Men's Basketball | 2/15/2013 1:48:00 PM
INTO THE LIONS DEN
The Hornets travel to the Leggett & Platt Center to take on Missouri Southern in the second to last road game of the regular season.
THE COACHES
Shaun Vandiver is 19-29 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 1-2 against Missouri Southern.
Robert Corn is 386-294 in his 24th year at Missouri Southern. He is 19-18 in his career against the Hornets.
LAST TIME OUT
Central Oklahoma went ten of 16 from the three-point line in the second half to defeat Emporia State 83-69 on Wednesday night. It was just the third time this year the Hornets have been outscored from the field. Taylor Euler led the Hornets with 16 points and Kaleb Wright added 15 points. Paul Bunch was five of six in the first half for ten points and only took two shots in the second half. He ended with eight rebounds while Gavin Brown led Emporia State with nine boards and added eight points.
ABOUT EMPORIA STATE
The Hornets are 10-12 on the season, 5-8 in the MIAA. They are 7-2 in White Auditorium but just 2-9 on opponents courts this season. Paul Bunch missed the first six games and is not yet eligible for the MIAA rankings but would lead the MIAA in blocks and be second in rebounding and field goal percentage.
ABOUT MISSOURI SOUTHERN
The Lions are 11-11 on the year and 6-8 in the MIAA. They have lost six of their last eight games with both of the wins coming at home. They average 79.2 points per game at home and averaged 96.5 points in their last two home games, including a 100-91 win over Central Missouri. Missouri Southern is 8-3 at home on the year. Marquis Addison is averaging 17.9 points per game and 19.0 in MIAA play.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 75th meeting between the two teams with MSSU holding a 45-29 overall advantage. The Hornets have won nine of the last 12 in White Auditorium, but have dropped five in a row and ten of 12 games in the Leggett & Platt Center all-time.
LAST TIME VS. THE LIONS
Emporia State shot .526 from behind the three point line in a 76-62 win over Missouri Southern in White Auditorium. Emporia State took their biggest lead of the night at 75-55 with 1:58 left in the game. Caleb Wright led Emporia State with 19 points while Paul Bunch added 18 points and nine rebounds and Chris Sights joined them in double figures with 12 points. Taylor Euler had nine points and a career high seven assists..
UP NEXT
Emporia State returns to White Auditorium to begin a three game home stand against Pittsburg State. Tip-off on Feb. 20 against the Gorillas is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be the last Wednesday night home game for the Hornets.
