EMPORIA STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FIGHTS BACK IN SECOND HALF FOR 81-67 WIN OVER SBU

January 28, 2018-After giving up a season high 48 points in the first half, the Lady Hornets clamped down on defense and held Southwest Baptist to just 19 second half points in an 81-67 Emporia State victory on Sunday in White Auditorium.
 
The Bearcats scored the first four points of the game and never trailed in the first quarter.  After a pair of Tyra Jones free throws tied the score at 4-4, SBU went on a 16-7 run to take a 20-11 lead with 3:08 left in the quarter.  The Lady Hornets would close to within four on two Kali Martin free throws with 27 seconds left but Caylee Richardson hit two from the charity stripe to give SBU a 26-20 lead after ten minutes.
 
The Lady Hornets scored the first eight points of the second quarter – in just 1:36 - to take a 28-26 lead.  The teams bounced back and forth over the next three minutes until Bailey Rezabek scored seven straight points to give the Bearcats a 37-32 lead with 4:41 left in the half. Madison Ralston scored inside off a pass from Tatum Graves to make it 44-39 with 2:09 left but the Bearcats outscored the Lady Hornets 4-1 to end the half and take a 48-40 lead to the locker room.
 
Richardson scored to open the second half and give SBU their biggest lead of the day at 50-40. Tyra Jones and Jessica Wayne combined on a 6-0 run to pull the Lady Hornets within 50-46 with 7:55 left in the period.  Megan Rosenbohm, the leading scorer in the MIAA entering the game, scored her first points of the game with 4:28 left to give SBU a 57-50 lead.  Kali Martin hit a three-pointer and Rosenbohm scored on a fast break jumper to make it 59-53 with 3:23 left in the period.
 
Emporia State then went on a 14-0 run to end the third quarter and start the fourth. Tiana Moala scored six of her nine points during the run and gave the Lady Hornets a 67-59 lead with 4:57 left in the game.  Moala scored an old-fashioned three-point play with 2:52 remaining to give Emporia State a 74-64 lead.  Bailey Rezabeck's hit her seventh three-pointer of the day to pull SBU within seven with 2:41 left but it would be the last points of the game for the Bearcats, as the Lady Hornets closed the game on a 7-0 run to post the 81-67 victory.
 
Jessica Wayne and Tyra Jones both scored 23 points to lead the Lady Hornets.  In addition to her career high in scoring, Wayne had seven rebounds, five assists and four steals while Jones pulled a game high 13 rebounds. 
 
The Lady Hornets are back in action on Wednesday, January 31 when they take on Ft. Hays State.  Tip-off from Gross Memorial Coliseum is set for 5:30 p.m. in Hays, Kan.