Women's Basketball | 1/24/2012 5:21:00 PM
IT'S ALL ACADEMIC
The #17 Lady Hornets wrap up a three game home stand as they take on Missouri Western in White Auditorium. It is Faculty Appreciation Night and the ESU A.D. Honor Roll will be presented at half time.
LAST TIME OUT
All ten Lady Hornets that suited up scored in #20 Emporia State's 63-50 win over Northwest Missouri on Sunday afternoon in White Auditorium. ESU led by as many as 28 points in the second half before settling in for the 13 point victory. ESU jumped out to an 18-4 lead to open the game. The Lady Hornets never trailed as they went to half time up 37-23. The lead reached 28 points twice in the second half, the last time at 63-35 on Kayla Krueger's layup with 6:01 left. That would be the final score of the game for ESU as NWMSU ended the game on a 17-0 run. Heather Robben led ESU with 12 points while Rachel Hanf added 11 points. Kathryn Flott had eight points and a career high 11 rebounds. The Lady Hornets held the Bearcats to just .227 shooting from the field and outrebounded NWMSU 56-45.
THE COACHES
Jory Collins is 33-12 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 2-1 against MWSU.
Lynn Plett is 44-80 in his fifth season at MWSU and 319-314 in his 17th season as a head coach. He is 1-8 vs. ESU.
SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS
Missouri Western is 5-11 overall and 3-8 in the MIAA. They are led in scoring by Jessica Koch and Ashley Curry. Koch is averaging 22.7 points per game on the season while Curry checks in a 20.3 points per game over the three games since she returned to the Griffons. The two have combined to average 50.7 of MWSU's 78 points per game over the last three games.
THE SERIES
This will be the 80th meeting between the two teams with ESU holding the 49-30 overall advantage. The Lady Hornets have won seven straight in White Auditorium and are 28-11 against the Griffons all-time in Emporia.
LAST TIME VS. MO. WESTERN
Rachel Hanf scored 18 points on eight of 11 shooting as the Lady Hornets defeated Missouri Western 66-48 in St. Joseph, Mo. The Griffons scored the first points of the game on a Kallie Schoonover three pointer but ESU answered with back to back threes from Hanf and Heather Robben and would never trail the rest of the afternoon. A 13-0 run from the 5:36 mark to the 2:40 mark gave the Lady Hornets their largest lead of the day at 66-42. ESU held MWSU to just one field goal over the final 5:46 as they held the Griffons to just .300 shooting for the game. Hanf was joined in double figures by Kelsey Balcom with 12 points. Kathryn Flott and Merissa Quick each had seven rebounds.
UP NEXT
The #17 Lady Hornets travel to Kirksville, Mo. on Feb. 1 to take on Truman. Tip-off in Pershing Arena is set for 1:00 p.m.
