January 28, 2018-Emporia State overcame a 19 point first half deficit before falling 87-80 in double overtime to Southwest Baptist on Sunday afternoon in White Auditorium.
After making slight change to the starting lineup, the Hornets jumped out to a 7-2 lead to start the game. The Bearcats responded with an 11-2 run of their own to take a 13-9 lead with 12:47 left in the half. A Stephaun Limuel three-pointer cut the deficit to one point on the next possession before SBU went on a 13-0 run to take a 26-12 lead with 7:45 left. Jack Dale broke the run with a free throw but the Bearcats got a three-pointer from Marlon Alcindor and a fast break dunk by Karim Mouliom to go up 31-13 with 7:25 remaining in the half. Brandon Hall broke a 6:37 drought without a field goal by the Hornets when he scored inside with 6:02 left in the half. Neither team would score over the next three minutes until Kai Woodfall hit a three-pointer with 3:08 left to give SBU their biggest lead of the day at 34-15. Emporia State ended the half on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 13 at the break.
The Hornets scored the first five points of the second half to push the run to 13-2 and get the deficit under double digits. Mouliom scored on a tip in with 15:36 left to give the Bearcats a ten point lead at 40-30. Emporia State responded with an 8-0 run and closed within 40-38 on a three-pointer from Brian Morton with 12:53 remaining. The Hornets forced the Bearcats into two shot clock violations during the run. SBU led 49-43 when the Hornets went on a 12-2 run of their own. Hassan Thomas got a break away dunk to give ESU the lead and after an SBU turnover on the next possession Hall buried a three-pointer to give the Hornets a 55-51 lead with 5:26 left. Thomas hit a three-pointer with 3:57 left that gave Emporia State a 61-55 lead, but that would be the final score in regulation for the Hornets. Emporia State missed three field goals, the front end of two one-and-one free throws, and turned the ball over twice in the final 3:24 as SBU went on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 61 with 19.0 seconds left on a pair of Logan Hovey free throws. The Hornets still had a chance to win in regulation but Hall's three-pointer was off the mark.
Emporia State scored first in the first overtime and Danny Hodge's three-pointer with 1:26 left gave the Hornets a 68-65 lead. Alcindor scored inside with 1:12 left and Hovey hit two free throws with 40.2 seconds left to give the Bearcats a 69-68 lead. The Hornets got three shots off thanks to a pair of offensive rebounds in the next 34 seconds but could not score and were forced to foul with 2.1 seconds left. Woodfall hit both free throws with to put SBU up 71-68. The Hornets in-bounded the ball to Hall and, like he has done several times in his ESU career, he was able to get to half court and launch a threepointer that banked in to send the game to a second overtime.
Morton scored inside to start the second extra frame and give the Hornets a 73-71 lead. The next eight points in the game were scored from the free throw line with the Bearcats going six of six while Garin Vandiver hit two for the Hornets. Alcindor scored on a fast break with 2:08 left to give SBU a two possession lead at 79-75. The teams traded jumpers with Morton scoring inside with 1:54 left and Chriss Rossow answering with 1:29 left to make it 81-77. Hall buried a three-pointer with 1:10 remaining to pull the Hornets within a point but Mouliom scored inside as the shot clock was winding down to push the lead back to 83-80 with 43.3 seconds left. Hall missed a potential tying three-pointer with 21 seconds left and Alcindor hit two free throws with 15.8 seconds left and scored on a break away layup as time expired to ice the Bearcat victory.
Brandon Hall led four Hornets in double figures with 25 points to go with six rebounds and six assists. Stephaun Limuel had his ninth double-double of the year with 11 points on five of seven shooting from the field and 12 rebounds. Hassan Thomas had 16 points and seven rebounds while Brian Morton added 14 points and three steals. Emporia State was just 12 of 22 from the free throw line while SBU went 20 of 22, including an eight for eight performance in the second overtime.
Emporia State is back in action on Wednesday, January 31 when they travel to Ft. Hays State. Tip-off from Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kan. is set for 7:30 p.m.
NOTES:
The Hornets have lost five straight games for the first time since dropping five in a row near the end of the 2014-15 season. Three of the five losses during the streak have been either one possession games or decided in overtime. Eight of Emporia State's 12 losses this season have been by five points or fewer or in overtime.
