LADY HORNETS TAKE 80-77 WN AT SOUTHWEST BAPTIST

February 7, 2019-Jessica Wayne scored with 2.0 seconds left to give the Lady Hornets an 80-77 win at Southwest Baptist on Thursday night in Bolivar, Mo.
 
Emporia State jumped out to a 10-0 lead to start the game and did not allow the Bearcats to score until the 6:00 mark of the period.  The Lady Hornets led 16-6 with 2:08 left before the Bearcats went on a 5-0 run to trail 16-11 after one quarter.
 
The Lady Hornets pushed the lead to 11 points at 25-14 on a Jessica Wayne break-away layup and still led by ten with 5:24 left in the half.  The Bearcats would then go on a 13-1 run to take a 33-31 lead with 1:56 left in the half.  The teams traded buckets before Addie Lackey scored with 36.1 seconds left to send the teams to the locker rooms tied at 35.
 
The teams played even through the first three minutes of the second half when the Lady Hornets went on a 9-0 run to take a 53-44 lead with 5:53 left in the third. Emporia State would push the lead to 58-48 on a three-pointer by Lackey before Morgan Henderson hit back to back buckets to pull SBU within 58-52 with 3:23 remaining. That would be the last score by either team in the third quarter as Emporia State took a six point lead into the fourth quarter.
 
Taliayah Wilson scored the first points of the fourth quarter for SBU before Lackey ended a 5:50 scoreless drought for the Lady Hornets with 8:36 left in the game.  A Tyra Jones jumper with 3:47 left gave Emporia State a 70-62 lead and the Lady Hornets held a 73-66 lead with 2:30 remaining. Madison Strong then hit back to back to back three-pointers in less than a minute to put the Bearcats up 75-73 with 1:35 remaining.
 
Jones scored inside with 1:21 left to tie the game at 75-75. The Lady Hornets held on defense and Jones hit two free throws with 36.1 seconds left to give ESU a 77-75 lead.  Caylee Richardson scored inside with 22.6 to tie the game at 77.  Emporia State worked the clock and Wayne drove the lane to score and was fouled with 2.0 seconds left.  She hit the free throw to give the Lady Hornets an 80-77 lead. Strong's three-pointer to tie was off the mark as the buzzer sounded and the Lady Hornets won their season high fifth straight game.
 
Tyra Jones lead Emporia State with 25 points while Jessica Wayne added 20 points.  They were joined in double figures by Emily Miller with 17 points and Addie Lackey with 12 points.  Tiana Moala had a team high 11 rebounds with three blocks and three steals.
 
The Lady Hornets are back in action on Saturday when they travel to defending national champion Central Missouri. Tip-off between the last two MIAA teams to win national championships is set for 1:30 p.m. at the UCM Multipurpose Building in Warrensburg, Mo.
 
NOTES:
Moala's three blocks give her 132 in her career and moves her past Stacy Humphrey (130 from 1992-96) for sixth on the Lady Hornet career list.