November 11, 2022-Emporia State put four players in double figures as they opened the season with a 67-57 win over Arkansas Tech on Friday night in Weatherford, Okla.
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The Hornets scored the first points of the season on an Owen Long jumper just 13 seconds into the game. The Wonder Boys would take a 6-4 lead with 16:17 left when Emporia State went on an 8-0 run to take the lead for good. Arkansas Tech pulled within a point at 15-14 midway through the half only to see the Hornets score the next five points to go back up by six with 8:58 left.
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The Wonder Boys were within two at 22-20 with 6:28 left when the Hornets closed the half on an 11-0 run. Long started things with the first three-pointer of the night with 3:54 remaining. Atavian Butler scored the next eight points for Emporia State as they took a 33-20 lead to the locker rooms.
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The teams traded scores for most of the first four minutes of the second half as the Hornets led 38-29 with 16:00 left. Emporia State then went on a 9-0 run capped by a
Mayuom Buom dunk with 14:03 left to go up by 18 points.  The lead would not go below double figures the rest of the night as the Hornets posted a 67-57 final score.
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Mayuom Buom led four Hornets in double figures with 18 points on seven of eight shooting and three blocked shots. Atavian Butler had 16 points while Owen Long scored 11 and Alijah Comithier added ten points and a team high eight rebounds. Kaden Evans filled up the stat sheet with eight points, with seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.
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The Hornets will be back in action on Saturday night when they take on the host school Southwestern Oklahoma in the final game of the MIAA-GAC Challenge. Tip-off from the Pioneer Cellular Events Center is set for 7:30 p.m.
