Louisburg senior Ava Baker (left) celebrates with teammate Emma Prettyman after a big basket Thursday at Harrisonville High School.

HARRISONVILLE. Mo. — There was a lot riding on Louisburg’s regular season finale and it came against a different kind of opponent.

The Lady Cats ventured outside league play Thursday and traveled to Harrisonville. A victory meant they would host the sub-state tournament and a victory is exactly what they got.

Louisburg used a big third quarter to take a 10-point lead and the Lady Cats were able to hold on for a 52-45 victory over Harrisonville.

With the win, Louisburg earned the No. 4 seed in the sub-state tournament and will host No. 13 Chanute on Wednesday. If the Lady Cats advance, they will also host the sub-state championship game on Saturday.

“This was a big win for the girls,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We needed the win, and I felt like the girls played like they knew we needed to win. I thought we did a great job finishing the game. We made several free throws down the stretch to finalize it.”

It was close for much of the contest as the Lady Cats held just a one-point lead at halftime, however they put together an offensive showing in the third.

Louisburg responded with 19 points in the frame and took a 10-point lead going into the final quarter. Senior point guard Brianne Kuhlman led the charge with seven points in the third and senior Delanie Tally also hit a pair of 3-pointers before having to sit with foul trouble.

“At halftime we talked a lot about finishing better in the lane, and in the second half I thought the girls came out and did a better job of that,” Lane said.

Harrisonville didn’t go away, however, as it trimmed the Louisburg lead to just 48-45 late in the fourth quarter. The Lady Cats were able to seal it late with four free throws from Ava Baker and Kuhlman.

Tally had a big night for the Lady Cats despite dealing with foul trouble. She finished with a team-high 16 points, including four 3-pointers.

Senior forward Emma Prettyman dominated the glass with a team-high 15 rebounds to go along with seven points and a team-best four assists and two steals.

Kuhlman also had a strong outing as she tallied 11 points to go along with seven rebounds from the point guard spot. Senior Adyson Ross added 10 points and three assists.

Baker tallied eight points and three rebounds in the win. 

“Delanie had a great night, with four 3-pointers and had a couple 2’s down the stretch,” Lane said. “She played with confidence and I was so proud of her for keeping her head up even when she got into foul trouble.

“Brianne had a heck of a game, as she scored all her points in the second half and she did a great job getting to the basket. She made four really big free throws for us down the stretch as well. Emma P really dominated the lane and she made some big free throws as well.”

Now all focus is on the postseason as the Lady Cats try to earn a spot in the Class 4A state tournament. Their journey begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday when they host Chanute in the sub-state semifinals.

If they advance, Louisburg will plays the winner of Parsons and Holton on Saturday for the sub-state championship.

“We are very excited for the postseason,” Lane said. “If we play well like we have been all season, I feel like we have a great chance to get to Salina. That being said, we will work hard this week and be prepared for whoever we are playing.”

LOU 12 10 19 11 — 52

HAR 11 10 10 14 — 45

LOUISBURG (14-6): Delanie Tally 6-14 0-0 16; Brianne Kuhlman 3-6 4-5 11; Adyson Ross 3-12 4-6 10; Ava Baker 2-8 2-2 8; Emma Prettyman 2-8 3-6 7.  Totals: 16-56 13-19 52. 3-point field goals: 7, (Tally 4, Baker 2, Kuhlman)

Louisburg sophomore Gavin Lohse fights for a rebound Thursday at Harrisonville High School. In a battle of Wildcats, Louisburg fell 51-43.

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — It wasn’t the best of shooting nights Thursday when Louisburg ventured outside of league play to take on Harrisonville..

The Wildcats shot just 25 percent from the floor and were 43 percent from the free-throw line. However, there they were, down just two points midway through the final quarter.

Unfortunately for Louisburg, Harrisonville scored the final six points of the game and handed the Wildcats a 51-43 defeat in their regular season finale.

“It’s amazing we were still in the game with the way we shot the ball,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We were getting decent looks, we just couldn’t get them to fall. Our guys actually had really good composure and kept grinding.”

Harrisonville jumped out to a quick 13-6 lead after the first quarter and then scored the first seven points of the second to go up 14 points. The Wildcats clawed back to make it a nine point contest at halftime.

Louisburg (8-12) played strong defense at times as it forced 18 Harrisonville turnovers. The Wildcats were also active on the glass with 15 offensive rebounds in the game and that led to 14 second chance points.

The Wildcats got some of those in the second half as it trimmed the lead to seven going into the final quarter.

A free throw from Colyer Wingfield made it four point game with two minutes remaining, and after a Harrisonville free throw, junior Nathan Parker hit a 3-pointer with 1:25 left to make it a 2-point contest.

The Wildcats got the ball back after a blocked shot from Mason Dobbins, but a 3-pointer from Parker rimmed out that would have given Louisburg the lead. Instead, Harrisonville went to the free-throw line and put the game away.

“Our guys always keep battling,” Pfannenstiel said. “When shots aren’t falling, you just have to keep getting stops and getting more opportunities on the offensive end. We were much better in the second half. We gave ourselves a chance in the end. Credit to the boys for continuing to fight.”

Wingfield led the Wildcats in scoring with 13 points and also had seven rebounds. Dobbins added a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with nine points, two blocks and two steals.

Parker came off the bench to hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with eight points.

The loss put the Wildcats as a No. 13 seed in the sub-state tournament and will travel to No. 4 Bishop Miege for a 7 p.m. tipoff tomorrow at Bishop Miege High School.

Louisburg knows going up against the defending state champions will be a tough challenge.

“We are excited to play in the postseason,” Pfannenstiel said. “Not everyone gets a chance to play this week, so we are going to make the most of it. Like we do each game, I expect our guys to play hard and represent our school the right way. Our kids have worked really hard, so I know they will make our community proud.”

LOU 6 11 11 15 — 43

HAR 13 13 9 16 — 51

LOUISBURG (8-12): Colyer Wingfield 5-21 2-4 13; Mason Dobbins 4-7 1-6 9; Nathan Parker 2-7 2-2 8; Trey Myers 2-9 0-1 5; Conlee Hovey 1-3 1-2 3; Gavin Lohse 1-2 0-0 2; Brady Hickey 0-5 1-2 1; Myles Vohs 0-0 1-2 1; Brock Vohs 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 15-60 9-21 43. 3-point field goals: 4, (Parker 2, Myers, Wingfield)

Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield scored a team-high 16 points and helped the Wildcats to a 52-41 win over Paola on Tuesday.

Nothing like ending a losing streak and doing it against your rival — and on Senior Night nonetheless.

That’s exactly what Louisburg did Tuesday as the Wildcats used a big fourth quarter to get a 52-41 win over Paola and snap a 6-game losing streak in the process.

It was the perfect way for the Wildcats to send their five seniors — Cade Gassman, Trey Myers, Isaiah Whitley, Mason Dobbins and Colyer Wingfield — out with a win in their final home game.

“It was a great team win,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We had a lot of guys step up and make plays. It was definitely the best we’ve played as a whole.”

All five of the seniors contributed in the victory, but it was a pair of underclassmen who sparked the Wildcats in that pivotal fourth quarter. Junior Brady Hickey and sophomore Myles Vohs came off the bench to score eight of the team’s 20 points in the final frame. 

Wingfield also scored six of his team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter to help the Wildcats outscore Paola 20-8 and pull away.

The Wildcats shot the ball well throughout the game, despite it being and back-and-forth contest through the first three quarters. Louisburg shot 58 percent from the field and knocked down six 3-pointers.

“We were really effective on offense,” Pfannenstiel said. “I feel like after most of these games we have talked about our offensive woes, but in this one our offense is what bailed us out.  Putting the ball in the hole solves a lot of problems.

“We were great in the fourth. Brady and Myles came in and gave us a big spark. They brought energy, played great defense, and made some big shots.  We also made our free throws down the stretch so that’s what sealed it.”

Vohs was the team’s second leading scorer with nine points and Hickey finished with seven. Both players had key 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter.

Dobbins finished the game with a team-high six rebounds and five points. Gassman and Whitley added five points, while Myers added a basket in his final home game.

It is a group of seniors that Pfannenstiel has come to enjoy and that has brought a lot to the program.

“This is a fun group,” Pfannenstiel said. “They’ve worked hard and bought into the work and preparation it takes to play at this level.  They are truly program guys. They’ve hit the weight room, put in the time over the summers, and have made a lasting impact on our program. And best of all, they are good kids. Just a fun group to be around.”

Louisburg will try for back-to-back wins as it heads into postseason play. The Wildcats will try and improve their seeding tonight as they travel to Harrisonville for their regular season finale. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

“Paola was a huge win for us,” Pfannenstiel said. “Hopefully it’s a good confidence booster. Not only was it good for us to just get a win, but it was really important for us seeding wise. The Harrisonville game is going to have a lot of implications as well.  We really need to get another one.”

LOU 11 13 8 20 — 52

PAO 15 8 10 8 — 41

LOUISBURG (8-11): Colyer Wingfield 7-9 0-0 16; Myles Vohs 3-3 2-4 9; Brady Hickey 2-3 2-2 7; Cade Gassman 2-5 0-0 5; Isaiah Whitley 2-3 0-0 5; Mason Dobbins 2-2 1-2 5; Conlee Hovey 0-0 2-2 2; Trey Myers 1-3 0-2 2; Gavin Lohse 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 19-33 8-14 52. 3-point field goals: 6, (Wingfield 2, Hickey, Gassman, Vohs, Whitley)

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross finished with a double-double Tuesday against Paola on Senior Night and helped the Lady Cats to a 47-39 win.

As the ball was thrown into the air for the opening tip — the whistle blew and a technical foul was called on the Louisburg bench.

Normally, technicals are followed with frustration, anger and probably a bunch of yelling. Not in this case. Instead, the smiles could been seen up and down the Lady Cat bench.

It was Senior Night for Louisburg on Tuesday against Paola and the Lady Cats wanted to honor their seven seniors in the proper way. Only five could start, but that didn’t stop head coach Adrianne Lane from starting all seven.

One of the seven included senior Tehya Harvey, who has been out all season with a knee injury and Harvey was able to suit up and take the floor one last time.

“As a coach I have never had to worry about having too many seniors to start on senior night,” Lane said. “I wanted all of the girls to get the opportunity to start because all seven of them deserved to be honored on Senior Night.

“Tehya was very excited to suit up and be on the court with her teammates. I think this was a very special moment for her and I am so glad she got the opportunity to get on the court this season.”

Along with Harvey, seniors Adyson Ross, Delanie Tally, Emma Lohse, Emma Prettyman, Brianne Kuhlman and Ava Baker made it a memorable one as they left the floor with a 47-39 win over Paola.

The Lady Cats got out to a fast start and never looked back as they took a 17-point lead at one point in the second half. Louisburg has now won five of its last six games as the postseason draws near.

“The girls were very excited to get the win against Paola,” Lane said. “They started off great and played hard. I feel the girls have started playing so well together and their trust for each other is shown on the floor.”

It showed early on as the Lady Cats took a 15-8 lead after the first quarter and then held Paola to just four points in the second quarter. Louisburg led 28-12 at halftime.

Ross was a big part of the Louisburg success as she finished with a double-double to end her regular season home career. She finished with a team-high 14 points and had 10 rebounds.

Baker was second on the team with eight points. Prettyman had a strong performance under the basket with seven points, eight rebounds and a team-high four assists.

With the Lady Cats’ recent success, they have shot up the Class 4A standings and are currently in the mix for the No. 4 seed, which would allow them to host the upcoming sub-state tournament.

Even with all that success, the Lady Cats (13-6) will need to win one more to stay in contention for a top four seed. Louisburg will travel to Harrisonville (Mo.) tonight for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff in its regular season finale.

Along with all that, it will also be a special night for Lane. Her sister, BryAnn Middleton, is the Harrisonville head coach and Lane is excited for the opportunity to go up against her big sister.

“It will be a fun game for my family,” Lane said. “Harrisonville won its last game to make them conference champs, so they are having a great season. I think it will be a defensive battle.

“We both coach very similar philosophies, so I think the game will come down to who can take care of the basketball and finish in the lane.”

LOU 15 13 11 8 — 47

PAO 8 4 10 17 — 39

LOUISBURG (13-6): Adyson Ross 6-14 2-2 14; Ava Baker 4-5 0-1 8; Emma Prettyman 3-7 1-3 7; Emma Lohse 2-2 0-0 4; Ashley Branine 2-6 0-0 4; Brianne Kuhlman 1-4 2-2 4; Delanie Tally 1-12 1-2 4; Ashlyn Kuhlman 0-0 2-2 2. Totals: 19-51 8-12 47. 3-point field goals: 1, (Tally)

Louisburg senior Emma Lohse drives the lane Tuesday during the Lady Cats’ road win at Eudora. Lohse came off the bench to score 13 points.

EUDORA — The Louisburg girls found themselves in a difficult situation in the third quarter of Tuesday’s road contest against Eudora.

Eudora scored the first nine points of the second half to take the lead, plus senior forward Emma Prettyman had to sit with four fouls. The Lady Cats needed a spark and they got it from their bench.

Senior Emma Lohse, junior Ashley Branine and sophomore Mackenzie Rooney played valuable minutes in the second half to help give the Lady Cats the lead back.

Senior starter Adyson Ross took over from there as she scored nine fourth quarter points to help Louisburg escape Eudora, 38-34, as the Lady Cats moved to 12-6 on the season.

Louisburg, which had a two-point lead going into the fourth, got two 3-pointers from Lohse and Ross to give the Lady Cats a little cushion in the final minutes.

Ross then hit a runner with two minutes left to give Louisburg a five-point lead. She would then go on to hit four consecutive free throws in the final seconds and finished with a team-high 16 points. She also tallied a team-high six rebounds.

“Adyson did great and finished hard,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I told the girls at halftime that even if your shots aren’t going in, you just need to keep shooting. Adyson finally got one to go, and it was a big one. She made some big plays there for us in the fourth quarter.”

The Lady Cats wouldn’t have been in that position for Ross’ heroics without the play of their bench, especially in the second half.

Lohse was second on the team in scoring with 13 points on the night, while Branine finished with six. Along with Rooney, all three provided a big defensive presence for Louisburg.

“Those three came in and played super hard and really gave us some good minutes,” Lane said. “When both Emma and Mack were in, we played super fast. I told the girls to take advantage of that and get out and play fast. Ashley has been playing so good lately. She has been rebounding and keeping the ball alive and doing a great job. Those three played some big minutes for us.”

It wasn’t the best of offensive nights for the Lady Cats, but they used their defense to get the road win. Louisburg forced 15 Eudora turnovers and held the Cardinals to just 31 percent shooting.

The Lady Cats scored 23 points off those Eudora mistakes. Louisburg will certainly take the win as they head into the final week of the regular season.

“A win is a win I would say,” Lane said. “We were able to play some good defense. We played a little zone, which is something different for us, and I think the girls did a good job with that.”

Louisburg will play their home regular season finale Tuesday when the Wildcats host Paola for Senior Night as the Lady Cats honor their seven seniors.

It will make for an emotional evening when they square off with their rival.

“Paola always wants to beat us,” Lane said. “I told the girls that their record doesn’t show how good of a team they are. They are fast, physical and they are going to want to come in and get a win. It will be a hard night with Senior Night, so we are going to have to play well.”

LOU 7 13 6 12 — 38

EUD 2 11 11 10 — 34

LOUISBURG (12-6): Adyson Ross 4-15 5-6 14; Emma Lohse 4-6 3-3 13; Ashley Branine 3-4 0-0 6; Ava Baker 1-7 0-1 3; Delanie Tally 1-8 0-0 2. Totals: 13-45 8-11 38. 3-point field goals: 4, (Lohse 2, Ross, Baker)

Louisburg sophomore Conlee Hovey battles for a rebound with a pair of Spring Hill players Friday at Spring Hill High School.

SPRING HILL — Down 10 points midway through the third quarter, the Louisburg boys were in a tough situation Friday in Spring Hill.

Still, the Wildcats found a way to get out of it. 

Louisburg rallied from a double-digit deficit to take a four-point lead with under two minutes left in the contest. As hard as the Wildcats fought, Spring Hill snatched the lead right back.

The Broncos scored the final seven points of the contest and handed Louisburg a 61-58 defeat.

“It was a tough loss,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We had a two possession lead with 1:13 left and didn’t finish it off. I was proud of how we got ourselves back in position to win the game, but we didn’t make enough plays in the end. We had our opportunities, we just didn’t get it done.”

Louisburg took the lead midway through the fourth quarter thanks to free throws from senior Trey Myers and a layup from Colyer Wingfield to go up 54-52.

Spring Hill tied it with a basket on its next possession, but the Wildcats scored four straight points thanks to a driving basket from Nathan Parker and a lay-in from Conlee Hovey.

With under two minutes left, the Broncos cut the lead to one as they hit the last of their 11 3-pointers for the game to cut it to one. Louisburg had back-to-back turnovers, while Spring Hill converted at the free-throw line to get the win.

Although the Broncos connected on those 11 3-pointers, the Wildcats still found themselves in the contest, but had a tough time at the free-throw line as they went 19 for 37.

“Spring Hill was hot from outside which kept them in it,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have to do a better job of making things tough on their shooters. The most glaring stat was our poor shooting night at the foul line. We did a good job of getting to the line, but we have to take advantage of those foul line opportunities. We have to knock those down if we want to win these close games.”

The Wildcats (7-10) made several big plays throughout the game to get back in it, and it started on the inside. Dobbins and Hovey were factors for the Wildcats on the glass and with some easy baskets.

Dobbins finished the game with a team-high 12 points to go along with eight rebounds. Hovey added nine points and had a team-best 10 boards.

Wingfield also scored in double figures for the Wildcats with 10 points and eight rebounds to go along with three assists.

“We had some really good offensive possessions during that stretch,” Pfannenstiel said. “We had a lot of guys step up and make plays for us. It was a total team effort. 

“Mason had a good night on both sides. He was active on defense and on the glass. He also put together his best offensive performance. Both he and Conlee were really good in there.”

The Wildcats will try and snap its four-game losing streak tonight when the Wildcats travel to Eudora. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 9 13 14 22 — 58

SH 13 14 18 16 — 61

LOUISBURG (7-10): Mason Dobbins 4-9 4-7 12; Colyer Wingfield 3-11 4-11 10; Nathan Parker 3-7 2-3 10; Conlee Hovey 3-5 3-7 9; Luke Hill 2-7 0-0 5; Trey Myers 1-1 2-2 5; Cade Gassman 1-1 0-1 3; Isaiah Whitley 0-0 3-4 3; Brock Vohs 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 17-41 19-37 58. 3-point field goals: 5, (Parker 2, Hill, Myers, Gassman)

Wildcats fall in close game to Tonganoxie

Louisburg got out to the start it wanted against Tonganoxie at home on Feb. 7.

The final three quarters weren’t what the Wildcats were hoping for. Tonganoxie defeated the Wildcats 52-48 after outscoring Louisburg by 10 after the first quarter.

“We had a terrible scoring drought there in the third and fourth quarter that really did us in,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “I think it was a 10 minute stretch of actual game time where we only scored one bucket.”

That drought haunted the Wildcats as Tonganoxie was able to build a 16-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. All this after Louisburg took a 12-5 lead after the first frame.

Defensively, the Wildcats were also able to turn the Chieftains over late and Louisburg was able to cut into the lead thanks to a barrage of 3-pointers from senior Colyer Wingfield. However, it was too big of a deficit to overcome.

“Our defense played ok, but our offensive struggles are making it to where our defense has to play nearly perfect every night,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have to do a better job of generating some offense.”

Wingfield had a big night from the floor as he finished with a game-high 28 points, that included five 3-pointers. Junior Nathan Parker just missed double figures with nine points.

Sophomore Conlee Hovey and senior Mason Dobbins each had a team-high nine rebounds. 

LOU 12 8 8 20 — 48

TON 5 15 13 18 — 52

LOUISBURG: Colyer Wingfield 9-19 5-7 28; Nathan Parker 3-13 0-0 9; Conlee Hovey 1-5 1-2 3; Trey Myers 1-3 0-0 3; Mason Dobbins 1-2 1-6 3; Myles Vohs 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 16-52 7-17 48. 3-point field goals: 9, (Wingfield 5, Parker 3, Myers)

Louisburg senior Delanie Tally scored a team-high 14 points Tuesday at home against Tonganoxie. The Lady Cats cruised to a 54-32 win.

From the opening tip, it was clear it was going to be Louisburg’s night.

The Lady Cats scored the game’s first 14 points and held Tongnaoxie scoreless in the first quarter, en route to a 54-32 victory. It was the Lady Cats’ third straight win.

“Tuesday was a great win for our team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “All the girls got to play and contribute to this victory. Our defense was good and we got to work on a couple different defenses, which is always helpful this deep into the season.”

Louisburg, which improved its record to 11-5 on the season and is currently ranked No. 9 in Class 4A, didn’t waste any time to get going against the Chieftains.

Senior Adyson Ross opened the game with back-to-back baskets and then senior Delanie Tally recorded a steal and a 3-pointer. Ross added another score and Tally recorded another 3-pointer to put the Lady Cats up 12. 

Louisburg senior Ava Baker knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Lady Cats a 14-0 lead over Tonganoxie after one quarter. It was all Louisburg the rest of the way as it led 27-7 at halftime.

Tally led Louisburg in scoring with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Ross nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Baker was also in double figures with 12 points and seven boards.

The Lady Cats were strong on the defensive end as they held Tonganoxie to 26 percent shooting and forced 13 turnovers. Tally was active all night with five steals and junior Ashley Branine had four to go along with eight points and six rebounds.

Lane also got the chance to empty her bench in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Ashlyn Kuhlman scored her first varsity basket.

“It is always a lot of fun when all the girls get to play,” Lane said. “The sophomores work so hard every day in practice and when they get to contribute on the varsity team it makes for a happy locker room after the game. The upperclassmen are always encouraging and excited for them.”

Louisburg will go up against one of the Frontier League’s top teams on Friday as the Lady Cats travel to Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. 

The Broncos handed the Lady Cats one of their five losses on the year and Lane knows it will be a challenge on the road.

“Friday will be a tough game for us and we will have to start hard and battle the entire game,” Lane said. “I am excited to play Spring Hill again. I think this game will give us an idea of where we are currently as a team and will also help us see things we need to work on before the postseason. 

“Defense and communication are going to be key for this game. We will also work on getting to the basket, knowing when we are open, and finishing in the lane with tough defense on us.”

LOU 14 13 17 10 — 54

TON 0 7 9 16 — 32

LOUISBURG (11-5): Delanie Tally 5-9 0-0 14; Adyson Ross 6-13 0-1 12; Ava Baker 4-7 2-2 12; Ashley Branine 4-8 0-0 8; Brianne Kuhlman 1-7 0-1 2; Emma Prettyman 1-2 0-0 2; Ashlyn Kuhlman 1-4 0-0 2; Sami Lane 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 23-59 2-4 54. 3-point field goals: 6, (Tally 4, Baker 2)

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

BRIANNE KUHLMAN, SENIOR, GIRLS BASKETBALL

Louisburg senior point guard Brianne Kuhlman was one of the keys to a pair of victories for the Lady Cat basketball team last week against Paola and Ottawa. Kuhlman finished with 11 points in the two games, but also added with 11 rebounds from her point guard spot. She also recorded a team-high eight assists.

Kuhlman is a 3-year starter for the Lady Cats and has helped lead them to an 11-5 record so far this season.

“Brianne had a great week,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “She has such a big, calm presence on our team. She is very consistent and takes care of the basketball in all situations. Brianne is a leader on our team, and I feel like her stats show that because she has stats in all categories. She is very even across the board.”

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: Adyson Ross

Week 2: Colin Brown

Week 3: Colyer Wingfield

Week 4: Kaven Bartlett

Week 5: Trace Eslinger

Week 6: Jay McCaskill

Week 7: Andrew Jamison

Louisburg sophomore Gavin Lohse goes up for a shot and gets fouled Friday during the Wildcats’ homecoming game against Ottawa.

It was a night and day difference for the Louisburg boys basketball team Friday against Ottawa.

The last time the Wildcats faced off with the Cyclones, they fell on the road by 16. It was a lot closer this time around.

Louisburg had a four-point halftime lead on Ottawa, and had a chance to tie in the game’s final seconds, but the Wildcats came up short in a 50-46 loss.

As disappointing as the setback was for Louisburg, Wildcat coach Ty Pfannenstiel saw several good things from this team.

“The three keys going into the game for us was energy, energy and energy,” Pfannenstiel said. “I just wanted to emphasize how important it was for us to come out and play with energy. We started off pressing and wanted to play more up-tempo. We started off really well. We played with energy all night, but when they switched to their zone, we struggled against it a little bit.”

The Wildcats (7-8) got out to a strong start as it scored the first six points of the game and took a 12-9 lead after one quarter. 

Ottawa made a run late in the first half to take a one-point lead, but Wildcat freshman Luke Schultz answered with a 3-pointer. Senior Colyer Wingfield ended the half with a steal and a breakaway dunk to put Louisburg up 27-23 at halftime.

In the second half, Ottawa turned the tables as the Cyclones went zone to slow down the Wildcats and they heated up on offense. Ottawa hit four 3-pointers in the frame to take the lead midway through the third and wouldn’t relinquish it.

The Wildcats trailed by four late in the fourth when junior Nathan Parker knocked down a 3-pointer to cut it to one. Ottawa went on to hit two free throws to stretch its lead to three.

Louisburg had one final chance to tie it, but a 3-pointer from the corner wouldn’t go down and the Cyclones left win a win.

“We just had bad stretches,” Pfannenstiel said. “That third quarter was a really bad stretch. There was a moment in the fourth that was a bad stretch. We need to find ways to eliminate those, and if we don’t have those, we would have been in a lot better position at the end.

“We had the play drawn up that we beat them on last year at the buzzer. They saw that coming, so we had to change what we wanted to do. They had some fouls to give too, so they were trying to foul and makes it tougher to run a play. We still got a good look on the inbounds play, but we just couldn’t get it to fall.”

Wingfield led the Wildcats in scoring on the night with 15 points and four assists, while Parker connected on four 3-pointers and finished with 12. Senior Mason Dobbins had a team-high nine rebounds

The Wildcats will try and end its 3-game losing skid tonight as they host Tonganoxie. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 12 15 9 10 — 46

OTT 9 14 16 11 — 50

LOUISBURG (7-8): Colyer Wingfield 6-16 2-2 15; Nathan Parker 4-6 0-0 12; Conlee Hovey 2-3 0-0 4; Mason Dobbins 2-4 0-2 4; Luke Schultz 1-1 0-0 3; Cade Gassman 1-3 0-0 2; Myles Vohs 1-1 0-0 2; Gavin Lohse 1-3 0-2 2; Isaiah Whitley 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 19-40 2-6 46. 3-point field goals: 6, (Parker 4, Wingfield, Schultz)

Louisburg point guard Brianne Kuhlman passes it to an open teammate Friday during the Lady Cats’ homecoming game against Ottawa.

After losing to Ottawa earlier in the season, the Louisburg girls basketball team wanted to make a statement.

The Lady Cats wanted to prove they were better than what they showed a month ago and they got that chance Friday when they hosted the Cyclones. 

Louisburg took full advantage.

The Lady Cats held Ottawa to just eight first half points and cruised to a 50-35 homecoming win over the Cyclones. It was also the second straight win for Louisburg as it improved to 10-5 on the season.

“The team was very excited to get the win on Friday,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We have worked very hard over the past several weeks to get better and be able to beat them.”

Defense was at the top of the list of priorities for the Lady Cats and they made their presence felt. Louisburg held Ottawa to just 25 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers.

Louisburg turned those Ottawa mistakes into 17 points and the Lady Cats also pulled down 13 offensive rebounds to account for 10 second chance points.

“Defense was key for us on Friday,” Lane said. “We practiced defense a lot last week leading up to the game. Ottawa does a great job of getting into the lane, so we focused on not letting the offense cut in front of our faces and weakside help.”

Offensively, the Lady Cats also got scoring from up and down its lineup as three players scored in double figure. It all started with senior Adyson Ross.

Ross recorded a double-double as she led the Lady Cats with 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Senior guard Delanie Tally was also in double figures with 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Another senior, Ava Baker, added 10 points and a pair of 3-pointers.

“Adyson was great on Friday, and she does a fantastic job of creating shots for herself and movement in the offense and her rebounding has been great the whole season,” Lane said. “Her offensive rebounding has given us several second chances and they have paid off.

“Having three players score in double digits is great for the team. It’s hard for other teams to guard us when we have so many scoring threats. And we have had several different leading scorers throughout the season.”

Senior point guard Brianne Kuhlman also had a big night as she was second on the team with six rebounds and led Louisburg with four assists, along with Tally. Kuhlman also had five points in the win.

Louisburg took control of the game early as the Lady Cats jumped out to a 14-4 at the end of the first quarter. They then scored the first eight points of the second quarter to go up 18, before leading 22-8 at halftime.

The Lady Cats kept the Cyclones at arm’s length the rest of the way as Ottawa wasn’t able to trim the lead to under 10 as the Lady Cats were able to empty their bench in the final minute.

Louisburg will try and make it three straight wins Tuesday when it hosts Tonganoxie in a rematch from the season opener. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

“I feel the team is strong right now,” Lane said. “We have been playing well together as a team and I think we will continue to get better and better each week. We have to keep battling and fighting until the last game.”

LOU 14 8 16 12 — 50

OTT 4 4 14 13 — 35

LOUISBURG (10-5): Adyson Ross 5-13 6-6 17; Delanie Tally 4-13 0-0 11; Ava Baker 4-11 0-0 10; Brianne Kuhlman 2-8 1-1 5; Ashley Branine 2-5 0-0 4; Emma Lohse 1-3 0-0 3. Totals: 18-55 7-9 50. 3-point field goals: 7, (Tally 3, Baker 2, Lohse, Ross)