EMPORIA STATE MEN FALL BY TWO AT SOUTHWEST BAPTIST

February 15, 2018-For the tenth time this year Emporia State came down to the final possession of regulation to determine the outcome and for the sixth time the Hornets came up short in a 78-76 loss at Southwest Baptist on Thursday night.
 
In a game that had five ties, five lead changes and each team take and lose a nine point lead, Emporia State scored the first five points of the game before Southwest Baptist scored six straight to take their first lead with 17:52 left in the first half.  After Darnell Latham scored for SBU to pull the Bearcats within 18-16 with 11:00 left, Emporia State went on a 7-0 run to take a 25-16 lead with 7:34 remaining in the half. 
 
The Hornets led 32-23 with 5:04 left on a Malik Hluchoweckyj three-pointer, but would then go on a 3:29 scoring drought.  The Bearcats took advantage with a 12-0 run to take a 35-32 lead with 1:58 left.  Hassan Thomas hit a three-pointer to break the run with 1:35 left and Grant Shell scored to give Emporia State a 37-35 lead with 52 seconds left in the half.  Logan Hovey hit a three-pointer with 26 seconds left to give SBU a 38-37 lead at the break.
 
Neither team took more than a four point lead until midway through the second half when Southwest Baptist went on a 7-0 run to take a 62-53 lead with 10:05 remaining.  A Marlon Alcindor three-pointer with 6:41 left, that proved to be their final field goal, gave SBU a 69-63 lead.   Hassan Thomas hit four straight free throws to cut the lead to 69-67 with 5:39 remaining.  Hovey hit four straight of his own from the charity stripe to give SBU a 63-67 lead with 3:45 left.
 
The teams exchanged trips to the line over the next 2:45 with Brian Morton hitting two with 1:00 left to make it 75-71.  The Hornets got the ball back after a turnover and Brandon Hall scored with 26.3 seconds left to pull ESU within 75-73.  Chris Rossow hit one of two free throws with :25.9 left to but the Bearcats up by three. 
 
Limuel got a rebound off a Morton miss with 15.6 seconds left and got the hoop and the harm. His free throw completed the three-point play and tied the game at 76.  Rossow drove the lane for SBU and missed and Limuel tried to save the rebound into the back court but Kai Woodfall picked it off and get the ball to Hovey who was fouled with 1.2 seconds left.  Hovey hit both free throws to give SBU a 78-76 lead.  Emporia State got the ball inbounds to Hall, who has hit two buzzer beaters this year from near half court, but he was not able to get his three quarter court shot to fall as the Hornets lost their 12^th game by five points or less.
 
Stephaun Limuel led Emporia State with 17 points and eight rebounds and was joined in double figures by Brian Morton with 15 points, Hassan Thomas with 13 and Brandon Hall with 12 points. 
 
The Hornets are off for seven days before starting their final two game road swing through Oklahoma beginning at Northeastern State on Thursday, February 22. Tip-off from Tahlequah, Okla. Is set for 7:30 p.m.