Men's Basketball | 2/19/2015 10:58:00 PM
Box Score February 19, 2015-Emporia State was outscored 24-6 from the free throw line in a 69-63 loss at Neb.-Kearney on Thursday in Kearney, Neb. The Hornets led 50-49 with 10:17 left and the Lopers scored 12 of their final 20 points from the line.
Connor Beranek scored 14 points in a seven minute span to give the Lopers a 25-19 lead with 9:05 left in the first half. Neb.-Kearney would lead 34-25 with 3:06 left in the period when the Hornets went on a 10-0 run to take a 35-34 lead with 46 seconds left on back to back three-pointers from Jevon Taylor. Ethan Brozek scored with 14 seconds left to give UNK a 36-35 lead at the break.
Emporia State scored the first five points of the second half on a lay-up by Josh Pedersen and a three-pointer from Jay Temaat to take a 40-36 lead with 16:46 left. A three off the fast break from Temaat following a steal by Tyler Jordan gave the Hornets a 46-41 lead with 13:16 left. Brozek then scored six points in an 8-1 run to give the Lopers the lead at 49-47. Temaat answered with another three to give Emporia State a 50-49 lead with 10:17 remaining. The Lopers scored five of their next seven from the line while the Hornets only connected on one of two free throws to give UNK a 56-51 lead with 7:00 left.
Beranek hit two free throws with 4:48 left to give the Lopers a 60-53 lead when Temaat and Micah Swank hit back to back three-pointers to pull the Hornets within a point at 60-59 with 3:10 remaining. Brozek and Pedersen traded buckets before Brozek scored an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Lopers a 65-61 lead. Temaat had a chance to cut the lead to two but missed both free throws with 52.1 seconds left and Beranek hit four of four from the line in the final 19.9 seconds to ice the win.
Temaat hit four of six three-pointers to lead Emporia State with 12 points while Josh Pedersen and Jevon Taylor each scored 11 for the Hornets.
Emporia State will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Topeka to take on Washburn. Tip-off for the Turnpike Tussle is set for 7:00 p.m. in Lee Arena.
NOTES
All five players that scored in double figures - Temaat, Taylor and Pedersen for Emporia State and Beranek and Brozek for Neb.-Kearney - are sophomores.
