Men's Basketball | 12/12/2012 5:15:00 PM

HOME SWEET HOME

Emporia State plays just their third home game of the season as they take on Southwestern. The Hornets have played six of their first eight games away from White Auditorium.

THE COACHES

Shaun Vandiver is 13-22 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. This is his first meeting with Southwestern.

Matt O’Brien is 58-44 in his fourth year at Southwestern and 94-92 in his seventh year overall. He is 0-1 against ESU while at Southwestern and 0-2 overall.

LAST TIME OUT

Emporia State outscored Central Missouri by eight points from the field but could not overcome a 15 point deficit at the line in a 72-65 loss to the Mules.  The Mules hit six of ten free throws in the final 3:00 after the Hornets took a 65-64 lead with 3:16 left. Kaleb Wright led the Hornets with 20 points.

SCOUTING EMPORIA STATE

The Hornets are 4-4 on the season after playing six of their first eight on the road. Kaleb Wright is averaging 16.9 points per game to lead Emporia State. Paul Bunch had career highs of 16 points and 15 rebounds at Central Missouri in just his second game in a Hornet uniform.

SCOUTING SOUTHWESTERN

The Moundbuilders are 10-4 on the year after opening the season 8-2. Five players are averaging double figures led by Michael Morales at 13.7 points per game. Southwestern fell to Pittsburg State 73-60 in their only other game against an NCAA Division II school.

SERIES HISTORY

The Hornets hold a 69-39 overall advantage in the series. The Hornets have won nine straight meetings with Southwestern’s last win coming during the 1981-82 season.

LAST TIME VS. THE MOUNDBUILDERS

Emporia State put five players in double figures in a 72-61 victory over Southwestern in White Auditorium. The Hornet bench outscored the Moundbuilders 35-10 on the night in a game that saw 11 ties and six lead changes. The Hornets would hold the Moundbuilders without a field goal over the final 6:50 of the game and iced it by hitting 11 of their final 12 free throws. Xavier Burnette and Michael Tyler both scored 13 points while Matt Boswell added 11 and Taylor Euler chipped in ten points for the Hornets. Burnette led ESU with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals as well.

UP NEXT

Emporia State will be off until after the holidays. The next action for the Hornets will be against Washburn on January 3 in Topeka.  Tip-off for the Turnpike Tussle is set for 7:00 p.m. in Lee Arena. The single men’s only game will not count in the MIAA standings as Washburn and Emporia State are in different scheduling pods this season.