LADY HORNETS RANK IN TOP SIX OF NATIONAL ATTENDANCE FOR 22ND STRAIGHT YEAR

Women's Basketball | 7/3/2019 8:41:00 AM

July 3, 2019-For the 22nd straight year, the Emporia State Lady Hornet basketball team ranked in the top six in attendance among the over 300 NCAA Division II basketball playing schools.
 
The Lady Hornets drew an average of 1,492 fans to their 13 home games on Slaymaker Court in White Auditorium during the 2018-19 season to rank sixth nationally. Emporia State averaged more than 20 teams that made the NCAA Division I Tournament. They outdrew 210 NCAA Division I schools, including eight from the "Power 5" conferences - five from the ACC, two from the Pac 12, and one from the Big 10.  
 
Emporia State had a season high 2,467 for their game against Washburn on Jan. 5 and the Lady Hornets have played in front of at least 1,000 fans in White Auditorium in every game since Jan. 10, 1998 a span of 291 games.  The last time Emporia State failed to draw 1,000 fans was a 103-38 victory over Tabor on Nov. 24, 1997 in front of 947.  
 
The Lady Hornets have won 289 of the last 319 (.906) games in White Auditorium. The Lady Hornets have not lost a non-conference home game since a 58-51 defeat by Harris-Stowe on Dec, 8, 2007.  Emporia State has only lost 15 games to unranked NCAA teams in White Auditorium since 1997. The Lady Hornets are are 437-98 (.817) overall since 1979 at home and hold the MIAA record for consecutive home wins with 62 set from 1997-2001. Emporia State is 12-7 against top ten teams in White Auditorium since 1995.

Emporia State was among five MIAA teams in the top eight nationally with eight conference teams ranked in the top 20. As a conference the MIAA drew 214,907 fans to 204 games to lead all Division II conferences in average attendance at 1,053 fans per game. That mark would rank tenth among 32 NCAA Division I women's conferences in total attendance adnd 15th in average attendance. It is the 11th straight year the MIAA has led the nation in average attendance. The seven of the top eight teams in the nation were from the Central Region with 12 teams from the region ranked in the top 20. The Central Region was the only NCAA Division II Region with three conferences ranked in the top ten nationally.

Emporia State is the only program in NCAA Division II history to lead the nation in attendance (2005), win a national championship (2010), and be honored with the top GPA in the nation (2017) in the WBCA Academic Top 25 list.

The Lady Hornets finished the season 22-9 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 20th time in the last 23 seasons. They graduated six players off last year's team, but are set to return four players that started at least one game last year including MIAA Defensive Player of the Year Jessica Wayne. 

2018-19 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Attendance Top 25
School    Games    Total    Average
1. Northern St.     13     33,917      2,609
2. Fort Hays St.     19     47,848      2,518
3. Augustana (SD)     16     30,491      1,906
4. Drury     17     29,384      1,728
5. Pittsburg St.     14     21,633      1,545
6. EMPORIA ST.     13     19,394      1,492
7. Central Mo.     11     16,364      1,488
8. Washburn     14     20,653      1,475
9. Winston-Salem     14     19,423      1,387
10. Black Hills St.     11     12,346      1,122
11. St. Cloud St.     14     15,074      1,077
12. Virginia Union     11     11,720      1,065
13. Missouri Western     14     14,824      1,059
14. Alas. Anchorage     14     14,785      1,056
15. Colorado Mesa     17     17,599      1,035
16. Neb.-Kearney     17     17,098      1,006
17. Ashland     15     14,850      990
18. Colorado St.-Pueblo     13     12,790      984
19. MSU Moorhead     12     11,801      983
20. Mo. Southern St.     15     14,440      963
21. West Tex. A&M     17     15,983      940
22. Georgia College     12     10,944      912
23. Glenville St.     15     13,515      901
24. Angelo St.     13     11,631      895
25. Alabama Huntsville     12     10,703      892
MIAA in Bold
Central Region in Italics

2018-19 NCAA Division II Conference Attendance Leaders
Conference    Schools    Games    Total    Average
1. MIAA    14     204     214,907     1,053
2. NSIC     16     223     177,660     797
3. CIAA     13     170     106,235     625
4. Lone Star     11     156     89,212     572
5. Peach Belt     12     166     81,839     493
6. GLVC     14     193     88,996     461
7. RMAC     16     219     100,716     460
8. GLIAC     12     164     74,804     456
9. GAC     12     174     78,886     453
10. Gulf South     13     176     73,960     420