Nathan Parker

Week 4: Elias Pugh

Week 5: Ashton Moore

Week 6: Colin Brown

Week 7: Ashlyn Kuhlman

Louisburg sophomore Zyleigh Melton goes up for a shot Friday during the Lady Cats’ game at Ottawa.

OTTAWA — The Louisburg girls basketball team was riding a mini 2-game winning streak heading into Friday’s contest at Ottawa. 

However, the Cyclones are one of the top teams in the Frontier League and were poised to end that streak. Ottawa used a big second quarter and pulled away to hand Louisburg a 45-29 loss.

Ottawa outscored Louisburg, 18-5, in the second quarter and made it difficult for the Lady Cats to get back in the game.

“Ottawa is a very talented team and playing at Ottawa is always a hard environment to play in,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I thought we played hard and did a good job defending them with different defenses.”

Louisburg trailed by just seven after the first quarter, but an Ottawa run pushed the Cyclones’ lead to 20 points at halftime.

The Lady Cats didn’t give in, however. Louisburg held Ottawa to just 14 points in the second half and outscored the Cyclones, 14-4, in the final quarter.

“This team does not give up,” Lane said. “I love their heart and their grit. They battled the fourth quarter and did a great job running offense and not quitting.”

Louisburg got the opportunities on offense it wanted at times, but couldn’t get the shots to fall as the Lady Cats shot 23 percent from the field. Combined with 23 turnovers, that made it difficult to get the road win.

Junior Sami Lane led Louisburg in scoring with six points on a pair of 3-pointers, while junior Ashlyn Kuhlman had a team-high eight rebonds and three assists.

Jillian Asher and Zyleigh Melton each chipped in five points in the loss, while Sabra Brueggen had five rebounds and two assists.

Louisburg will go on the road tonight as the Lady Cats travel to Tonganoxie for a Frontier League contest. It will be a rematch of the Lady Cats’ season opening loss from back in December.

“The game at Tongie is a big game,” coach Lane said. “We need to get this win to help us get a spot in the postseason. I also think if we could play with Tongie it will show how much we have improved throughout the season.”

LOU 6 5 4 14 — 29

OTT 13 18 10 4 — 45

LOUISBURG (3-12): Sami Lane 2-7 0-0 6; Jillian Asher 2-2 0-0 5; Zyleigh Melton 1-5 3-3 5; Ashlyn Kuhlman 2-12 0-0 4; Sabra Brueggen 2-7 0-0 4; Ally Brown 1-3 0-0 3; Morgan Latham 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 11-47 3-5 29. 3-point field goals: (Lane 2, Asher, Brown)