Women's Basketball | 3/17/2014 10:10:00 PM
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March 17, 2014-The Lady Hornets battled back from an 18 point deficit with 11:58 left only to see a tying three-point attempt bounced off the rim as Emporia State lost to Concordia-St. Paul 70-67 in the NCAA Regional Final in Searcy, Ark.
In a rematch of the Disney Classic "Championship" game in November, the Lady Hornets got out to a 6-2 lead and led 14-12 with 13:47 left in the first half. The Golden Bears used a 10-2 run to take a 30-21 lead with 3:13 left in the half. Laura Patrick and Merissa Quick combined to score the final four points of the period to send the Lady Hornets to the locker room down just 32-27.
Concordia-St. Paul used a 10-0 run in the second half to build their lead to 18 points at 52-34 with 11:58 left. Emporia State was able to answer with a 14-4 run of their own to cut the lead to eigth with 6:56 remaining. A Carissa Wolyneic three pointer from well behind the arc put CSP back up by 12 with 5:55 left, but was answered on the other end by a three-pointer from Desiree Wylie. Kelly Moten hit a lay-up to cut the lead to six at 63-57 with 3:27 left. After Anika Whiting hit a pair of free throws with 3:09 left Emporia State got a bucket from Quick and two free throws from Kionna Kellogg to cut the lead to four with 2:29 remaining.
Whiting hit a jumper with 2:06 left to put the Bears ahead 67-61 and Rheanna Egli answered with a layup to cut the lead to four with 1:52 on the clock. After an offensive foul call on Rachel Hansen gave the ball back to Emporia State, Quick was fouled inside and hit two free throws to make it a two point game at 67-65 with 1:02 left. Ameshia Kearney was fouled with 50.5 seconds left and hit both charities to push the lead back to four points. Quick answered with another bucket inside with 39.7 seconds left to make it 69-67.Â
The Bears worked the clock down to 11.8 seconds before Whiting was fouled. She hit the first free throw to make it a three point game. She missed the second and Kellog grabbed the board and got it to Patrick who's three-pointer hit the rim and bounced away as time expired.
Quick led Emporia State with 21 points and was joined in double figures by Kellogg with 11 and Egli with ten points. Kellogg led the Lady Hornets with nine rebounds while Egli dished a team high three assists. Whiting, who was named the regional Most Outstanding Player, had 26 points to lead Concordia-St. Paul
Both teams scored 54 points from the field with Emporia State going 26 of 65 from the field for 40% including a two of 11 effort from the three-point arc while Concordia-St. Paul was 25 of 50 for 50% including a four of nine outing from three-point range. The Bears were 16 of 23 from the free throw line while the Lady Hornets went 13 of 17 from the stripe.
Emporia State ended the season 30-4, the fourth 30 win season in school history, and advanced to the NCAA Regional Championship game for the third straight year and 11th time in 17 seasons.Â
NOTES
Laura Patrick ends her career ranked fifth in three point field goals made with 175 and as the leader among two year players for Emporia State.
Patrick ended this season ranked third in made three pointers with 92 after getting 83 last season to rank fifth on the Lady Hornet single season chart.
Merissa Quick ends her junior season ranked 21st on the Lady Hornet career scoring chart with 1,153 points as she passed Kay Clarke (1,138 from 1974-76) and Andi McAlexander (1,150 from 2002-06) during tonight's game.
Quick is ranked third in career blocked shots at Emporia State with 203 and finished this season with 87 to rank third on the single season list.
Kelly Moten had 262 points to rank 11th on the all-time freshman scoring list at Emporia State and eighth since the Lady Hornets moved to the NCAA.
Emporia State became the first MIAA school to have two runs of at least three straight regional championship game appearances since the NCAA went to the eight regional tournament format in 1995.
The Lady Hornets are now 32-15 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.
Concordia St.-Paul was the ninth different team Emporia State has faced in their 11 regional championship game appearances.
