Men's Basketball | 2/23/2013 12:41:00 AM
OVER THE RIVER
Emporia State looks to solidify it’s place in the MIAA Tournament seedings when they play host to Northeastern State.
THE COACHES
Shaun Vandiver is 21-29 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 0-2 against Pittsburg State. He is 0-1 against Northeastern State
Larry Gipson is 250-180 in his 16th year at Northeastern State. He is 2-3 against ESU.
LAST TIME OUT
Chris Sights had a career high 29 points with 19 in the second half as Emporia State defeated Pittsburg State 88-82 in White Auditorium on Wednesday night. He led four players in double figures for the Hornets. Sights hit 11 of 15 shots form the field and four of five from behind the three point line for his 29 points. He was joined in double figures by Wright with 13 points, Gavin Brown with 12 and Paul Bunch with 11 points. Bunch had a game high eight rebounds and six blocked shots for the Hornets.
ABOUT EMPORIA STATE
The Hornets are 12-11 on the season, 7-8 in the MIAA and are currently in eighth in the MIAA Tournament standings. Teams seeded fifth through eighth get a home game in the first round of the MIAA Tournament on March 4. Emporia State is 8-2 in White Auditorium on the season.
ABOUT NORTHEASTERN STATE
The RiverHawks are 17-7 on the year and 10-6 in the MIAA. They are 3-3 over their last six games and have gone 5-5 on opponents home courts this season. Brytin Hobbs is the second leading scorer in the MIAA at 18.2 points per game while Jermaine Bransford is the top rebounder in the league at 9.4 boards per game.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the eighth meeting between the two schools. Emporia State leads the all-time series 5-2 and have won two straight in White Auditorium dating back to the 2005-06 season.
LAST TIME VS. THE RIVERHAWKS
Northeastern State went 16 for 16 from the free throw line in the second half to secure a 63-56 victory over Emporia State in Dobbins Field House. The Hornets used a 13-4 run to cut a 14 point lead down to five with 19 seconds left. Marcus Sheppard hit two free throws with 16 seconds left to ice the victory for Northeastern State. Chris Sights scored a then career high 25 points to lead the Hornets. Taylor Euler added 11 points for Emporia State.
UP NEXT
Emporia State play host to Washburn in the final regular season game in White Auditorium. Prior to the game the Hornets seniors will be recognized while at halftime former coach Ron Slaymaker will be honored with naming of the court at White Auditorium in his honor.
