5 February 2023
ST. JOSEPH, MO. (KSNT) – Emporia State men’s and women’s basketball traveled to Missouri Western on Saturday for an MIAA matchup.
Both teams suffered a loss. The Hornet men dropped a 65-60 contest, and the Emporia State women fell, 76-60.
Men’s Recap:
Emporia State (17-6, 11-6) men’s basketball came into Saturday’s game off a loss to No. 4 Northwest Missouri State, after winning seven of its past eight games.
Saturday’s contest started back-and-forth, with the two teams locked at 10 eight minutes in.
Then, the Griffons went on a 9-1 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 19-11. The Hornets responded with a run of their own to take a 24-23 lead with three minutes left in the first half.
Both teams battled in the final minutes, as the Griffons took a 28-27 lead into the locker room.
A 12-3 run for the Hornets out of the half gave Emporia State a 39-31 lead five minutes into the second period. The Griffons slowly crept back into the game, taking a 49-48 lead with nine minutes remaining.
An 8-2 run from the Hornets gave Emporia State a five-point advantage with six minutes to go.
Missouri Western followed with an 11-2 run of its own, as the Griffons took a 62-58 lead with a minute to go.
Emporia State got one more bucket, but free throws shut the door on coming back. As the final buzzer sounded, the score read 65-60 in favor of Missouri Western.
Alijah Comithier led the Hornets with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Peyton Rogers-Schmidt added 14 points, Kaden Evan 10 points.
Women’s Recap:
Emporia State (12-11, 7-10) women’s basketball came into Saturday’s game winners of three-straight after an eight-game losing streak.
The Lady Hornets started out up 4-2, but the Griffons ended on a 19-4 run to take a big 21-8 advantage into the second quarter.
The second quarter wasn’t any better for Emporia State. The Griffons opened on a 17-6 run to open a 21-point lead. That effort continued to the break, with the Lady Hornets trailing 45-24 at halftime.
In the second half, the Emporia State defense started picking up. The Lady Hornets outscored the Griffons 17-11 in the third quarter, trailing just 56-41 heading into the final frame.
Emporia State tried to get back in the game in the fourth quarter, but Missouri Western had a response to every Lady Hornet score. After four quarters, the Griffons came out on top with a 76-60 win.
Tre’Zure Jobe led the Lady Hornets with 26 points, passing Kelly Moten for third in all-time scoring. Victoria Price added 16 points and Ehlaina Hartman provided 10 points.
Both Emporia State men’s and women’s basketball teams have a week off before playing host to Newman on Saturday, February 11 in a double-header.