EMPORIA STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL EARNS HARD FOUGHT 81-68 VICTORY OVER MISSOURI WESTERN

January 11, 2020-Emporia State scored the first eight points of the game and never trailed in an 81-68 victory over Missouri Western on Saturday in White Auditorium.
 
Neither team scored over the first 90 seconds of action until Devin Rottweiler got the Hornets on the board off a Keyon Thomas assist.  Brenden Van Dyke made it 8-0 with 16:21 left on a fast break layup that forced the Griffons to call timeout.  Western finally got on the board thanks to a Tyrell Carroll bucket in the paint with 15:31 left.  The Hornets pushed the lead up to 12 on a Duncan Fort fast break three-pointer with 10:42 remaining to make it 19-7. 
 
The Griffons got back to within five points with 4:17 left in the half only to see the Hornets go on a 9-3 run to take a 35-24 lead with 58 seconds left.  Jumah'Ri Turner scored the final points of the run on a pair of free throws that he took in place of Van Dyke who was injured when fouled going up for a shot.  Alex John would get an old fashioned three-point play for Western with 50 seconds left as Emporia State took a 35-27 lead into the locker rooms.
 
The lead would hover in the low double digits for first half of the second period with Emporia State taking a 15 point lead at 54-39 with 13:57 left on a Thomas three pointer that forced a Griffon timeout.  Out of the timeout Western would go on a 15-3 run, capped by a Tyus Millhollin three-pointer with 7:42 left that pulled them within three points.
 
Zac Owens scored to push the Hornet lead up to 59-54 only to see John score inside to cut it back to three with 7:09 left.  Owens scored on a mid-range jumper with 6:03 left to ignite a 12-2 run with Thomas scoring the final ten points of the run for the Hornets as they took a 71-58 lead with 3:46 remaining.  The Griffons would not get closer than nine points the rest of the way as the Hornets went seven of eight from the free throw line in the final 1:43 to secure the 81-68 victory.
 
Jumah'Ri Turner scored 18 points to lead the Hornets while Devin Rottweiler scored 16 points on seven of nine shooting from the field and Keyon Thomas added 16 points with seven assists.  Dallas Bailey grabbed 11 rebounds for the second straight game for Emporia State.
 
The Hornets are back in action on Wednesday, January 15 when they travel to Fort Hays State.  Tip-off from Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kan. is set for 7:30 p.m.