Louisburg takes control late, ends Tiger girls' season

LOUISBURG -- Third-seeded Louisburg ended Fort Scott High School girls' season here Monday night by taking control of the fourth quarter of a Louisburg Class 4A Sub-State Tournament first-round game and taking a 43-40 victory.

There were 10 ties and six lead changes in this game. The last of the lead changes came with 1:50 left in the contest when Louisburg's Brooke Frazier scored the first of consecutive baskets. The second one made it 40-37 and marked the first time all night that the Wildcats (11-9) led by more than 2 points.

Brooke Vaughn made 1 of 2 free throws with 36 seconds to go. But Hannah Tourtillott kept the Tigers (8-13) alive with a 3-point basket with 24 seconds to go.

Fort Scott stole the inbound pass after a Louisburg time out but could not convert the possession into points. The Wildcats forced a held ball with 7.7 seconds to go and the possession arrow pointed Louisburg's way.

Lark Hutchinson made both free throws with 5.8 seconds left to provide the points that held up as the final margin.

Nicole Hopkins came off the bench to score 12 points to lead the Wildcats. Frazier finished with 10.

Jillian Lattimer scored 8 points to lead the Tigers off the bench. Katren Rienbolt, Sidney Maycumber and Brianne Lawrence each scored 5.

Louisburg made 16 of 41 field-goal attempts for 39 percent while Fort Scott shot 34 percent on 13 of 38.

Free throws were a major factor, especially in the fourth quarter. Louisburg made 10 of 19 in the game but made 3 of 4 in the final 36 seconds. Fort Scott went 12 of 22 at the charity stripe but made only 5 of 13 attempts in the final stanza and only 1 of their last 5.

Fort Scott ourebounded Louisburg 35-27. But the Tigers also committed 26 turnovers to the Wildcats' 19.

Louisburg goes on to host the winner of Monday night's contest between seventh-seeded Paola and second-seeded Louisburg in a Thursday night semifinal. Fifth-seeded Chanute (9-12) won at Iola, 54-30, and will face top-seeded Prairie View (18-3), which defeated Anderson County, 58-38.

After three first-quarter ties and a couple of lead changes, Fort Scott claimed a 12-9 lead at the end of the first quarter on a Lattimer basket and a pair of Ericah Shoemaker free throws.

Louisburg did not regain the lead for the rest of the half, although the Wildcats did tie the score three times. The last time was on Hutchinson's basket with a minute to go that tied it at 16-16 at the break.

The Tigers scored the first 9 points of the third quarter with Lawrence scoring the first 4 and Lattimer pitching in with the last 4 to put Fort Scott up 25-16 with about 2 1/2 minutes remaining. But then Louisburg scored the last 8 of the half -- all by Hopkins -- to get within one point.

Louisburg held a 31-29 lead after Anna Bell made a layup. But the Tigers got a free throw from Maycumber to tie it and a 3-point goal by Allen to put then up by two.

Hopkins tied the score at 33-33. The Tigers made 5 free throws in the next minute while Vaughn hit a 3-pointer for the Cats. That saw Fort Scott ahead 37-36 with 2:34 remaining.

NOTES -- The top four seeds -- Labette County, Pittsburg, Girard and Parsons -- were victors on the girls' side of the Coffeyville Sub-State. Parsons boys were also winners, playing Monday since both Viking teams were paired with Baxter Springs....

(6) FORT SCOTT: Tourtillott 1 1-5 4, Shoemaker 1 2-2 4, Allen 1 0-0 3, Rienbolt 2 1-2 5, Shelton 2 0-1 4, Sd.Maycumber 1 3-6 5, Karleskint 1 0-0 2, Lattimer 3 2-2 8, Lawrence 1 3-4 5. TOTALS: 13-38 12-22 40.

(3) LOUISBURG: Vaughn 1 2-6 5, Aiken 0 2-2 2, Hutchinson 3 3-4 9, Bell 1 1-2 3, Frazier 5 0-0 10, Moore 0 2-3 2, Hopkins 6 0-2 12, Henderson 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 16-41 10-19 43.

Louisburg..... 9 7 8 19 -- 43

Three-point field goals: Fort Scott 2-6 (Tourtillott, Allen), Louisburg 1-6 (Vaughn).

Total fouls: Fort Scott 17, Louisburg 20. Fouled out: none.

Rebounds: Fort Scott 35, Louisburg 27. Turnovers: Fort Scott 26, Louisburg 19.