#7 LADY HORNETS OPEN SEASON IN WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS

Games 1-2
#7 Emporia State Lady Hornets (0-0, 0-0 MIAA)
 vs. Texas Woman's Pioneers (0-0, 0-0 Lone Star)
Series Record: ESU leads 2-0 Last Meeting: at ESU 83, Texas Woman's 67 (Nov. 17, 2007)
 Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 • 5:00 p.m. • Wichita Falls, Texas • Ligon Coliseum
Radio: KVOE 1400AM/96.9FM (4:40 p.m.) Internet Audio: kvoe.com
Television: None Internet Video: None  Live Stats
at Midwestern State Mustangs (0-0, 0-0 Lone Star)
Series Record: ESU leads 2-0 Last Meeting: at ESU 77, Midwestern State 55 (Nov. 23, 2013)
 Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014 • 7:00 p.m. • Wichita Falls, Texas • Ligon Coliseum
Radio: KVOE 1400AM/96.9FM (6:40 p.m.) Internet Audio: kvoe.com (joined on internet following men's game)
Television: None Internet Video: None  Live Stats
 Up Next: Southwestern (Kan.) • Nov. 22, 2014 • 7:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Slaymaker Court/White Auditorium

STARTING FOR REAL   
The #7 Lady Hornets open their 41st season of competition in Wichita Falls, Texas at the Comfort Inn Presents Ashbrook Classic. Emporia State is 34-6 all-time in season openers.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Kelly Moten had 15 points and five steals to lead four Lady Hornets in double figures as #7 Emporia State defeated Evangel 73-47 in exhibition action in White Auditorium. Moten was joined in double figures by Amber Vandiver with 13 points, Addie Lackey with 11 and Kelsey Barnwell with ten points.  Vandiver and Ashton Bruner each had eight rebounds while Lackey had a team high six assists.

THE COACHES
Jory Collins is 96-31 in his fifth year as the head coach of the Lady Hornets. He has 18 career wins against Top 25 teams with 11 wins in the last 13 match-ups. This is his 14th season on the Lady Hornet coaching staff and Emporia State has advanced to the NCAA tournament in 12 of those seasons. This is his first meeting with Texas Woman's and he is 1-0 against Midwestern State.
Beth Jillson is 101-94 in her eighth year at Texas Woman's University. She is 0-1 against Emporia State.
Noel Johnson is 90-77 in her seventh year at Midwestern State. She is 0-1 against Emporia State.

ABOUT THE LADY HORNETS
Emporia State went 30-4 last season, 16-3 in the MIAA. The Lady Hornets return two starters from last year and five players with starting experience. Merissa Quick earned second-team All-MIAA and All-Defensive Team honors and is a two-time Most Outstanding Player of the MIAA Tournament. Kelly Moten was named to the All-Tournament team. Emporia State is ranked #7 in the WBCA Preseason Top 25.

 ABOUT THE PIONEERS
Texas Woman's went 16-12 last season, 10-6 in the Lone Star Conference. They return ten letterwinners including five of their top six scorers and three of their top four rebounders from a year ago.
 
THE SERIES    
This will be the third meeting between the Lady Hornets and the Pioneers with Emporia State taking the first two.

LAST TIME VS. TWU
Michelle Stueve had 24 points and nine rebounds to lead #3 Emporia State to an 83-67 win in the Candlewood Suites Classic in White Auditorium.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State was 16-12 last season, 9-7 in the Lone Star Conference. The return returns four starters and eight letter winners off of last season's South Central Regional qualifier.

THE SERIES    
This will be the third meeting between the Lady Hornets and the Mustangs. Emporia State leads 2-0 but this will be the first meeting in Texas.

LAST TIME VS. MIDWESTERN STATE
The #4 Lady Hornets defeated Midwestern State University 77-55 in White Aduitorium last season. Four Lady Hornets finished in double figures led by Rheanna Egli's 15 points. Laura Patrick scored 14 points, while Desiree Wylie and Kionna Kellog scored 13 and 11 points respectively. Amber Vandiver led the Emporia State with 11 rebounds.

UP NEXT
Emporia State takes on Southwestern College in the home opener on November 22. Tip-off from Slaymaker Court in White Auditorium is set for 7:00 p.m.

ROAD WARRIORS
Emporia State is 213-83 (.720) away from home, 75-25 (.750) in neutral site games and 46-12 (.793) against non-MIAA teams at neutral sites since 1997-98 with four of the losses in the Elite Eight. The Lady Hornets have gone on the road to defeat the #1 ranked team in the nation twice in regional tournaments and have eliminated the host team in five regional tournaments. The Lady Hornets are 110-43 (.719) on the road in MIAA league play since 1997-98.

QUICKEN
Merissa Quick (Sr./Cheney, Kan.) was a Second-Team All-MIAA pick and member of the All-Defensive Team. She was on the NCAA Division II Central Region All-Tournament team and Most Outstanding Player at the MIAA Tournament. She had come off the bench in the two exhibition games. She had six points and five rebounds against Evangel in just 12 minutes. She scored 12 points with nine rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals at Kansas State. She had 18 points and six rebounds against Central Missouri and became the first player to earn back to back Most Outstanding Player honors at the MIAA Tournament. She had a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds at Kansas last year. She was an honorable mention All-MIAA selection last season. She scored 11 points and had a career best 20 rebounds against Washburn as a sophomore. She scored a career high 31 points on 13 of 20 shooting against Pittsburg State and added eight rebounds as a sophomore. She had 222 rebounds as a freshman, the most by a Lady Hornet freshmen since Emporia State joined the MIAA. She is sixth in freshman scoring at ESU with 341 points and ranks fourth since joining the MIAA. She is third in career and single season blocked shots list  at Emporia State with 203 blocks in 97 games and 87 this season. She has 1,153 points to rank 23rd on the all-time scoring list at Emporia State.
 
I BELIEVE I CAN FLY
Kelly Moten (So./Gary, Ind.) scored 15 points with four rebounds and five steals against Evangel. She had seven rebounds and six assists with two blocks and two steals at Kansas State. She scored career highs in back to back games in the MIAA Tournament as she became the fourth freshman to earn All-Tournament honors. She had 17 points, five rebounds and five steals against Central Missouri in the championship game. She scored 15 points with six rebounds and five assists against Southwest Baptist in the semifinals. She had seven points and five rebounds off the bench at Kansas.  She was an honorable mention Indiana Basketball Coaches Association All-State selection for Roosevelt HS. She has scored 260 points to rank 11th on the Lady Hornets all-time freshman scoring list and eighth since moving to the NCAA.

NOTHING GOOD COMES EASILY
Amber Vandiver (Sr./Westminster, Colo.) had 13 points on five of seven shooting with eight rebounds and four blocked shots against Evangel. She had four rebounds and two points at Kansas State. She scored a career high 20 points with seven rebounds against Ft. Hays State in White Auditorium. She had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds against Concordia-St. Paul. She transferred to Emporia State last year at the semester from Boise State. She averaged 6.8 points and 6.2 rebounds as a sophomore in 11 games for the Broncos before transferring. She was an All-State selection in both Idaho and Wyoming for Boise Capital HS as a senior and Laramie HS as a junior.

FLOTTASTIC
Kathryn Flott (So./Olpe, Kan.) is back after sitting out the last two years with knee injuries. She had six points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals against Evangel. She played seven minutes at Kansas State. She had a career high 21 points against Pittsburg State in the 2012 NCAA Central Regionaql Championship game. She had her first career double-double with 14 points and ten rebounds against Mo. Southern. She went three of four from behind the three point line against the Lions after missing her first 15 attempts of the season. She led Olpe HS to a 1A State Championship her senior season and was named 1A first team All-State by they KBCA. She was a First-Team KBCA All-State selection in Class 2A as she led the Lady Eagles to an undefeated state championship season as a junior. She was a second-team All-Class selection by the Wichita Eagle.

HOLLOWAY WITH THE FALL AWAY
Megan Holloway (So./Salina, Kan.) is one of four Lady Hornets who started a game last sesaon. She started and scored eight points at Neb.-Kearney last year. She scored 11 points in her Lady Hornet regular season debut against Indianapolis. She was a first-team All-Class 5A selection as a senior after earning second-team honors as a junior. She was a two-time first-team All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail league pick. She averaged 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Cougars as a senior.

COSTLEY RETURN
Brooke Costley (Fr.-RS/Mexico, Mo.) made her Lady Hornet debut at Kansas State after she red-shirted her first year with a knee injury. She averaged 10.3 points and 3.5 assists per game in her high school career and holds the Mexico HS single season records for assists and free throw percentage. She has earned All-North Central Missouri Conference honors all four years.

FROM KANSAS TO KANSAS CITY TO EMPORIA
Kelsey Barnwell (Jr./Kansas, Okla.) scored ten points against Evangel. She had two steals and two assists at Kansas State. She is in her first year with the Lady Hornets after two years at UMKC. She played in 26 games with 14 starts for the Kangaroos, averaging 5.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last season. She was third on the team with 45 assists and had a team best 1.55-1 assist to turnover ratio. She led Kansas (Okla.) HS to a combined 59-7 record in her three years, including an Oklahoma 3A State Championship in 2009-10 and a runner-up finish as a junior. She was a three-time All-State selection by the Tulsa World and the Daily Oklahoman, twice earning first-team honors.

ALWAYS BE THERE
Whitney Gordon (Jr./Marion, Kan.) started against Evangel and had four rebounds in eight minutes at Kansas State. She is in her first year at Emporia State after transferring from the University of Wyoming. She played in 26 games during her two years with the Cowgirls. She was a three-time Honorable Mention KBCA All-State selection at Marion HS. She was named All-Area by the Hutchinson News and was a two-time First Team All-League honoree during her career. She averaged a double-double her last two years for the Lady Warriors at 12 points and 11 rebounds as a senior and 14 points and 11 rebounds as a junior.

A BURNER NAMED BRUNER
Ashton Bruner (Jr./McPherson, Kan.) pulled eight rebounds with five points and two steals against Evangel. She had six rebounds and two steals at Kansas State. She is in her first year at Emporia State after transferring from Barton CC. She averaged 11.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as the Cougars went 20-13 last season. She averaged 12.3 points and 6.5 rebounds as a senior for McPherson HS and earned second-team All-Class 4A honors from the KBCA. She was a first-team All-Ark Valley Chisholm Trail Division II pick and led the Bullpups to a 24-1 State Championship season her senior year.  

LEGACY
Addie Lackey (Jr./Hillsboro, Kan.) was the leading scorer for the Lady Hornets in two exhibition games at 14.0 points per game.  She had 11 points and six assists against Evangel. She led Emporia State with 17 points at Kansas State and hit three three-pointers. She averaged 14.1 points for Hillsboro HS and was named second-team All-Class by SportsinKansas.com last season. She earned second-team All-Class 3A performer in basketball as a junior after being named honorable mention as a freshman and sophomore. She was a first-team All-Class 3A selection and a three-time state champion in volleyball. Both of her parents played for Emporia State. Her mother Kristi had 500 assists for the Lady Hornets from 1986-90 and her father Mark was a member of the Hornets from 1984-88.  

KRAMER!
Jacee Kramer (Fr./Winchester, Kan.) had three rebounds and two steals at Kansas State. She averaged 26.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 4.3 steals per game last year for the Jefferson County North HS. She was a first-team All-Class by KansasSports.com as a senior. She earned first-team All-Class 2A honors last year and has led JCNHS to the state championship game each of the last three years, winning the state title in 2011-12.  

MILLER'S CROSSING
Kyrstie Miller (Fr./Holton, Kan.) scored eight points with four rebounds and two assists at Kansas State. Her three-pointer with 1:06 left gave Emporia State a 50-49 lead. She averaged 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as a senior for Holton HS. She was named honorable mention All-State as a freshman and sophomore before earning first-team All-Class 4A honors as a junior and senior. The Wildcats played in two state championship games during her career, winning the state title in 2011 and finishing third last season. She scored 1,060 points and had 440 steals in 100 career varsity games.  

BRING IT ON    
The Lady Hornets are 63-42 (.600) against Top 25 teams since 1997-98.  Emporia State is 25-9 (.735) at home against Top 25 teams since 1997. The Lady Hornets have 23 wins against Top 10 teams, including four against #1 teams in the last six seasons. Emporia State is 23-14 (.622) in neutral site games with top 25 foes since 1997.  

SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE
Emporia State won their first national championship in 2010, 12 years after making their first appearance in the national title game. The Lady Hornets are ranked 7th in this year's preseason USA Today Sports/WBCA Coaches Poll, the 18th straight year the Lady Hornets received votes in the preseason poll.  The Lady Hornets have opened the season in the top 15 nationally in 13 of the last 18 years. The Lady Hornets have 18 straight winning seasons, the longest active streak in the MIAA. They have been in 18 straight MIAA tournaments, the second longest active streak in the MIAA. The Lady Hornets have won seven MIAA regular season championships in the last 16 years. They have made the NCAA Tournament 16 times in the last 18 years and their 32-15 record in the tourney is ranked fourth among active Division II schools in total wins. Emporia State has made five Elite Eight trips, tied with Delta State, Northern Kentucky and North Dakota for the most since 1997.

LET'S HANG SOME MORE
Aneta Kausaite, Jurgita Kausaite, Tara Holloway-Churchill, Emily Bloss-Carpenter, Michelle Stueve-Corpening, Cassondra Boston and Alli Volkens have had their jerseys retired in White Auditorium for earning All-American honors at Emporia State, graduating and playing at least two years for the Lady Hornets.

ALL-TIME ALL-MIAA TOURNAMENT TEAM
Lady Hornets Emily Bloss, Tara Holloway and Jurgita Kausaite were named to the ten person All-Time All-MIAA Tournament Team by a panel of past and current sports information directors and media members prior to the 2007 Tournament. Bloss averaged 17 points in her twelve tournament games, including a tournament record 76 points as a senior. Holloway scored 151 points in her career. Kausaite scored 120 points in six tournament games. Emporia State's is 26-12 all-time in MIAA Tournament play and the Lady Hornets are the last team to win four straight MIAA titles.

MIAA TOURNEY EXCELLENCE
Emporia State has won the last two MIAA Tournament Championships and are the first team to have two different streaks of at least four straight championship games.  The Lady Hornets won four straight championships from 1998-2001 and have been in the last four title games.  

NEWBIES
Kelly Moten became just the fourth freshman to earn All-Tournament honors at the MIAA Tournament.  All four freshmen were Lady Hornets and Moten is the first to earn the honors coming off the bench.

LADY HORNETS NCAA HISTORY
The Lady Hornets have made the NCAA Tournament for 16 times in the last 18 years and their 32-15 record in the tourney is ranked fourth all-time among active Division II schools in total tourney wins. Emporia State won the 2010 National Championship, were national runners-up in 1998, advanced to the Final Four in 1999 and were also in the Elite Eight in 2000 and 2006.   
 
HOME COOKIN'
The Lady Hornets have won 16 straight and 230 of the last 251 games at home. They have only lost 11 games to unranked NCAA teams in White Auditorium since 1997. The Lady Hornets are 380-89 (.810) overall since 1979 at home and hold the MIAA record for consecutive home wins with 62 set from 1997-2001. Emporia State is 10-4 against top ten teams in White Auditorium.

NOT SUCH A HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Concordia-St. Paul's victory over Harding means the host team for the NCAA Regional the Lady Hornets compete in has won the tournament only once in the last ten years. The first eight years of the streak were in the South Central Region. In that same time, the host team has advanced to the regional final only twice with Emporia State defeating Washburn in 2006 in Lee Arena and West Texas A&M defeating Central Oklahoma in 2009 in Canyon, Texas.

HERE THEY COME
Emporia State has played in front of at least 1,000 fans in White Auditorium in every home game since January 2, 1999 - a span of 223 games. Last season, the Lady Hornets averaged 1,942 per game to rank fourth nationally. The Lady Hornets national championship game drew a standing room only crowd of 3,405 to the St. Joseph Civic Arena in 2010. The Lady Hornets averaged a school record 2,684 fans over 13 home dates in 2005-06 to finish third in the nation and led the nation with an average attendance of 2,348 fans for their 15 home dates in 2004-05. Emporia State has been in the top six of the nation in attendance in each of the last 16 years.

ON THE AIR
The Lady Hornets have been seen on national television four times in the last 14 years and are 3-1 in those games following their 65-53 national championship win over Ft. Lewis on ESPN2 in 2010. ESU's 97-94 overtime victory over then #1 Gannon was shown on ESPNU. The Lady Hornets 74-67 victory over Washburn in 2007 was televised nation wide on CSTV. It was the first time a basketball game was televised nationally from White Auditorium and the first time an MIAA regular season basketball game, men or women, had been telecast nationwide. The Lady Hornets national championship game against North Dakota in 1998 was seen on ESPN. The Turnpike Tussle game against Washburn in White Auditorium on Jan. 15, 2011 was available across Mid-America on the MIAA Broadcasting Network while the Lady Hornets appearances in the last four MIAA Tournament Championship Games have all been televised by the MIAA Network.

BY THE NUMBERS
The Lady Hornets have topped the 100-point barrier 66 times and have eclipsed the 110 point mark 27 times in their history. Since 1997-98, the Lady Hornets are 244-2 (.992) when scoring at least 80 points. The first loss was to North Dakota, 87-81 in the 1999 Final Four and the second came at West Texas A&M, 86-83 in the 2009 NCAA South Central Regional Semifinals. Emporia State was 167-22 (.884) in the previous 23 seasons when scoring at least 80 points. Conversely Emporia State is 132-2 (.985) all-time when holding opponents to 50 points or less.

LOCK DOWN
Emporia State led the nation in scoring defense during the 2000-01 season, allowing just 50.6 points per game to rank 20th all-time in single season defense in NCAA Division II.  The Lady Hornets have not allowed a team to score 100 points against them since a 106-75 loss to West Texas A&M on Nov. 29, 1991 a streak of 701 games.
 
LADY HORNET SUCCESS ON THE COURT...
The Lady Hornets have the best record in MIAA play in the 21st century. ESU is 216-63 (.774) in MIAA play since the 2000 season and 373-100 (.789) overall in that time. The Lady Hornets are even better in the MIAA if you add two more years to the equation. Since the 1997-98 season, Emporia State is 247-64 (.794) in MIAA play and 436-104 (.807) overall. The Lady Hornets have been ranked in the top ten of the ESPN/USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll 157 times, the most of any current NCAA Division II school.  Emporia State has been to 16 NCAA Tournaments, made the Regional Championship or "Sweet 16" ten times, has made five trips to the Elite Eight, three to the Final Four, two national title game appearances and won the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship. The Lady Hornets have won eight MIAA Championships and are the only team to win four straight undisputed (untied regular season and tournament) MIAA Championships pulling the trick from 1998-2001. They have been in four straight MIAA Tournament Championships games, been to 11 of the last 17 MIAA Tournament Title Games and won six tourney titles.

...AND IN THE CLASSROOM
Lady Hornets have been honored as Academic All-Americans three times since joining the NCAA. Michelle Stueve was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America second-team in 2007-08 and was a three-time Academic All-District VII performer. Emily Bloss was a three-time Academic All-American and was named the Academic All-American of the Year in 2001.

END GAME
The Lady Hornets are 244-5 (.980) when leading at the 5:00 mark since the start of the 2004-05 season and are 411-11 (.974) since 1997 with a lead at the 5:00 mark.  

STREAKS AND SUCH
•The Lady Hornets have hit a three pointer in 264 straight games dating back to a zero for 14 effort at Washburn on Feb. 15, 2006.
•The Lady Hornets have held their last 701 opponents to under 100 points dating back to a 106-75 loss to West Texas A&M in Hays, Kan. on Nov. 29, 1991.
•The Lady Hornets have won 20 straight non-conference games in White Auditorium dating back to a 58-51 loss to Harris-Stowe on December 8, 2007.
•The Lady Hornets have won 16 straight games in White Auditorium dating back to a 66-56 loss to Northeastern State on February 23, 2013.
•The Lady Hornets have won at least ten home games in 18 straight seasons.
•The Lady Hornets ended the longest winning streak in NCAA Division II history (51 games) with their 61-59 overtime victory over Washburn on March 13, 2006 in the South Central Regional final and the longest single season winning streak (37 games) with their 97-94 overtime victory over Gannon on March 24, 2010 in the national semifinals.
•The Lady Hornets have defeated the host team in three of the last four regional tournaments they have played in (at Washburn 65-58 in 2013; at Washburn 71-65 in 2012; at West Texas A&M 76-69 in 2010).
•The Lady Hornets won six straight games against nationally ranked teams prior to falling in the 2013 regional championship game, the longest streak since winning seven straight over the 1999-2000 through 2000-01 seasons and the longest single season streak since winning seven straight on the way to the 1998 national championship game.

TIP-INS
• The Lady Hornets have won 20 games in 12 straight seasons, 17 times in the last 18 years and 22 times in the program's 38 year history.
• The Lady Hornets have won 25 games ten times in school history.
• The Lady Hornets have won 30 games four times in school history.
• The Lady Hornets are 798-365 (.686) overall in 38 years of action.
• The Lady Hornets are the only team to appear in the NCAA top twenty season records for scoring offense (17th - 90.0 in 1998; 8th - 91.3 in 1999; 18th - 89.9 in 2000) and scoring defense (18th - 50.6 in 2001).
• The Lady Hornets have had nine of the last 16 MIAA MVPs, five of the last 12 Freshmen of the Year and won the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2011-12.