#15 LADY HORNETS CANNOT COMPLETE COMEBACK IN 76-71 LOSS AT NEB.-KEARNEY

January 18, 2020-The #15 Lady Hornets cut a 12 point second half deficit to one but could not complete the comeback in a 76-71 loss at Neb.-Kearney on Saturday afternoon.
 
Emporia State trailed 11-10 with 3:06 left in the first quarter on a Morgan Laudan layup. That would be the last field goal for the Lady Hornets for 6:07 of action that lasted into the second quarter. Emporia State was able to hold the Lopers to just ten points in that time as UNK took a 21-11 lead with 7:18 left in the half. 
 
Tre'Zure Jobe would break the 10-1 run with a layup at the 6:59 mark but Elisa Backes hit a pair of free throws for UNK to push the lead back to 23-13 with 6:44 left in the half.  Jobe would take over the final 4:25 of the half, personally outscoring the Lopers 12-1 the rest of the half to give Emporia State a 25-24 lead at the break. 
 
The Lopers opened the second half on a 9-0 run to take a 33-25 lead before Laura Garcia Laffitte hit two free throws with 6:29 left in the third quarter. UNK would extend their run to 15-2 and took their biggest lead of the afternoon at 39-27 before Fredricka Sheats hit Emporia State's first field goal of the second half, a three-pointer, with 4:05 left.  That would ignite an 11-4 run for the Lady Hornets as they were within 43-38 headed into the fourth quarter.
 
Sheats hit back to back three-pointers around a Haley Simental three for the Lopers pulled the Lady Hornets within 46-44 with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter.  Maegan Holt hit two free throws for UNK and Jobe nailed a three-pointer with 8:06 left to pull Emporia State within 48-47. Haley Simental pushed the Loper lead back to four with a three-pointer at the 7:42 mark.  Sheats missed a three-pointer for the Lady Hornets as the shot clock was winding down and on the ensuing possession Klaire Kirsch hit a three as the shot clock buzzer went off to give UNK a 54-47 lead with 6:42 left.
 
The teams would trade scores over the next 4:46 with Morgan Laudan hitting a three-pointer on the break for Emporia State to make it 66-63 with 1:56 left.  The Lopers, who entered the game ranked 11^th in the MIAA in team free throw percentage, hit six straight from the free throw line to take a 74-67 lead with 39.5 seconds left.  Karsen Schultz drove the lane to score with 29.5 left to pull Emporia State within 74-69.  Simental missed two free throws with 28.1 left and Sheats would score inside with 17.9 left to make it 74-71.  Simental was again fouled with 13.8 left but this time hit both free throws for the 76-71 final.
 
Tre'Zure Jobe led Emporia State with 23 points and three steals.  Fredricka Sheats added 13 points and Mollie Mounsey had 11 points and a team high five rebounds.
 
The Lady Hornets will return to White Auditorium on Wednesday to take on Newman.  Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
NOTES
Tre'Zure Jobe now has 273 points and passed Kelly Moten (262 points in 2013-14) to move into ninth place on the Lady Hornet freshman scoring list since going the MIAA.  Next up is Emily Bloss with 289 in 1997-98.