Men's Basketball | 1/22/2013 10:55:00 PM
CAN WE DO THIS?
Emporia State will play back to back games in White Auditorium for the first time this year when they take on Missouri Southern.
THE COACHES
Shaun Vandiver is 16-25 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 led Hutchinson CC to the 1988 NJCAA National Championship before earning first-team All-Big 8 honors at Colorado. He is 0-2 against Missouri Southern.
Robert Corn is 384-289 in his 24th year at Missouri Southern. He is 19-17 in his career against the Hornets.
LAST TIME OUT
Four Hornets reached double figures as Emporia State handed Missouri Western a 71-60 loss. The Hornets trailed 10-8 early but then went on a 11-2 run to take the lead for good. Emporia State led 30-22 at the half and would build a 15 point lead midway through the second half. The Hornets hit six of eight free throws in the final 1:05 to ice the win. Gavin Brown led Emporia State with 13 points and ten rebounds. Chris Sights was the leading scorer for the Hornets with 17 points while Kaleb Wright added 16 and Paul Bunch chipped in 11 points.
ABOUT EMPORIA STATE
The Hornets are 7-7 on the season, 2-4 in the MIAA. They are third in the MIAA in field goal percentage defense. Chris Sights is ranked fourth in the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage and fifth in made threes.
ABOUT MISSOURI SOUTHERN
The Lions are 9-6, 4-3 in the MIAA after a 74-66 home loss to Neb.-Kearney on Saturday. They have lost two games by two points or less. Missouri Southern is second in the MIAA in steals. Marquis Addison is ranked third in the MIAA in scoring at 18.5 points and second in steals at 2.7 steals per game.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 74th meeting between the two teams with MSSU holding a 45-28 overall advantage. The Hornets have won eight of the last 11 in White Auditorium.
LAST TIME VS. THE LIONS
Playing in front of 40 Hornet men’s alumni who represented eight decades of Hornet basketball, Emporia State led late, but could not hold on in an upset bid against #19 Missouri Southern losing 61-57 at home. Emporia State kept the game close in the first half as they cut a nine point Mo. Southern lead to three to close out the half at 36-33 in favor of the Lions. The Hornets would then take the lead in the second half sprinting out to as much as a six point lead at one point. Emporia State led 53-52 with 3:57 left, but Missouri Southern hit six free throws late to seal the game. Antonio DiMaria led the Hornets with 17 points hitting four of six from behind the three point line. Chris Sights had 13 points and was one of three Hornets with six rebounds in the game.
UP NEXT
Emporia State wraps up a three game home stand on Sunday against Central Oklahoma. Tip-off from White Auditorium is set for 3:30 p.m. on January 27.
