LADY HORNETS IN TOP FIVE OF NATIONAL ATTENDANCE AGAIN

Women's Basketball | 6/26/2014 5:13:00 PM

Complete release in pdf

June 26, 2014-For the 17th straight year, the Emporia State Lady Hornet basketball team ranked in the top six in attendance among the nearly 300 NCAA Division II basketball playing schools.
 
The Lady Hornets drew an average of 1,847 fans to their 15 home games on Slaymaker Court in White Auditorium during the 2013-14 season to rank fourth nationally. Emporia State averaged more than 23 teams that made the NCAA Division I Tournament, including #8 seed St. John's and #9 seeds USC and Saint Joseph's. They outdrew 275 NCAA Division I schools, including nine Big East, six Pac 12, and four SEC schools.  
 
ESU had a season high 3,425 for for their game against Washburn on Feb. 22 and a total of six home games over 2,000 on the year. The Lady Hornets have played in front of at least 1,000 fans in White Auditorium in every game since Jan. 10, 1998 a span of 223 games.  The last time ESU failed to draw 1,000 fans was a 103-38 victory over Tabor on Nov. 24, 1997 in front of 947.  
 
The Lady Hornets have won 16 straight home games and 230 of the last 251 games at home. They have only lost 11 games to unranked NCAA teams in White Auditorium since 1997. Emporia State is 380-89 (.810) overall since 1979 at home and hold the MIAA record for consecutive home wins with 62 set from 1997-2001. The Lady Hornets are 10-4 against teams ranked in the top ten in White Auditorium.
 
Emporia State was among four MIAA teams in the top ten nationally as eight of the 14 schools were ranked in the top 25. As a conference the MIAA drew 197,188 fans to 190 games to lead all Division II conferences in average attendance at 1,038 fans per game. That mark would rank 12th among 32 NCAA Division I women's conferences in total attendance. The average would be fifth among NCAA Division II men's conferences.  The MIAA was the only women's Division II Conference to average more than 900 fans per game.

The Lady Hornets were 30-4 last year and won their second straight MIAA Tournament Championship in their fourth straight trip to the title game.  Emporia State has gone to the regional championship in each of the last three seasons.  They are set to return two starters from the fourth 30 win team in school history.

2013-14 NCAA Division II
Women's Basketball Attendance
Rank     G/S     Total     Avg.
1. Northern St.    14     36,165     2,583
2. Augustana (SD)     16     30,402     1,900
3. Fort Hays St.     16     29,617     1,851
4. Emporia St.     15     27,699     1,847
5. Washburn     13     22,887     1,761
6. Tarleton St.     15     24,452     1,630
7. Glenville St.     16     23,355     1,460
8. Drury     16     23,223     1,451
9. Central Mo.     12     16,395     1,366
10. Midwestern St.     13     17,625     1,356
11. St. Cloud St.    15    19,980    1,332
12. Mo. Western St.    13    16,750    1,288
13. Albany St.    11    14,104    1,282
14. Pittsburg St.    13    16,088    1,238
15. Fayetteville St.    11    13,548    1,232
16. Ala.-Huntsville    14    16,763    1,197
17. West Texas A&M    15    17,743    1,183
18. Delta St.    12    13,657    1,138
19. Colorado Mesa    16    16,840    1,053
20. Minot St.     16    16,809    1,051
21. Mo. Southern St.    14    14,582    1,042
22. Benedict    15    15,159    1,011
23. Neb.-Kearney    11    11,052    1,005
24. Michigan Tech    14    13,973    998
25. Elizabeth City St.    15    14,276    952
MIAA Teams in Bold

Conferences
Rank     Teams     G/S     Total     Avg.
1. MIAA    14    190     197,188     1,038
2. NSIC    16     223     195,606     877
3. Lone Star     9     118     94,394     800
4. CIAA     12     143     88,863     621
5. Gulf South     8     110     67,146     610
6. SIAC     12     146     82,056     562
7. GAC    9     120     66,139     551
8. GLVC     16     218     107,544     493
9. Peach Belt     13     166     80,568     485
10. RMAC    14     184     81,801     445
MIAA=MidAmerica Intercollegiate Athletics Association
NSIC=Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
CIAA=Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association
SIAC=Southern Intercollegiate Athletics Conference
GAC=Great American Conference
GLVC=Great Lakes Valley Conference
RMAC=Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference