EMPORIA STATE HANGS TOUGH WITH #3 NORTHWEST MISSOURI IN 69-62 LOSS

February 18, 2021-Emporia State and #3 Northwest Missouri were tied with 5:18 left but the Hornets could not get over the hump in a 69-62 loss to the Bearcats on Thursday night in White Auditorium.
 
The Bearcats jump up 5-0 right out of the gate on a three-pointer and layup from Ryan Hawkins.  Northwest led 11-4 when Austin Downing went to work for the Hornets.  He would score or assist on all but two points during an 11-2 run that gave Emporia State a 15-13 lead with 10:11 left in the half. 
 
Northwest would use a 9-2 run to take their biggest lead of the night at 32-21 with 4:11 left in the half. Mayuom Buom scored inside with 3:38 left to start a 7-0 run by the Hornets who pulled within four points on a Duncan Fort three-pointer with 2:30 remaining. Hawkins scored for the Bearcats to break the run but Buom followed with another layup with 1:17 left and Downing scored with 24 seconds left to give him 15 in the half and pull Emporia State within 34-32 headed to the locker rooms.
 
The Bearcats built the lead back up to nine points at 45-36 with 15:03 left in the game.  Jumah'Ri Turner, who was held to just four points in the first half, then scored six in 1:22 to get the Hornets within three at 45-42with 12:38 left.  Hawkins would score the next seven points for NWMSU around an old fashioned three-point play by Downing as the Bearcats took a 52-45 lead with 9:56 remaining. Dallas Bailey started a 9-2 run for the Hornets when Buom found him cutting to the basket with 9:31 left.  Buom then capped the run with a layup of his own to tie the game at 54 with 5:18 left. 
 
Northwest Missouri got back to back buckets from Diego Bernard and Luke Waters to take a 58-54 lead with 3:46 left and the teams traded scores until Hawkins hit a three-pointer with 1:52 left to make it a two possession game at 65-59.  Trevor Hudgins scored with 1:01 left to make it 67-59 and the Bearcats held on for the 69-62 win.
 
Austin Downing had a career high 23 points on 10 of 16 shooting with four assists to lead the Hornets.  He was joined in double figures by Jumah'Ri Turner with 14 points while Mayuom Buom scored 12 on six of seven shooting.
 
The two teams entered the game ranked first and second in the MIAA in scoring defense and both teams ended up shooting over 50% from the field.
 
Emporia State will continue their final homestand of the season on Saturday when they play host to Missouri Western in a key game for MIAA Tournament seeding.  Tip-off for the rare Saturday night contest is set for 7:00 p.m.