Women's Basketball | 1/20/2012 12:01:00 PM
HERE WE GO AGAIN
The #20 Lady Hornets start the second half of conference action against the defending MIAA champions Northwest Missouri. The Bearcats are currently tied for ninth in the conference standings.
LAST TIME OUT
Merissa Quick scored 20 points with seven rebounds and a career high seven blocked shots as #20 Emporia State defeated Ft. Hays State 81-70 on Wednesday night in White Auditorium. The Lady Hornets trailed early, twice going down by nine points in the first half. Trailing 27-19, ESU went on a 15-2 run to take the lead and led 34-32 at the half. ESU scored the first four points of the second half and never trailed the rest of the night. The Lady Hornets hit ten straight free throws over the last 2:53 to ice the win. Quick was joined in double figures by Heather Robben with 18 points, Rachel Hanf with 15 points, Jocelyn Cummings with 12 points and Kelsey Balcom with 10 points and a team high 12 rebounds.
THE COACHES
Jory Collins is 32-12 in his second year as the head coach of the Lady Hornets and is 4-4 vs. Top 25 teams. This is his 11th season on the Lady Hornet coaching staff and ESU has advanced to the NCAA tournament in eight of his ten previous seasons. He is 2-2 against NWMSU.
Gene Steinmeyer is 187-178 in his 13th season at NWMSU and 547-319 in his 28th season as a head coach. He is 6-23 against ESU.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Northwest Missouri is 4-13 overall and 2-8 in the MIAA. They are 0-8 on the road with their one win away from Bearcat Arena against St. Augustine's in Hawai'i. NWMSU leads the MIAA in steals at 10.6 per game. Abby Henry is the only Bearcat averaging double figures at 13.2 points per game. Maggie Marnin is their leading rebounder at 6.6 boards per game.
THE SERIES
This will be the 47th meeting between the two squads with ESU leading the overall series 32-14. The Lady Hornets have won 15 of the last 18 games in the series overall including nine straight over the Bearcats in White Auditorium. They have met three times in the MIAA Tournament.
LAST TIME VS. NORTHWEST MO.
Lady Hornets got 18 points from Rachel Hanf on seven of ten shooting in a 68-56 win at Northwest Missouri State to open MIAA play. ESU used a 13-2 run midway through the first half to turn a four point game into a 26-11 lead with 8:29 left in the half. ]The Lady Hornets opened the second half with a 14-2 run for their largest lead of the night at 48-26 with 16:18 left in the game. Hanf was joined in double figures by Merissa Quick with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Kelsey Balcom and Heather Balcom each added ten points.
UP NEXT
The #20 Lady Hornets play host to Missouri Western on Wednesday, January 25. Tip-off from White Auditorium is set for 5:30 p.m.
