Women's Basketball | 3/1/2012 11:53:00 PM
Box Score
March 1, 2012-Kelsey Balcom hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with :00.7 seconds left to give the #24 Emporia State Lady Hornets at 64-63 win over Truman in the first round of the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. on Thursday.
Truman jumped out to a 10-4 lead to start the game and led 15-12 with 11:42 left in the half. ESU then went on a 12-0 run highlighted by six points from Merissa Quick to take a 24-15 lead with 6:50 remaining. The Lady Hornets would push the lead to ten at 31-21 before the Bulldogs ended the half on a 6-0 run to go to the locker rooms with ESU leading 31-27.
ESU went up six points at 35-29 to start the second half before Truman started to chip away at the lead. Megan Sharpe tied the score for the Bulldogs at 44-44 with a free throw at the 11:02 mark. Neither team would take more than a four point lead the rest of the way and there would be three ties and four lead changes over the final ten minutes of action.
Truman took the lead with a free throw from Becka McHenry with 2:22 left at 60-59 and went up three on a pair of free throws from McHenry with 1:56 remaining. Rheanna Egli pulled ESU to within 62-61 on a lay up with 1:31 left. McHenry made one of two free throws with 16.1 seconds left to put TSU ahead 63-61.
The Lady Hornets called timeout with 12.3 left to set up the final play. Balcom found herself open at the top of the key and nailed the three pointer to send ESU to the semifinals for the 15th time in 17 MIAA Tournaments.
Quick led ESU with 20 points and was joined in double figures by Heather Robben with 14 points and Balcom with 11 points. Balcom was a rebound shy of a double double with nine boards to lead ESU.
The Lady Hornets will take on Lincoln, an 83-77 upset winner over the second seed #12 Pittsburg State, in the second semifinal on Saturday. Tip-off from Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City is set for 2:15 p.m.
NOTES:
ESU is now 27-12 all-time in the MIAA tournament and 15-2 in the first round.
ESU has now won 20 games for the tenth straight year and 20th time in program history.
ESU swept Lincoln in the regular season winning 81-68 in Emporia and 62-57 in Jefferson City, Mo.
