Women's Basketball | 11/26/2012 4:40:00 PM
BACK HOME AGAIN
The #20 Lady Hornets return to White Auditorium to take on Kansas Wesleyan. The Coyotes are one of two NAIA teams on the schedule.
LAST TIME OUT
For the third straight game the #19 Lady Hornets fell behind early and came back to take a second half lead before falling for the first time this year 66-53 at Colo.-State Pueblo. Emporia State fell behind 9-2 early and 18-7 with 12:30 left in the half. The Lady Hornets used a 9-1 run to tie the score at 24 with 5:16 left and would go into the half with a 31-30 lead. CSUP went on a 13-3 run to take a 55-45 lead with 5:47 left. The Lady Hornets cut the lead to five with 4:31 left. The Thunderwolves would then end the game on an 11-3 run for the final score of 66-53. Patrick was the only player in double figures with 13 points. Emporia State outrebounded CSU-Pueblo 45-36 led by Sarah Wood's career high 11 boards. The Lady Hornets hit just .295 from the field for the game and .212 in the second half.
THE COACHES
Jory Collins is 45-19 in his third year as the head coach of the Lady Hornets and has guided them to the MIAA Tournament Championship Game in each of his first two seasons. He is 6-3 in the month of March. He has six wins against Top 25 teams. This is his 12th season on the Lady Hornet coaching staff and ESU has advanced to the NCAA tournament in ten of those seasons. This is his first meeting with KWU.
Ryan Showman is 2-5 in his first year at Kansas Wesleyan.
SCOUTING THE LADY HORNETS
Emporia State is 2-1 on the year and ranked #20 in the latest USA Today Sports/WBCA National Poll. Laura Patrick and Merissa Quick have both scored 20 points in a game this season. The Lady Hornets have outrebounded all three opponents by at least eight boards. Desiree Wylie and Sarah Wood both have 11 rebounds in a game. The 53 points scored at CSU-Pueblo is the lowest output in a non-conference game by Emporia State since a 58-51 loss to Harris-Stowe in 2007.
SCOUTING THE COYOTES
Kansas Wesleyan is 2-5 on the season and have lost three in a row. They have three players averaging in double figures led by Alecia Smith's double-double average of 15.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
THE SERIES
The Lady Hornets lead the all-time series 2-0. Emporia State won the first two match-ups by an average score of 31 points per game, but have not met since 1992.
LAST TIME VS. KANSAS WESLEYAN
Emporia State defeated Kansas Wesleyan 92-60 in the fourth game of the 1992-93 season.
UP NEXT
The Lady Hornets will open MIAA play on Dec. 5 at Northeastern State. Tip-off from Tahlequah, Okla. is set for 5:30 p.m.
