Men's Basketball | 11/13/2012 1:10:00 PM
WELCOME HOME
Emporia State returns to White Auditorium for its home opener versus NAIA opponent Central Christian.
PROTECTING THE HOUSE
The Hornets will look to extend their excellent record in home openers against the Tigers. Emporia State has won the last 13 openers at White Auditorium, dating back to the 1997-98 season when they were defeated by Friends.
LAST TIME OUT
Kaleb Wright scored 22 points as the Emporia State men’s basketball team opened the 2012-13 season with a 66-56 win over Missouri S&T at Billy Key Court in Rolla, Mo. on Nov. 10. Wright scored 15 of his points before the break, going six of nine from the field and three of five from three-point range. Tre Boutilier scored 15 points off the bench for Emporia State. Taylor Euler scored 10 points and led the Hornets with six assists. Gavin Brown led the Hornets with 10 rebounds and added eight points.
THE COACHES
Shaun Vandiver is 10-18 in his second season at Emporia State. A first round draft pick by the Golden State Warriors in 1991 spent ten years as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level. As a player he was a key component in Hutchinson CC’s tournament run to the 1988 NJCAA National Championship before earning first-team All-Big 8 honors at Colorado.
Tony Romero is 67-34 in his fourth year at Central Christian.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Kaleb Wright led the Hornets in scoring for the second consecutive game, as newcomers have led Emporia State is scoring in each of the four games this season. Gavin Brown led the Hornets with 14 points at Kansas. Freshman Terrence Moore was the leading scorer at Tulsa with 12.
SCOUTING CENTRAL CHRISTIAN
The Tigers enter this week unbeaten at 5-0, coming off a 78-61 win over Johnson & Wales on their home floor, led by Aaron Miller’s 16 points. Junior Kaelon Gary is leading the Tigers in scoring, averaging 17.4 points per game. Forward Aaron Cannon is the Tigers leading rebounder, averaging 9.0 per game to go with 9.6 points per contest.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the third meeting between Emporia State and Central Christian. The Hornets have won both previous meetings.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE TIGERS
Emporia State shot .600 from the floor, and made 18 three-pointers enroute to a 107-51 win over Central Christian on Dec. 10, 2008 in Emporia. The Hornets led by 59 points with 3:32 remaining in the second half. Jeremiah Box was the top scorer with 20 points.
UP NEXT
The Hornets travel to Monmouth, Oregon this weekend to face Saint Martin’s and Western Oregon in the Western Oregon DII Shootout.
